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After being absent from the College Football Playoff Rankings for the first two weeks, the Michigan Wolverines jumped in at No. 24 on Tuesday evening. Michigan is also ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll. Though the competition has been questionable over recent weeks, the Wolverines have gained some momentum with three convincing wins over Rutgers, Minnesota, and Maryland.
Third #CFBPlayoff Rankings:
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 15, 2017
2️⃣1️⃣ Memphis
2️⃣2️⃣ Stanford
2️⃣3️⃣ Northwestern
2️⃣4️⃣ Michigan
2️⃣5️⃣ Boise State
More so than the schedule, Michigan has been aided by the accumulation of losses by other Power Five schools. Only 16 teams from these conferences (and Notre Dame) have two or fewer losses, helping Michigan simply rise up the rankings as other schools have naturally suffered defeats over the course of the season.
Strength of schedule continues to be a debate surrounding the Wolverines, as they lack a signature victory this year. However, they will have a pair of opportunities over the next two weeks as their upcoming opponents both find themselves in the top ten. In addition to the aforementioned No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 9 Ohio State, the Big Ten is also represented by No. 10 Penn State, No. 17 Michigan State, and No. 23 Northwestern in the rankings.