Weeks ago when the College Football Playoff selection committee had Michigan ahead of Michigan State despite the Spartans holding a head-to-head win over the Wolverines, CFP chair Gary Barta defended it by calling Michigan one of the most complete teams in the country.

That has been the narrative offered up from the committee to define Michigan for most of the back half of the season.

Barta said Tuesday evening, after it was revealed that Michigan has risen to No. 2 in the country, that he and the rest of the committee were not surprised by the way Michigan played against hated rival Ohio State.

“The committee has been referring to Michigan as a complete team over the past 3 or 4 weeks,” he said on a teleconference call after the penultimate CFP rankings were revealed. “The committee was not surprised by the way Michigan played. Maybe a little surprised at the way the score ended up. … But a complete team.

“And that’s how the committee’s felt about Michigan now for quite a while. And they showed it in a championship environment.”

The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes last Saturday 42-27 to secure a spot in the Big Ten championship game. At 11-1 on the year, Michigan sits just behind Georgia in the CFP rankings, a win over Iowa in Indianapolis away from the program’s first CFP appearance.

Ohio State dropped to No. 7 in the rankings. The Wolverines and Hawkeyes play Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.