The Michigan football team opened its 2024 season with a win against Fresno State on Saturday night. The Wolverines came into the game ranked #9 in the country and they were favored to win by 20.5 points. Michigan ended up winning the game 30-10, but the final score did not indicate just how close the game really was. The Wolverines struggled a little bit in this game, and they dropped in the AP Poll because of it.
A new AP Poll was released on Tuesday and Michigan football fell one spot to number nine. Here is the latest poll:
1. Georgia (57 1st place votes)
2. Ohio St (5)
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Notre Dame
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon
8. Penn St
9. Missouri
10. Michigan
11. Utah
12. Miami
13. USC
14. Tennessee
15. Oklahoma
16. Oklahoma State
17. Kansas State
18. LSU
19. Kansas
20. Arizona
21. Iowa
22. Louisville
23. Georgia Tech
24. NC State
25. Clemson
The Michigan football team won the national championship last season, but they are a much different team than they were a year ago. The Wolverines have also won the last three Big Ten titles, and they have made the College Football Playoff each of the last three years.
When a team has a run like that, they are usually ranked a little bit higher to start the season, but this ranking is right for the Wolverines right now. Michigan is a completely different team from both a player and coach standpoint this season. The Wolverines lost a record amount of players to the NFL, and they also have a new head coach and two new coordinators. It makes sense for this team to take a bit of a step back, and after the way they looked on Saturday, it seems like they might.
We knew coming into the season that the Wolverines were going to have a really good defense, and that unit looked strong on Saturday, especially the defensive line. However, we also knew that there was a lot of inexperience on offense and that there were a lot of question marks on that side of the football. That showed on Saturday as well.
Michigan had trouble moving the football and finding the end zone on Saturday, but their defense kept them up by multiple scores until things got dicey in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines were never sweating too much as they were up 16-3 in the fourth, but a Fresno State touchdown made it a one-score game, and then the pressure was on.
The good news for Michigan is that they put together their best drive of the day right after Fresno State made it a six-point game. Michigan desperately needed a drive like that where they were executing and firing on all cylinders, and they got it at the end of the game. That put the Wolverines up 23-10 and then Will Johnson had a pick-six on the next drive to seal the game. Michigan finished strong, which is a good sign.
Michigan is ranked #10, and that is where they should be. They didn’t look great on Saturday, so it makes sense that they dropped. Plus, if they can get a win this weekend, they will make a big jump.
Michigan is hosting #3 Texas this weekend
One of the biggest games of the college football season will be taking place this weekend as Texas will be coming to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan football. Unlike the Wolverines, the Longhorns moved up in this week’s AP Poll after a dominant 52-0 win over Colorado State on Saturday. The Longhorns looked like a well-oiled machine and they easily took care of business. Texas is now ranked #3 in the AP Poll after starting the season at #4.
This is going to be an incredibly difficult test for Michigan, and we are going to learn a lot about what this team is made of. If the Wolverines win, they will begin to be viewed a national title contender and people will expect them to make the College Football Playoff. If Michigan loses a close game, they can still get some respect and they can still be viewed as a CFP contender. If Texas comes in and easily handles the Wolverines, it probably means that this won’t be a great year for the defending national champs.
The Wolverines and Longhorns will kick off from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor at noon ET on Saturday. The game will be airing on Fox, and Texas is currently favored by 6.5 points. ESPN’s College GameDay and Fox Big Noon Kickoff will be there for the huge matchup.
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