Michigan escaped Week 1 with a controversial win over Western Michigan, but it wasn’t enough to hold onto a spot in the AP Top 25
Bryce Underwood and the Wolverines won their Week 1 matchup at home on a game-winning 47-yard touchdown catch from JJ Buchanan as time expired. A strong argument can be made that the refs cost the Broncos a win by putting an extra second on the clock, but the Big Ten stands by its review.
“It was determined Western Michigan No. 18 started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position [left foot] and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock,” the Big Ten said.
While the Big Ten won’t knock Michigan for its questionable 13-12 win, the AP has bumped the program out of its top 25.
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Here are the updated rankings heading into Week 2:
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Indiana
- Oregon
- Miami
- LSU
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- USC
- BYU
- Penn State
- SMU
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Utah
- Iowa
- Houston
- Missouri
- Louisville
- Virginia
Chance for redemption.
Luckily for Michigan, it has a golden opportunity to get back into the AP Top 25 next week.
If Michigan takes care of business against No. 11 Oklahoma, that should be enough to get Kyle Whittingham’s squad back in the AP poll’s good graces.
Michigan will be tested again later this month when it hosts Iowa at the Big House. Suffice to say, this September won’t be smooth-sailing for the Wolverines.
