The Michigan Wolverines dropped out of the Top 25 last week following a controversial win over Western Michigan. That had the college football world locked in on Saturday’s matchup against No. 11 Oklahoma.
Michigan pulled off the upset, 17-10, and once again appear to be a legitimate contender. So how would improving to 2-0 be reflected in the rankings?
Michigan Ranked Once Again in Week 3
The new AP Top 25 poll dropped Sunday afternoon and Michigan is up to No. 19 overall in the nation. That gets them close to the initial No. 16 ranking the team held to open the season. Oklahoma, meanwhile, dropped down to No. 24 overall.
The Wolverines play a lowly UTEP team next week before hosting a currently ranked Iowa team the week after. The Hawkeyes enter this week one spot ahead of the Wolverines at No. 18 overall.
Michigan pulled off the upset victory thanks to a new approach with quarterback Bryce Underwood. A quick glance at the box score shows he finished 9/17 passing for 111 yards and no touchdowns. But it also shows he ran the ball 18 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.
The coaching staff let Underwood use his full skillset and allowed him to dominate the Oklahoma offense with his 6-foot-4 frame. The concerns about his passing remain, but Michigan is still 2-0 to start the season.
Road Ahead For The Wolverines
Michigan has what appears to be an automatic win on the schedule next week against UTEP before hosting Iowa the following week. Both games are in Ann Arbor as Michigan only has one road game in the first seven games overall.
Playing at home against Penn State and Indiana in back-to-back weeks serves as an advantage for Underwood and his team. The only challenging road games are against Oregon and Ohio State, both of which lost on Saturday.
It’s difficult to make weekly predictions with this Michigan team based on how the season has began. The team is 2-0 with a disputed win in Week 1 and a tight victory dominated by the defense in Week 2.
Yet the win over Oklahoma does help shift the focus away from the Week 1 saga and avoids a lost season while we are still in September. Michigan is ranked once again and Kyle Whittingham’s team controls its own destiny in terms of the College Football Playoff.
Is Michigan Ranked? Latest AP Top 25 Poll Revealed