The College Football Playoff discussions are circling around Beaver Stadium this week. The winner of Saturday night’s matchup between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State takes a big step in locking up one of those four bids.

But those aren’t the only two B1G teams still in the picture. ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit says that Michigan is still very much alive in the hunt.

Michigan hasn’t been considered much of a contender since losing in Week 1 to Notre Dame, but Herbstreit says there’s plenty of time for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines to make up ground.

“When you lose early, fans get frustrated and Michigan to me was that team in Week 1,” Herbstreit said on SportsCenter Wednesday. “They lost the game (to Notre Dame) and not only lost the game, they didn’t look very good on offense. Jim Harbaugh since then has gone to work after that disappointing loss in Week 1…so don’t forget about Michigan.”

Herbstreit’s right, the Michigan offense has looked much smoother in the three weeks since the trip to South Bend. Karan Higdon has been magnificent in the running game, Shea Patterson has looked better each week as a passer, and the Wolverines are averaging 50 points per game in their last three outings.

The Wolverines also have several opportunities to prove they belong. There are still four games against teams currently ranked in the top 25 — Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State — remaining on the schedule.

Yes, all of the attention is on the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions this weekend. But don’t sleep on Michigan. There’s still a lot of football to be played and opportunities to post some big-time wins later in the year.