Michigan football has 12-1 odds for College Football Playoff; these rivals have better chances

Michigan football has 16-1 odds to win the Big Ten, tied for fourth-best in the conference behind Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

According to SuperBook USA, U-M is listed at 12-1 odds to make the College Football Playoff, tied for 14th in the nation with the Badgers. At the top of the list, Ohio State and Clemson have 1-3 odds.

The Buckeyes and Tigers are followed by Alabama (6-5), Georgia (2-1), Florida (3-1) and Oklahoma (7-2) before five teams –– Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State and Texas –– are tied at 7-1 odds.

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Auburn and LSU have 10-1 odds before coach Jim Harbaugh's team comes in at 12-1. LSU is the reigning national champion but needs to replace the production of Heisman Trophy winner and NFL draft No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow.

Minnesota and Iowa have 25-1 and 75-1 odds, respectively, while U-M's Week 1 opponent, Washington, is listed at 50-1.

Although Michigan is 47-18 in five years under Harbaugh, it's yet to make the College Football Playoff since it began in 2014. The Wolverines haven't played in the Big Ten championship game in its nine-year existence.

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In four of the six years with the playoffs, at least one of the teams selected has come from the Big Ten –– Ohio State in 2015, 2017 and 2020 and Michigan State in 2016. The Buckeyes won the national championship in January 2015 but haven't made it back to the title game since.

Michigan has lost four-straight bowl games. Harbaugh came close to the playoffs in the 2016 and 2018 seasons, but losses to Ohio State spoiled those hopes.

Evan Petzold is a sports reporting intern at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.