Michigan football score predictions for final three games in CFP push

If the Wolverines win out, they are in -- but will they?

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The College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday night and Michigan came in at No. 21. While I had the Wolverines projected at No. 20, at the end, it doesn't matter because if Michigan can win out -- the Wolverines are in.

But will Michigan win out? The Wolverines will have to take down both Northwestern and Maryland on the road before returning home for the grand finale against Ohio State.

Here are my final score predictions for the Wolverines' final three games.

Northwestern

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This game will be played in Wrigley Field and will likely have a pro-Michigan crowd in the stands. The Wolverines will be coming off of their bye week, and hopefully, the Wolverines look a little healthier than they did in the last game against Purdue.

Northwestern won't be a pushover; the 'Cats have been playing well and have a top-five rushing offense and scoring defense in the Big Ten. Bryce Underwood will need to play better than he has in the past two games, but I think Michigan's O-line will wear down the Northwestern defense for Jordan Marshall to gain traction on the ground.

It might be an old-fashioned Big Ten game in the first half with the Wolverines pulling away in the second half.

Final score: Michigan 27, Northwestern 10

Maryland

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Michigan will enter College Park prior to the OSU game, and some will call this a trap game with the Buckeyes on the Wolverines' mind. But if Michigan wants to reach the College Football Playoff, Michigan can only be thinking about the Terrapins.

This will be a matchup between two star freshmen QBs in Bryce Underwood and Malik Washington. The Terrapins' young signal caller has been terrific, and is averaging 244 yards per game through the air.

But in typical Maryland fashion, the Terps got out to a great start going 4-0 before falling in their next four games. The Terrapins are a middle-of-the-road Big Ten team in just about every statistic. If the Wolverines can slow down Washington, Michigan should be able to handle the Terps' offense.

Maryland also has a poor rushing defense, so once again, look for Michigan to pound the rock.

Final score: Michigan 31, Maryland 20

Ohio State

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Ohio State was named the No. 1 team in the country by the College Football Playoff committee on Tuesday night, and rightly so. The Buckeyes look unstoppable at the moment, and OSU has arguably the best defense it's had in a long time.

But Ryan Day has had a Michigan problem. Plus, the Wolverines have to win this game in order to make the CFP. Michigan has won the last four meetings between the two schools, but the Buckeyes are surely going to be favored -- maybe big -- in this game. Julian Sayin is playing great football and as mentioned above, the defense is the best in the country.

OSU is very one-dimensional and hasn't had a great rushing attack this year. Michigan is going to need to get pressure on Sayin and not allow the Buckeyes to beat the Wolverines on the ground. Then on offense, Bryce Underwood has to show why he was the top-rated player in the country.

We've seen lesser Michigan teams win this game -- look back to last year. But OSU is due for a win, and while this prediction could change prior to the game, depending on how Michigan looks the next two weeks, the Buckeyes look too good and Michigan isn't playing consistently enough.

Final score: Ohio State 28, Michigan 24

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