Michigan Stays Ranked, But Plummets In AP Poll After Loss

Despite a 24-13 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners last night, the Associated Press voters as a whole kept the Michigan Wolverines within the Week 3 issue of the AP Poll Top 25 rankings.

The Wolverines will be ranked No. 23 when they take the field back in Ann Arbor next Saturday against Central Michigan, dropping eight spots from No. 15 and leaving themselves on the bubble of the top 25.

Entering Saturday night’s bout against the Sooners, Michigan faced an uphill battle. A night game on the road against a ranked opponent while counting on a true-freshman quarterback in Bryce Underwood isn’t necessarily the recipe for a Saturday evening stroll.

Under center, Underwood struggled to find his footing. He threw 9-for-24 for 142 yards and no touchdowns. Ninety-one of his passing yards went to wide receiver Donaven McCulley, who earned that total on just three catches. Running back Justice Haynes broke off a 75-yard TD on the first play of the second half to highlight his 125 yards on 19 carries.

The Wolverines’ defense forced two turnovers – an interception from defensive back TJ Metcalf and a fumble recovery on a punt – but Michigan couldn’t capitalize.

The top 3 positions held strong with Ohio State, Penn State, and LSU, in that order, all with convincing wins over lesser opponents. Oregon is the first shift in the rankings, jumping up two positions to the No. 4 spot after a 69-3 walloping over Oklahoma State.

Following their triumph over the Wolverines, the Sooners climbed five spots to occupy the No. 13 position.

Here’s the complete AP Poll Top 25 football rankings for Week 3:

Other teams receiving votes: Arizona State, BYU, Georgia Tech, Florida, Southern Cal, TCU, Mississippi State, Louisville, SMU, Nebraska, Tulane, Baylor, UNLV, Pittsburgh, Navy, Memphis, Vanderbilt

Michigan takes on Central Michigan at home next Saturday, a far easier task than Oklahoma on the road. That doesn’t mean that the Chippewas will just roll over, but they could certainly serve as a get-right tune-up before the Wolverines start Big Ten play.

To climb back up in the rankings, Michigan will need to be convincing. The voters already showed that an unconvincing win will set a team back in the ranks when the Wolverines fell a spot after a season-opening win. 

As of Sunday, Michigan is a 27.5-point favorite over Central Michigan, according to FanDuel. The Wolverines will probably have to cover that spread in order for voters to consider a bump in the ranks.

All eyes will be transfixed on Underwood, but Michigan has several things it must shore up in order for it to make a jump. The secondary, which has struggled in spurts so far, will have to be a point of emphasis. The Chippewas have struggled mightily through the air this season, so if the Wolverines can’t shut them down, there might be cause for concern.

The offense will need to be tight as well. McCulley was the only receiver with more than one reception against Oklahoma, and Michigan will look to receivers Semaj Morgan and Channing Goodwin to up their production.

Notably, coach Sherrone Moore will not be on the sidelines, as he will be serving a program-imposed suspension related to the sign-stealing scandal. A stand-in coach will be named later this week to take Moore’s place. 

You can hear the call of the game when Michigan takes on Central Michigan on Saturday on 94.7 WCSX, with pregame coverage starting at 9 a.m. EST. Here's the full Michigan football schedule.