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Michigan football ranked No. 4 in AP Poll ahead of Week 3

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•09/11/22•

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Michigan Wolverines football won the 2021 Big Ten championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan football took care of business in a 56-10 win over Hawai’i on Saturday night in Ann Arbor to move to 2-0 on the year. Their standing nationally has been revealed in the AP Poll coming off of a chaotic week across college football for the second Saturday in a row.

Michigan enters Week 3 ranked No. 4 in the country behind Georgia, the new No. 1 team in the land. Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson round out the top 5.

Other teams in the Big Ten ranked this week are Ohio State (No. 3), Michigan State (No. 11) and Penn State (No. 22).

Michigan hosts UConn this weekend in a 12 p.m. ET kickoff set for ABC. Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy was named the starter coming out of the performance against Hawai’i and it is expected to remain that way moving forward.

How Michigan stacks up against full Week 2 AP Poll

  1. Georgia Bulldogs
  2. Alabama Crimson Tide
  3. Ohio State Buckeyes
  4. Michigan Wolverines
  5. Clemson Tigers
  6. Oklahoma Sooners
  7. USC Trojans
  8. Oklahoma State Cowboys
  9. Kentucky Wildcats
  10. Arkansas Razorbacks
  11. Michigan State Spartans
  12. BYU Cougars
  13. Miami Hurricanes
  14. Utah Utes
  15. Tennessee Volunteers
  16. NC State Wolfpack
  17. Baylor Bears
  18. Florida Gators
  19. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  20. Ole Miss Rebels
  21. Texas Longhorns
  22. Penn State Nittany Lions
  23. Pitt Panthers
  24. Texas A&M Aggies
  25. Oregon Ducks

What experts are saying about Michigan’s Week 2 performance

Heather Dinich, ESPN

College Football Playoff Week 2 lessons: Notre Dame’s done, Alabama’s shaky and the field is open

Reason for optimism: In theory, Michigan’s quarterback saga should be over. J.J. McCarthy was nearly perfect in his debut, completing 11 of 12 passes in the first half for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Yes, it was against winless, unranked Hawai’i, but he seemed to do all he could to separate himself from Cade McNamara, who started in Week 1. How that plays out in the locker room remains to be seen, but the fact that coach Jim Harbaugh used the first two games to put them through an audition was drama enough. After Saturday’s game, Harbaugh named McCarthy the starter for Week 3. The Wolverines should know their offensive leader with time to spare before the Big Ten schedule begins.

Reason for concern: The nonconference schedule against Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn. If Michigan stumbles in the Big Ten, it’s not going to have an impressive nonconference win to help it win a résumé battle if it needs to. This won’t be an issue if the Wolverines finish as one-loss or undefeated Big Ten champions, but if their only loss is to Ohio State and they don’t win the East, it could keep them out of the top four. While other teams have been tested, Michigan will have started the season with four straight home games against unranked opponents.

Barrett Sallee, CBS Sports

Michigan gets an ‘A’ grade for Week 2 performance

J.J. McCarthy dazzled in his audition for the starting quarterback spot, and Michigan topped Hawaii 56-10. Coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game that McCarthy will start next week. He earned it on Saturday.

Bill Bender, Sporting News

Rave reviews for the Wolverines, but with caution

Michigan started J.J. McCarthy in a 56-10 blowout against Hawaii, and the sophomore did not disappoint. McCarthy led five TD drives in six possessions, and through two games the Wolverines have scored TDs on eight of his nine drives. McCarthy finished 11 of 12 for 229 yards and three TDs; an average of 19.1 yards per attempt. Cade McNamara (4 of 6, 26 yards, INT) struggled in relief. It’s tough to over-react too much knowing the competition, but Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh named McCarthy the Week 3 starter against UConn.

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