{"id":76190,"date":"2025-08-12T09:00:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T13:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=76190"},"modified":"2025-08-11T22:00:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T02:00:03","slug":"michigan-football-2025-ap-coaches-poll-ranking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/08\/12\/michigan-football-2025-ap-coaches-poll-ranking\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Ranked No. 14 in AP, Coaches Polls to Open 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michigan is ranked 14th in both the Associated Press Top 25<\/a> and the USA Today Coaches Poll <\/a>as the 2025 college football season kicks off. The identical rankings show that coaches and media are in rare agreement on where the Wolverines stand.<\/p>\n

Michigan Ranked No. 14 in the AP, Coaches Polls to Open 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a number that offers respect but also carries a message \u2014 voters want proof that this team can climb back into the top tier.<\/p>\n

In the Coaches Poll, Michigan sits behind South Carolina<\/a> and ahead of Ole Miss<\/a>. AP voters placed them in the same slot, reinforcing the shared national view.<\/p>\n

The Big Ten<\/a> has more depth than it has in years. Penn State<\/a> opens at No. 2, Ohio State<\/a> at No. 3, and Illinois at No. 11. For now, Michigan\u2019s No. 14 ranking places them fourth among conference teams, but that order can change quickly once games are played.<\/p>\n

Why Michigan Being Ranked 14th Fits Right Now<\/h3>\n

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has a group capable of carrying this team early. The front seven is physical, and the secondary returns experienced starters. If the Wolverines start hot, the defense will lead the way.<\/p>\n

Offensively, the quarterback spot is the biggest question. Graduate transfer Mikey Keene<\/a> and five-star freshman Bryce Underwood<\/a> are battling for the job. Neither has thrown a pass for Michigan yet, adding some unpredictability to the offense\u2019s early weeks.<\/p>\n

Position battles on the offensive line, particularly at left tackle and right guard, will also be critical to how quickly the unit comes together.<\/p>\n

Historical Context on Michigan\u2019s No. 14 Ranking<\/h3>\n

This is the first time since 2020 that Michigan has opened a season outside the top 10 in both polls. From 2021 through 2023, they started as playoff contenders. Last year, they slipped slightly but still cracked the top ten.<\/p>\n

Now, Michigan, ranked No. 14, shows voters see them as competitive but not yet elite. That can change, but only if the Wolverines deliver early.<\/p>\n

Room to Climb<\/h3>\n

The preseason ranking leaves space to rise. Early wins can set the tone, but October\u2019s slate will determine whether Michigan is in the playoff conversation.<\/p>\n

A road game at USC<\/a> in mid-October and Homecoming against Wisconsin<\/a> a week earlier offer national-stage opportunities. And of course, the season-ending matchup with Ohio State will always carry heavy poll implications.<\/p>\n

What the Coaches Are Saying<\/h3>\n

Head coach Sherrone Moore kept the preseason ranking in perspective, saying the team is more focused on getting better every day. He suggested that the attention is going to be on where the team finishes at the end of the season, and not where they start in a pre-season poll.<\/p>\n

Martindale has been blunt during camp about his defense. He has been saying that week-to-week consistency is going to be key.<\/p>\n

Key Games for Michigan\u2019s No. 14 Ranking<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • \n

    Oct. 4 vs. Wisconsin (Homecoming):<\/strong> A ranked Big Ten opponent in Ann Arbor.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Oct. 11 at USC: A rare trip west with national eyes on the game.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Nov. 29 vs. Ohio State: The rivalry that often decides the Big Ten East and playoff fate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Wins in these games would go a long way toward moving Michigan, ranked No. 14, into the top ten.<\/p>\n

    Final Takeaway<\/h3>\n

    Michigan being ranked 14th, is both a challenge and an opportunity. The roster has defensive strength, an intriguing quarterback battle, and enough big-game chances to change the national narrative.<\/p>\n

    If the Wolverines settle their offense and maintain defensive dominance, this starting point could look low by November. Until then, they have to earn every climb.<\/p>\n

    Main Image: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Michigan is ranked 14th in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll as the 2025 college football season kicks off. The identical rankings show that coaches and media are in rare agreement on where the Wolverines stand. Michigan Ranked No. 14 in the AP, Coaches Polls to Open 2025 It\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5604,"featured_media":64156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,17],"tags":[279,3011,33833],"class_list":["post-76190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigten","category-featured","category-news","tag-michigan-wolverines","tag-sherrone-moore","tag-wink-martindale"],"modified_by":"Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5604"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76190"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76212,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76190\/revisions\/76212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}