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Despite being fresh off a national championship run, Michigan football’s expectations for the 2024 season are being tampered by many.
The Wolverines came in at No. 16 in USA TODAY Sports’ re-ranking of all 134 college football teams, released on Tuesday. They look to replace first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy and former coach Jim Harbaugh, who left to coach the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. Michigan also lost a handful of other key contributors, leading all colleges with 13 NFL draft picks in 2024.
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Michigan has still yet to name a starting quarterback, with Alex Orji, Davis Warren and Jack Tuttle competing for the spot. The Wolverines open their season against Fresno State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.
The re-ranking, which lists all 134 FBS programs, is led by No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Texas, with Oregon and Alabama rounding out the top five. Michigan is sandwiched between No. 15 Kansas State and No. 17 North Carolina State.
Michigan comes in as the No. 4 team out of the Big Ten, following rival Ohio State at No. 2; Pac-12 transplant Oregon at No. 3; and Penn State at No. 9. No. 23 USC and No. 25 Nebraska round the Big Ten representatives in USA TODAY’s re-ranked top 25.
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Kent State came in last at No. 134 in the ranking. New FBS addition Kennesaw State was ranked at No. 132, ahead of the Golden Flashes at No. 134 and Louisiana-Monroe at No. 133.
Regardless of the ranking, Michigan will have a chance to prove its worth when it faces an early test against Texas at home in Week 2. It’s not only a matchup between two teams that made the College Football Playoff last season, but also one of the most intriguing…
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-no-16-usa-200427494.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-08-20 20:04:27
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