Where Michigan football ranks in ESPN's too-early top 25 for 2024

Photo by: Isaiah Hole

After high expectations in 2023 were exceeded by winning a national championship, expectations are lowering for Michigan football nationally.

Of course, there have been a lot of changes in Ann Arbor — from players like J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum leaving for the NFL to Jim Harbaugh doing the same, taking the Los Angeles Chargers job and the bulk of the defensive staff with him.

Some appear to believe that the Wolverines will fall off a cliff with the personnel and coaching changes, and while ESPN doesn’t think that the Michigan Wolverines will be atop the mountain again in 2024, the outlet does still believe in new head coach Sherrone Moore and the talent he has at his disposal.

In a way-too-early top 25 ranking, ESPN has the Wolverines coming in at No. 13, still with room to move up, but certainly with some big questions to answer.

13. Michigan Wolverines

Previous ranking: 6

2023 record: 15-0, 9-0 Big Ten

Winter update: The only first-year coach filling bigger shoes this season than new Michigan coach Sherrone Moore is DeBoer at Alabama. Not only did the Wolverines lose Harbaugh to the NFL, but they’ll also have to replace quarterback J.J. McCarthy, tailback Blake Corum and most of their veteran offensive line. Harbaugh took much of his coaching staff with him to the Chargers, including defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale and strength and conditioning coordinator Ben Herbert. Moore hired former New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to replace Minter, which might make things easier since Minter was running a version of Martindale’s system. The Wolverines will play one of the most arduous schedules in the FBS this season with home games against Texas, USC and Oregon and road games at Washington and Ohio State.

As mentioned, the schedule appears daunting, but the maize and blue avoid Penn State, and hosts the aforementioned Texas, USC, and Oregon in Ann Arbor. Ohio State will be on the road, and by then, Michigan should know what it is under Moore and the challenges posed by the Buckeyes — given that it’s the final regular season game.

Of those opponents, ESPN has OSU ranked No. 2, Oregon No. 3, and Texas No. 4.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Where Michigan football ranks in ESPN’s too-early top 25 for 2024