After a dominant 33-17 win over then-No. 17 Florida last weekend, the Michigan football team jumped into the top-10 rankings this week.
The Wolverines (1-0) came in at No. 8 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches’ Poll. Michigan moved up three spots from its position at No. 11.
The last time the Wolverines were ranked in the top 10 was prior to the 2016 Orange Bowl in Miami. At the time, they were ranked No. 6, but lost to the 11th-ranked Seminoles, 33-32.
Saturday, the Wolverines’ young and relentless defense held the Gators to just 11 rushing yards, while Michigan’s offense was boosted by fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac (114 rushing yards, 11 carries) and redshirt sophomore kicker Quinn Nordin (four made field goals).
With the uninspiring performance, Florida dropped down to 22nd and 24th in the AP rankings and Coaches’ Poll, respectfully.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh lauded sophomore linebacker Devin Bush (seven tackles, two sacks) on Monday for his impressive outing against the Gators. Bush, along with the other defensive players, kept both of Florida’s offense in check.
Michigan’s upcoming opponent, Cincinnati, defeated Austin Peay (Clarksville, Tenn.) by a score of 26-14 in its opener. Still, the Bearcats aren’t expected to impose nearly as much of a threat as Florida, as the Wolverines are a 34-point favorite in the matchup.
National outlook
The Wolverines jumped ahead of Big Ten foe Wisconsin (1-0), which stayed put at No. 9 after crushing Utah State, 59-10. The Big Ten now has four teams in the AP top-10 — No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State are the others — the most of any conference.
Michigan jumped into the top 10 after Florida State (0-1) suffered a 24-7 loss against top-ranked Alabama. The now 10th-ranked Seminoles suffered a much more significant loss though, when quarterback Deondre Francois went down with a season-ending injury.
The Crimson Tide have their sights set on returning to the College Football Playoff after losing to Clemson in the championship game last season.
Despite a handful of marquee opening-weekend matchups, the second week of college football isn’t short of excitement. Four top-25 matchups will be played this weekend. No. 3 Clemson hosts No. 13 Auburn, No. 6 Southern California hosts No. 14 Stanford and No. 15 Georgia visits No. 24 Notre Dame.