The Michigan Wolverines will kick off the 2024 season ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll.
This marks a significant drop from the top spot it held following an undefeated season last year. ESPN’s college football analyst Paul Finebaum, however, questions whether the Wolverines deserve such a high ranking.
In a segment of SportsCenter’s “Fine or Not Fine” on Monday, Finebaum expressed skepticism about Michigan’s placement.
When asked by Matt Barrie about the Wolverines’ ranking, Finebaum expressed his doubts, suggesting he was “not that fine with that.”
“To me, Michigan is a marginal playoff team. I think they’re living off the past here,” Finebaum said. “Jim Harbaugh is gone, and he’s not coming back, in case you missed last week. I think they should’ve been a little bit lower.”
Harbaugh, who led Michigan to a national championship before departing for the NFL, left behind a team that saw 13 players drafted in April, including key contributors like JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum.
In Harbaugh’s absence, Sherrone Moore steps up as head coach for his first full season, facing a challenging schedule that includes games against three top-five teams.
Michigan will host No. 4 Texas in Week 2 and later face No. 3 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State in November.
The Wolverines’ ranking places them behind four SEC teams in the poll: No. 1 Georgia, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 10 Texas.
Additionally, they are ranked fourth among Big Ten schools, with Penn State sitting at No. 8.
Michigan’s position in the AP poll is the lowest for a defending champion since Auburn was similarly ranked in 2011.
What are your thoughts on Finebaum’s comments? … While he hasn’t always been the biggest Michigan supporter, Finebaum doesn’t seem to be alone with his opinion that the Wolverines are ranked a little too high.
Where would YOU rank Michigan entering the season???