Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan football ranked as a top-15 team in preseason AP top-25 poll

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 12:05 PM ET

Football is right around the corner, and Week 0 will kickoff on August 23. One week later, Michigan fans can see their beloved Wolverines take the field against New Mexico under the lights.

Last week, the preseason Coaches Poll came out, and Michigan was ranked at No. 14 in the country. Then today, on Monday, the first AP Top 25 Poll came out -- how did the media view the Wolverines? In the preseason poll, the Wolverines, once again, came in at No. 14 in the country.

Here is the full top 25:

1. Texas
2. Penn State
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami (FL)
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa State
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State

What a successful season would look like for Michigan

After going 8-5 last season, expectations are back to being high for the Wolverines. Of course, landing five-star QB Bryce Underwood comes with those expectations. According to Joel Klatt, a successful season would be winning double-digit wins and getting into the CFP mix.

“Last year was clearly a bump in the road," Klatt began on his podcast. "Nobody cared because they just came off an undefeated 15-0 season in which they won the national championship. So Michigan fans were flying high.

“They were flying high. But, in year two under Sherrone Moore, maybe not the urgency that there is at Alabama trying to replicate what Nick Saban was able to do, but this fan base is used to being at the top echelon at the elite level of college football. You cannot be an elite program and not be in the mix for the college football playoff.

“So this is not a team that can go, you know, 7-5 or 8-4 and feel like that's a successful year. They've got to be in the mix, in the mix. If they're in the mix, I think people will look at them and say, okay, we've got something going.”

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: