With all eyes on the biggest game of the season this Saturday, Michigan’s also going to need some help if it wants to play for a Big Ten championship. The Wolverines must dethrone No. 1-ranked Ohio State, unbeaten at 11-0 and tied atop the conference standings with Indiana, both with a perfect 8-0 league record. Next in line are the Wolverines, who have a 7-1 Big Ten record and are tied with Oregon for second place. Only two teams can play for a league championship next Saturday, Dec. 6, in Indianapolis, making the final week of the regular season important for all involved. If Ohio State and Indiana both hold serve, winning their rivalry games and finishing the regular season undefeated, then they will meet at Lucas Oil Stadium. Easy enough. But there’s the potential for a three and even four-way tie if Michigan can beat the Buckeyes and Purdue can somehow dethrone Indiana. For Michigan, it boils down to three different scenarios, according to a list of tiebreakers released by the Big Ten on Sunday. All three require the Wolverines winning the game Saturday over Ohio State (12 p. m., FOX). • The first and most likely scenario of the group calls for Michigan to beat Ohio State, Indiana to beat Purdue (the Boilermakers are winless in Big Ten play this season) and Oregon to lose its regular-season finale at Washington. Jedd Fisch’s Huskies are 8-3 and were ranked just a few weeks ago, leaving the door open for an upset victory Saturday in Seattle. If that first scenario was to play out, Michigan would hold the tiebreaker over Ohio State (head-to-head win) and play a 12-0 Indiana team for the Big Ten championship. Note heading into the weekend: Indiana-Purdue is set for 7: 30 p. m. on Friday, providing further clarity for Saturday’s games involving Michigan-Ohio State and Oregon-Washington. • The second scenario requires a Purdue upset of Indiana, Michigan win over Ohio State and Oregon victory over Washington. That would leave four 8-1 teams atop the Big Ten standings, requiring seven different tiebreaker steps to determine a Michigan-Oregon matchup for the Big Ten championship. The lone blemish for Dan Lanning’s Ducks came in mid-October, a 30-20 home loss to Indiana, giving the Hoosiers a head-to-head edge over Oregon. But with ties involving multiple teams, record against common opponents and best overall record of conference opponents takes precedent. Oregon would get the nod here. • Last, and perhaps the most intriguing scenario of them all, and least likely: A Michigan win over Ohio State coupled with upset wins for Purdue (over Indiana) and Washington (over Oregon) would trigger a Michigan-Ohio State rematch for the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis. Ever since the College Football Playoff field expanded to 12 teams last year, the possibility of Michigan and Ohio State playing multiple times in the same season has been bandied about. The door is still open for that to happen in 2025. Is it likely? No, but it’s technically still possible. Getting back to Indianapolis has been a goal of Sherrone Moore’s since taking over the Michigan job in 2024. The Wolverines won three straight conference titles from 2021 to ‘23, a run that coincided with the team winning the CFP and national title during the final year. They posted a 7-5 regular-season in 2024, falling well short of playing for a Big Ten title. But Michigan finds itself back in the title picture again this year. While a victory over Ohio State is required, some additional help will be required. Notable Big Ten games this weekend that could impact Michigan’s chances: • 7: 30 p. m. Friday, NBC/Peacock No. 2 Indiana (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) at Purdue (2-9, 0-8 Big Ten) • 12 p. m. Saturday, FOX No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) at No. 18 Michigan (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) • 3: 30 p. m. Saturday, CBS No. 7 Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) at Washington (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten).
https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2025/11/michigan-must-beat-ohio-state-get-some-help-to-reach-big-ten-title-game.html