Michigan Drops In AP Football Rankings, Despite Win

The Michigan Wolverines may be off to a 1-0 start, but the Associated Press doesn't seem particularly impressed with how they got there.

Michigan dropped one spot in the Week 2 edition of the AP Poll Top 25 rankings, after a 34-17 win over New Mexico in their season opener in Ann Arbor. They are No. 15 in the nation entering a big test on the road against Oklahoma, one down from No. 14 in the preseason poll.

The Wolverines entered last Saturday's contest against the Lobos as 34.5-point favorites. So, they were ultimately disappointing on both sides of the ball, to score under 35 points and to win by only 17.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood flashed his enormous talent, but ended up with just one passing touchdown on 251 yards through the air. Michigan wide receivers, a question mark entering the season, combined for 11 catches and 143 yards between four players. Tight end Marlin Klein, meanwhile, had a career night, with six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Wolverines compiled three sacks and three interceptions as a team, but allowed touchdown drives of 75 and 82 yards. They also fumbled twice on special teams, once with a recovery by Semaj Morgan and once with a turnover by Andrew Marsh.

Ohio State has overtaken the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 after a 14-7 win over the previously top-ranked Texas Longhorns. Penn State maintained its No. 2 ranking with a 46-11 (scorigami!) blowout win over Nevada.

Jumping the Wolverines for the No. 14 spot is Florida State, who entered the season unranked. The Seminoles scored a big upset over Alabama to surge their way into the Top 25. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, dropped 13 spots from No. 8 to No. 21 after the defeat.

Here's the complete AP Poll Top 25 football rankings for Week 2:

Other teams receiving votes: BYU, Auburn, Georgia Tech, USC, Louisville, TCU, Missouri, South Florida, Tulane, Nebraska, Kansas State, Duke, James Madison, Liberty, UNLV, Baylor, Memphis, Navy, Pittsburgh, Virginia

It's a bit odd to say the Wolverines need to "bounce back" after winning by 17, but they're going to need to play a lot better than they did against New Mexico to score a road win over No. 18 Oklahoma. The Sooners are 5.5-point favorites at the DraftKings Sportsbook, as of this writing, but the odds are even for both teams at -110.

Michigan is going to be without senior linebacker Jaishawn Barham for the first half of Saturday's game against Oklahoma, after officials hit him with a second-half targeting penalty against New Mexico. Derrick Moore and TJ Guy will be among those counted on even more to make plays in the front-seven.

The Wolverines are also going to have to tighten up their coverage in the secondary, particularly cornerback Jyaire Hill, who had a shaky season opener. They're going against an Oklahoma passing attack that lit up Illinois Sate in a 35-3 win in Week 1. Sooners quarterback John Mateer completed 30 of 37 passes for 392 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, while wideout Keontez Lewis led the way with nine catches for 119 yards and two scores.

Offensively, Michigan may have its hands full going against the Oklahoma defense, compared to New Mexico. Running back Justice Haynes probably can't bank on another 16-159-3 stat line on the ground. Their offensive line and tight ends will have to continue their high level of play up front.

You can hear the call of the game when Michigan takes on Oklahoma on Saturday on 94.7 WCSX, with pregame coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. EST. Here's the full Michigan football schedule.