ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football is ranked No. 2 in this year’s preseason Coaches Poll after winning a second-straight Big Ten title and bringing back most of its core from another playoff appearance.
The Wolverines are coming off one of the best seasons in program history -- a 13-win campaign that included a blowout victory at Ohio State, a Big Ten championship, and a College Football Playoff appearance.
As a sequel to their first playoff bid in 2021, Michigan went undefeated in the 2022 regular season and came up just short in a comeback attempt against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
Since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, few teams have done better than Michigan’s record of 25-3. One of those teams is Georgia, which won each of the last two national championships and checks in at No. 1 in the preseason Coaches Poll.
The Bulldogs received 61 of 66 first-place votes, with Alabama getting four and Ohio State getting one.
Full Coaches Poll
Here’s the full top 25:
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Alabama
- Ohio State
- LSU
- USC
- Penn State
- Florida State
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Utah
- Oregon
- TCU
- Kansas State
- Oregon State
- Oklahoma
- North Carolina
- Wisconsin
- Ole Miss
- Tulane
- Texas Tech
- Texas A&M
Why rank Michigan so high?
College programs today have more turnover than ever, with the transfer portal joining high school recruits, graduations, and NFL draft exits.
So Michigan’s ranking isn’t entirely dependent on the success of the last two seasons. Jim Harbaugh is welcoming back many of his most important players, and adding a few more.
On offense, J.J. McCarthy gets a full offseason as the undisputed starting quarterback. After dealing with an injury and splitting reps with Cade McNamara last summer, McCarthy still managed to put together an excellent season. Now the expectations are even higher.
It doesn’t hurt to have two -- yes, two -- of the best running backs in the country at his side. Blake Corum was trending toward Heisman Trophy contention before injuring his knee in the penultimate regular-season game, and Donovan Edwards is the definition of a home run threat (just ask Ohio State).
Three members of the offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award (for top O-line) each of the past two seasons are back: Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan, and Karsen Barnhart. They’re joined in the starting five by high-profile transfers LaDarius Henderson and Drake Nugent.
Michigan also enjoys excellent depth across the position. Trente Jones has plenty of experience, and Giovanni El-Hadi, Raheem Anderson, Myles Hinton, and Jeffrey Persi could all contribute.
Wide receiver isn’t a strength, but Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson make up a solid top two, and they’re experienced on the sport’s biggest stages. Darrius Clemons and Tyler Morris are the top candidates to fill the void left by Ronnie Bell’s departure.
Colston Loveland starred as a true freshman tight end and should be a focal point of the offense in 2023.
On defense, Michigan is unproven at cornerback, but the front seven should be strong. Kris Jenkins and Jaylen Harrell are back, as is true sophomore Derrick Moore. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant will handle the interior, while Braiden McGregor and transfer Josiah Stewart join the edge rushing mix.
Junior Colson and Michael Barrett are back and joined by Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausmann at linebacker. Mike Sainristil, Will Johnson, and Rod Moore will have to carry the load for the secondary.
