Michigan football won't like analyst's latest ranking

No need to pinch yourself. You're not dreaming. College football season is almost here. The Michigan Wolverines kick off their season on Sept. 5 against the Western Michigan Broncos, and it can't come soon enough.

Where do they stand heading into the new season? Michigan is in a bit of a strange place. The Wolverines have a new head coach, Kyle Whittingham, after having to part ways with Sherrone Moore last year in the midst of a scandal where a staffer reported their affair.

Turmoil is never good, and it can even bring down the best football teams. So, the question is how Michigan can come back from this mess this season, but they're a heritage team and they will come back from it eventually.

Michigan lands at No. 16 in preseason rankings

Chris Vannini of The Athletic has released a feature ranking the best college football teams ahead of the new season. He has Michigan at a respectable, but not great, No. 16, even though the ranking does make sense.

"The Wolverines won nine games last year amid major coaching turmoil," he notes. "Can the steady hand of Kyle Whittingham get them back to the Playoff? More specifically, will enough receivers emerge to help second-year quarterback Bryce Underwood?"

These are questions that will have to get answered.

Last season, Underwood was promising but uneven, really. He passed for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 60.3% of his passes across 13 games. Underwood also added 392 rushing yards and six touchdowns, showing off his dual-threat ability. 

So, while his passing numbers left room for improvement, his athleticism, arm talent and exciting plays gave Michigan reasons to be excited about his future.

That future is now. Underwood is heading into his second year with the team, and he should be a lot more comfortable in the role of quarterback. That right there will go a long way.

Whittingham also brings a wealth of experience from his time at Utah and more than 30 years of college coaching experience to Michigan, highlighted by a 177-88 career record. He spent 32 years at Utah, including 21 seasons as head coach, becoming the winningest coach in program history.

Whittingham also led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 and posted an 11-6 bowl record. His resume also includes a stellar undefeated 2008 season capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.

However, it's worth noting that Michigan has a difficult football schedule for the upcoming season. The Wolverines will take on six teams ranked in the preseason top 25, including No. 2 Oregon and a season finale against No. 1 Ohio State. But, they have the tools to win. So, don't count the Wolverines even close to out.