Michigan football a top-15 team in preseason AP poll

Michigan Wolverines football checks in at No. 14 in the preseason Associated Press poll heading into the 2025 campaign. The Maize and Blue finished the 2024 season outside of the top 25 but were the fourth team in the ‘receiving votes’ category. Michigan is ranked No. 14 in the preseason coaches poll, as well.

Texas is ranked No. 1, followed by No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Miami to round out the top 10.

Michigan also stands behind No. 11 Arizona State, No. 12 Illinois and No. 13 South Carolina.

The Wolverines are the fifth-highest rated Big Ten program, behind the Nittany Lions, Buckeyes, Ducks and Fighting Illini. Indiana is the sixth Big Ten team in the top 25, standing No. 20.

Michigan will not play Penn State, Oregon, Illinois or Indiana in the regular season, but all of them are potential opponents in the Big Ten championship game or College Football Playoff.

The Maize and Blue will take on one ranked opponent in non-conference play — No. 18 Oklahoma. The two teams will square off Sept. 6 in Norman for the first ever meeting between the programs on a college campus.

While Michigan won its rivalry and trophy games — versus Ohio State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Michigan State — the team disappointed with an 8-5 record a season ago. The Wolverines believe times can be better in 2025, however.

 ”Last year, we hit a couple of speed bumps, but we didn’t allow those to become roadblocks,” Moore said at Big Ten Media Days. “We overcame a lot of adversity and had a successful end of the year. But really, we’re not living on that. We know that’s done. We know that’s past us and our jobs now are to write a new story on what the University of Michigan and Team 146 is all about.

“We’re a team. It’s not one person who wins or loses a game; it’s a team. So for us, we’ve done a really good job of being a cohesive unit and team over me and gaining trust with each other and being in the battle. We’re just gonna be a better team this year.”

AP poll: Preseason top 25 in 2025

1. Texas (25 first-place votes)
2. Penn State (23)
3. Ohio State (11)
4. Clemson (4)
5. Georgia (1)
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon (1)
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa State
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State