Michigan showcased its finest and most comprehensive victory of the season on Saturday. The Wolverines defeated Northwestern with a resounding 50 - 6 final score. This remarkable win not only propelled Michigan to 6 - 5 on the year but also secured their bowl eligibility. Additionally, it led to an upward movement in the latest editions of ESPN and Bill Connelly's SP+ rankings. As a result, the Wolverines now hold the No. 32 position in the country according to SP+.

Understanding SP+

For those unfamiliar with SP+, it is described by Connelly as "a tempo and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency." This metric takes into account a team's efficiencies on offense, defense, and special teams. By boiling down these efficiencies into one metric, it provides an alternative method for ranking college football teams. It can be used to predict how many points a given team should beat (or lose to) the "average" college football team on a neutral field. In Michigan's case, after Week 13, their metric stands at 8.5, indicating that they should defeat the "average" team by 8.5 points.

Rankings at the Top

At the top of the rankings, Ohio State now has a firm grip on the No. 1 spot. Their rating of 31.4 is four points higher than the next highest team. Ole Miss, despite losing its third game of the season on Saturday, still manages to come in at No. 2. Undefeated Oregon holds the No. 3 position. Texas is ranked No. 4, and Georgia rounds out the top five.

Big Ten Standings

Michigan also secures the seventh-best position in the Big Ten according to SP+. Ohio State and Oregon are both top-three teams within the conference. Penn State comes in at No. 10, and Indiana follows at No. 11. The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a solid year and are ranked No. 17, while USC finds itself at No. 23.

"The Game" Next Week

Looking ahead to "The Game" against Ohio State next week, Michigan is a significant underdog on the betting market. According to FanDuel, they are 20.5 points behind. SP+ is even less optimistic for Michigan, giving Ohio State a 22.9 - point edge. However, in rivalry games, odds and records often take a backseat. We will have to wait and see on Saturday if Michigan can defy the odds and pull off an upset, shocking the college football world.