College Football Playoff Projections 2018: Contenders make Week 10 statements

4. Michigan (8-1)

The Wolverines have controlled their own destiny for a few weeks now, and this should be the week they officially jump into the projected playoff field.

Michigan continued their thorough destruction of the Big Ten with a 42-7 win over Penn State, dispatching the Nittany Lions in Ann Arbor with ease. It was once again the the Wolverines defense that stole the show, holding Penn State to under 200-yards of total offense and not relinquishing a point until the final two minutes of game time.

This was their biggest test remaining until the final week of the regular season when they travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State. They’ll have tune-up games the next two weeks against Rutgers and Indiana to prepare them for a winner-take-all matchup with their bitter rival.

Had it not been for Michigan’s utter destruction of Penn State, I could have envisioned a scenario in which No. 6 Georgia jumped the Wolverines after their 17-point win over No. 9 Kentucky on the road. Jim Harbaugh‘s team was far too dominant to get surpassed by another one-loss team this week, though.

I think it’s actually far more likely that the Wolverines could leapfrog Notre Dame for the No. 3 spot after another impressive showing. The Irish obviously have the head-to-head win over the Wolverines in the season opener, but head-to-head isn’t the only thing that matters in the committee’s criteria.

Michigan would be favored in a rematch against Notre Dame on a neutral field, and have looked like the better team for several weeks.