The situation for Michigan football is clear. Win and the Wolverines are probably in the College Football Playoff.
A single loss along the way will end that hope for Michigan. Ohio State is the game everyone is thinking about, at least from a Michigan perspective, but there are two difficult games looming before that.
Fans might be scoffing at the idea of Northwestern and Maryland being difficult games. Yet, just this week, we saw second-ranked Indiana need a last-minute touchdown to survive against winless-in-the-Big-Ten Penn State.
Winning the next two games on the road might be as difficult a beating the Buckeyes.