ESPN Favoring Michigan Football To Beat Alabama In CFP

Since the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal first broke, a number of ESPN talking heads have been quite negative about the Maize and Blue; in fact, from public calls to ban Michigan football from the College Football Playoff to Rece Davis saying “those who stay will be suspects,” U-M fans have grown accustomed to these antics from the famed sports network. That said, regardless of what has been said on air, the FPI likes the Wolverines’ odds against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl game.

ESPN favoring Michigan football heading into Rose Bowl bout against Alabama Crimson Tide

We are exactly three weeks out from the Rose Bowl (CFP semi-final), which will pit No. 1 Michigan football against No. 4 Alabama for the second time during the Jim Harbaugh era — Michigan lost to Alabama 35-16 in the Citrus Bowl a few years ago.

That said, those were two different teams, and Michigan football is now favored to beat Bama in a much more meaningful bowl game: the Rose Bowl, which is one of two College Football Playoff semi-final games this fall. What does that mean? Simple — the winner advances to the national title game while the loser’s season is over.

FPI model gives Michigan a nearly 56% chance of winning its fist College Football Playoff game

Right now, Las Vegas has Michigan football as a 1.5-point favorite over the Tide, which ESPN and its Football Power Index appear to agree with. On top of ranking Michigan No. 1 in its FPI rankings, ESPN also gives the Maize and Blue a 55.9% chance of victory on January 1, 2024.

Only time will tell, but on paper, just about every predictive model (including Vegas’s betting odds) has Michigan football winning the Rose Bowl, earning the program’s first-ever CFP victory and a 14-win season.

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