Michigan football's new odds to make Playoff, chances to beat USC after win over Wisconsin

The Michigan Wolverines had an old-fashioned Big Ten matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday. Both defenses impressed early before Michigan put it together in the second half to come away with a 24-10 win. The Wolverines moved to 4-1 on the season and found themselves moving up the rankings. Michigan moved up to No. 15 in the AP Top 25 Poll.

But even with Michigan's win and some other teams losing, the Wolverines didn't budge in the latest Football Power Index. The maize and blue are still ranked No. 12 in ESPN's FPI.

What is the FPI and how does it calculate its rankings?

The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete.

Michigan's Remaining Odds

The FPI has Michigan going 9-3 for the rest of the way. Which means, Michigan would have to lose two more games in order for that to happen. The Wolverines will have tough games against USC, Washington, and Ohio State up ahead. The FPI has Michigan having a 1.8% chance to win out, a 7.6% chance to win the Big Ten, a 32.8% chance to make the College Football Playoff, and a 4.1% chance to make the National Championship Game.

What Michigan does this season is in its control. After suffering an early loss at Oklahoma, the Wolverines have bounced back and took down both Nebraska and Wisconsin. If Michigan can find itself running the table up to Ohio State, with a win or loss, it could give the Wolverines enough credit to their resume to make the CFP.

Wolverines' Odds at USC

The advanced analytics aren't giving Michigan too much of a chance heading into USC. The Wolverines have just a 31.5% chance to take down the Trojans. Although this game is in Los Angeles, USC is coming off a loss to Illinois. The Illini crushed the Trojans on the ground, and with how well Michigan runs the football -- it's licking its chops to run the ball on USC.