Michigan football ranked eighth in preseason AP poll
The Associated Press released its preseason top 25 rankings for the 2022 campaign, and Michigan Wolverines football stands No. 8. The Maize and Blue are behind Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Utah.
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Michigan is coming off a stellar 2021 campaign that included a 12-2 record (marking just the third time the Wolverines have earned 12 wins in history), win over arch rival Ohio State for the first time since 2011, Big Ten title for the first time since 2004, ending the Wolverines’ longest drought and first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. Michigan lost to eventual national champion Georgia in the Orange Bowl, which served as one of two CFP semifinals, 33-11.
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The Wolverines were unranked in the AP poll ahead of the 2021 campaign but wound up slotting No. 3 when the season was over. That marked the first time a Michigan squad under Harbaugh entered a campaign not in the top 25 since the 2015 season, his inaugural season at the helm. It also was the second time in which a Michigan team began the season unranked but finished in the top five, joining the Jim Harbaugh-quarterbacked 1985 squad that wound up No. 2 in the rankings.
The Maize and Blue return eight full-time starters on offense, four on defense and all of their top special team contributors. They were slotted No. 6 in the preseason coaches poll and picked to finish second in Big Ten East by the media in the Cleveland.com preseason poll. Ohio State was tabbed as the unanimous choice to win the conference.
Preseason AP Poll Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma St.
13. NC State
14. USC
15. Michigan State
16. Miami
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU
