Michigan Football Checks In At 15th In Latest Preseason Rankings
Wayne Staats of NCAA.com came out with a preseason top-25 for the upcoming 2020 college football season. Jim Harbaugh's crew checked in at No. 15. The Wolverines were the third-highest ranked Big Ten team, behind Ohio State (2) and Penn State (8).
RELATED: 2020 Michigan Football Analysis: Running Backs
RELATED: Jim Harbaugh Personally Reaches Out To Top 2021 Michigan Recruiting Targets
"The Wolverines are still way behind rival Ohio State," Staats wrote. "If 2019 wasn't the year, when can Jim Harbaugh and Michigan do it?. The quarterback battle is something to watch (Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton). LB Cameron McGrone should be a leader on defense. There are also road games against Washington, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State."
U-M finished the 2019 regular season ranked at No. 18 in the final Associated Press poll that was released following the national title game in January.
According to NCAA.com's rankings, the Wolverines will face four ranked opponents in 2020: Ohio State (2), Penn State (8), Wisconsin (16) and Minnesota (18).
U-M’s opponents that were included in at least one of the below early rankings are: Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Washington and Wisconsin. The Wolverines will travel to Washington to start the season Sept. 5, and also must play at Minnesota Oct. 17 and at Ohio State Nov. 28. U-M will host Wisconsin Sept. 26, Penn State Oct. 3 and Purdue Oct. 24.
| Outlet | Michigan | 2020 Opponents (Rank) |
|---|---|---|
|
Athlon |
12 |
OSU (2), PSU (6), Wis. (10), Minn. (13) |
|
CBS Sports |
14 |
OSU (2), Minn. (11), PSU (12), Wis. (15) |
|
ESPN |
15 |
OSU (2), PSU (9), Wis. (14), Minn. (19) |
|
NCAA.com |
15 |
OSU (2), PSU (8), Wis. (16), Minn. (18) |
|
Sporting News |
15 |
OSU (2), PSU (9), Minn. (12), Wis. (14) |
|
Sports Illustrated |
20 |
OSU (3), PSU (5), Minn. (11), Wis. (13), Purdue (24) |
|
The Athletic |
20 |
OSU (2), PSU (11), Wis. (12), Minn. (20) |
|
USA Today |
12 |
OSU (3), PSU (7), Wis. (18), Wash. (24) |
|
Watch Stadium |
18 |
OSU (2), PSU (11), Wis. (12), Wash. (20) |
1. Clemson
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. LSU
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Oklahoma
8. Penn State
9. Florida
10. Auburn
11. Notre Dame
12. Oklahoma State
13. Texas A&M
14. Texas
15. Michigan
16. Wisconsin
17. North Carolina
18. Minnesota
19. USC
20. UCF
21. Cincinatti
22. Utah
23. Iowa State
24. Iowa
25. Arizona State
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our newsletter, The Wolverine Now
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook