Michigan football's odds vs. Washington, Playoff chances after losing to USC

The Wolverines are going to need to play flawless football from here on out.

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Michigan entered Los Angeles as the No. 15 team in the country and a team that thought it could contend for not only a Big Ten title, but a spot in the College Football Playoff. However, the Wolverines left the 31-13 loss to the Trojans with more questions than answers and Michigan fell out of the top 25.

Despite the loss, and falling out of the AP Top 25, the advanced analytics aren't as low on Michigan as the human voters are. According to ESPN's FPI, the Wolverines are the No. 17 ranked team in the country. Michigan fell five spots from last weekend.

What is the FPI and how does it calculate its rankings?

The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete.

Michigan's Remaining Odds

The FPI has Michigan going 8.3-3.8 for the remainder of the season. The Wolverines have lost two games so far, so the advanced analytics are leaning toward Michigan losing two more games with the 3.8 losses. The Wolverines have just a 2.1% chance to win the Big Ten and an 11.4% chance to make the College Football Playoff. Michigan would likely need to win out to get a spot in the Playoff.

Wolverines' Odds vs. Washington

The Wolverines are back in the Big House this weekend against Demond Williams and Washington. The Huskies came back and beat Rutgers on Friday night and Williams was sensational. Now, Michigan will have to deal with the dual-threat QB. But the advanced analytics are on Michigan's side. The Wolverines have a 67.6% chance of beating Washington on Saturday.

The Wolverines lost to UW last year in Washington and Michigan needs to return the favor this year if the Wolverines hope to accomplish their goals.

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