The notion of expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams has sparked lively debate among analysts, coaches and fans alike. If the format had been available during the late 1990s and early 2010s, a number of Michigan Wolverines squads that finished with just a few losses might have earned a coveted spot in the championship bracket.
Teams That Almost Made It
The 1997 Wolverines, who shared the national championship with Nebraska, entered the conversation with a perfect blend of tradition and talent. Quarterback Drew Henson’s predecessor, Tom Brady, later reflected on the season’s excitement, while running back Anthony Thomas contributed to an offense that rattled five ranked opponents before stumbling against Michigan State and Illinois.
A year later, the 1999 squad posted a 10‑2 record and featured a dynamic duo in Brady and Thomas, but close defeats to top‑ranked rivals kept them out of the title picture. The team’s résumé included victories over several nationally ranked foes, underscoring how a larger playoff could have given them a second chance.
The 2000 season saw Drew Henson take the helm, guiding the Wolverines to a 9‑3 finish. Despite losing three tight road games — including two against Top‑25 opponents — the team’s potential was evident, and a broader postseason might have turned those narrow defeats into a different narrative.
Two years later, the 2002 Wolverines posted a 10‑3 record and finished the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll. Led by quarterback John Navarre, the offense struggled at times, yet the defense’s performance kept the team competitive, highlighting how an expanded bracket could have rewarded their resilience.
The 2003 campaign brought star wide receiver Braylon Edwards and running back Chris Perry to the forefront. The team cracked the top‑12 on both offense and defense, but losses to Michigan State and Iowa prevented a championship run. A 24‑team format might have offered a second‑round matchup that could have altered their legacy.
Perhaps the most tantalizing ‘what‑if’ belongs to the 2006 squad, which entered the season as the No. 1 team in the nation. After a dominant stretch, the Wolverines fell to Ohio State, a loss that ultimately barred them from the playoff picture. Head coach Brady Hoke and star quarterback Chad Henne later recalled how a larger field could have given the team a final shot at redemption.
Fast forward to 2011, when Denard Robinson’s electrifying play helped the Wolverines finish 11‑2. Despite the excitement, defeats to Michigan State and Iowa kept them out of the title conversation. The emergence of players like Mike Hart and Curtis Samuel added depth, but the narrow margins of victory defined their season.
The 2016 team, coached by Jim Harbaugh, finished 10‑3 and was ranked No. 11 on offense and No. 2 on defense. A controversial officiating call in the game against Ohio State denied them a playoff berth, and their subsequent loss in the Orange Bowl to Florida State closed a season many believed could have been different under a more inclusive format.
What Might Have Been
Across these seven eras, the common thread is a handful of defeats that kept the Wolverines from the championship conversation. The growing push by the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA to expand the playoff suggests that the sport may soon reward teams with more losses but stronger overall resumes. If the 24‑team model had been in place, the narratives surrounding Tom Brady, Denard Robinson, Jim Harbaugh and the countless other Michigan legends might have included a different ending — one that featured a national title parade in Ann Arbor.