Michigan top-five in ESPN's way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2022

When the clock struck zero on the national championship game, many outlets released a way-too-early Top 25 rankings for the upcoming college football season. For Michigan, it'll see its season end with its first top-five finish since the 1999 season.

That positive momentum is expected to carry over into the offseason, according to ESPN. In the outlets way-too-early Top 25 list, the Wolverines come in at No. 5 next season.

Here's what ESPN had to say about the Wolverines' outlook:

"It might have taken seven seasons, but Jim Harbaugh finally broke through what looked like a ceiling at his alma mater. The season ended with a flop, a 34-11 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl, but that won't take away from a breakout campaign. The Wolverines defeated Ohio State for the first time in a decade, won the Big Ten for the first time since 2004 and reached the playoff for the first time. After there was mounting pressure to fire Harbaugh following the 2020 season, he shook up his coaching staff, and the changes paid off. First-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald did fantastic work, and he might have to do even more next season with Hutchinson and Ojabo turning pro. Identifying Haskins' replacement and settling a quarterback battle between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy will be priorities this spring."

The Wolverines open up the 2022 season on Sept. 3 against Colorado State.

---

Not a subscriber to The Maize and Blue Review? Sign up today!

Discuss this article on our premium message boards

Follow our staff on Twitter @MaizeBlueReview, @JoshHenschke, @BrandonJustice_, @DanielDash_, @DennisFithian, @StephenToski, @TannerWutang, @Baird_CJ, @ZachLibby, @JimScarcelli

Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Subscribe to The Maize and Blue Review on YouTube!

Like The Maize and Blue Review on Facebook!