Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.
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Does U-M have to win out for playoff berth?
After two months of waiting, Michigan has finally arrived at its much-anticipated first true test of the season with a game at Penn State on Saturday.
Looking at the matchup a bit deeper, a case can be made that this is a must-win game for U-M’s playoff chances.
If U-M loses, Penn State will likely finish the regular season with just one loss and a head-to-head win over Michigan to flaunt. It will also force U-M to beat Ohio State at home to have any chance of appearing in the Big Ten championship game and compete for a playoff spot.
Should there be a three-way tie atop the Big Ten East division if Penn State beats Michigan and the Wolverines beat Ohio State, the East’s representative in the conference title game will boil down to which team has better records against top Big Ten West opponents, a process our own Derick Hutchinson has done a brilliant job of breaking down each week.
As of now, Penn State would have the edge in the tiebreaker, and while things can easily change by the end of the season, for argument’s sake at the moment let’s pretend that’s how it will play out.
Penn State would likely win the Big Ten and have just one loss at Ohio State on its resume at season’s end.
Ohio State would likely get any edge over Michigan in the playoff committee’s eyes based on its win at Notre Dame earlier this year, a nonconference win Michigan and Penn State can’t match.
So that means Michigan would likely be the No. 3 option coming out of the Big Ten in the playoff committee’s eyes in that scenario.
The Big Ten having two teams in the playoff is possible, but three is unlikely.
It would be a better scenario for U-M from a playoff perspective to beat Penn State and lose to Ohio State, since U-M would be the No. 2 option from the Big Ten.
In other words, U-M might have its season on the line Saturday in Happy Valley. The key word there is MIGHT. We’ll see how it all plays out.
Top 5 regional final prep matchups
The prep football playoffs have advanced to the regional final stage, which also can be referred to as the quarterfinals.
Here are the best matchups this weekend in the Detroit area.
Detroit Martin Luther King (6-5) at River Rouge (7-4) — This could very well be the de facto state championship game in Division 3. There will be future college players all over the field for both teams.
Southfield A&T (10-1) at Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (9-2) — So far this year, the OAA Red has dominated the MAC Red in head-to-head matchups. Can Chippewa Valley reverse the trend?
Clarkston (6-5) at West Bloomfield (9-2) — Clarkston avenged a regular season loss to Lake Orion with an upset in last week’s district round. West Bloomfield will try and do the same after losing at Clarkston in the regular season.
Roseville (8-3) at Warren De La Salle (9-2) — Roseville has been a rising program the last three years, but knocking off the two-time defending state champion in Division 2 will be the biggest challenge yet.
Waterford Mott (9-2) at Gibraltar Carlson (10-1) — Neither one of these schools have ever made the state semifinals. That will change for the winner in this Division 2 matchup.
Central-Western to play on Tuesday
Much to the chagrin of Central Michigan and Western Michigan fans, their annual battle for the Victory Cannon trophy will be on a Tuesday this year instead of a Saturday when the teams meet in Kalamazoo.
At stake will be more than just the Victory Cannon trophy and bragging rights.
Since both have wins over Eastern Michigan this year, the winner will also claim the Michigan MAC Trophy for 2023.