Michigan Falls Out Of The AP Top 25 For The First Time Since 2017
The Michigan Wolverines' football team fell out of the Associated Press top 25 today, following a disheartening 38-21 loss at Indiana yesterday. U-M came into the weekend ranked No. 23 in the country, while the Hoosiers checked in at No. 13.
The victory vaulted IU to No. 10 in the AP Poll, with Big Ten members Ohio State (No. 3), Wisconsin (No. 13) and Northwestern (No. 23) also residing within the top 25. The Wildcats entered the rankings thanks to a 3-0 start following a 21-13 win over Nebraska yesterday.
The setback marks the first time Michigan is not rated inside the top 25 since the end of the 2017 campaign, when the club finished 8-5 and lost its final three outings. In fact, the Wolverines have been ranked throughout nearly the entirety of the Jim Harbaugh era, with the second half of 2017 (with the exception of one week) and the first four weeks of the 2015 season being the lone exceptions.
The Maize and Blue will look to right the ship next Saturday night against the Badgers, who have only played one game so far this season. Wisconsin's last two matchups have been canceled, and there is no given Saturday night's showdown in Ann Arbor will even occur.
Purdue is actually the next closest Big Ten squad on the verge of the top 25, sliding in at No. 32 nationally. The Boilermakers own a 2-0 record and possess wins over Iowa and Illinois, but their game this weekend against Wisconsin canceled.
Notre Dame's 47-40 double-overtime victory over No. 1 Clemson last night, meanwhile, provided a bit of a shakeup in the rest of the AP Poll's top 5 today. Alabama is the new No. 1 team, with the Fighting Irish rising to No. 2, the aforementioned OSU sitting at No. 3, Clemson falling from No. 1 to No. 4 and Texas A&M rising up to No. 5.
Of Michigan's five remaining regular-season games, only two of them will be against teams who are currently ranked (No. 13 Wisconsin next week and at No. 3 Ohio State on Dec. 12).
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