CBS Sports projects where Michigan football will land in first AP Top 25

Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) celebrates a play against Michigan State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first AP Top 25 poll for college football is set to be released on Monday. Although preseason rankings are hardly a way to measure how a team might fare in the season ahead, the polls often help give college football fans a good idea of which programs are expected to make some noise throughout the year.

CBS Sports' Chip Patterson complied a list projecting the initial rankings, with the Wolverines checking in at No. 14, just behind Arizona State and right above Florida.

"There's still some lingering credit for a Wolverines program that won the Big Ten three years in a row and claimed the national championship in 2023," Patterson wrote about Michigan. "Last season was a stark step back from that standard, but there's too much talent on the roster -- especially at quarterback now with standout freshman Bryce Underwood—for voters to keep unranked."

Jan 6, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Max Bredeson (44) looks on during a practice session before the College Football Playoff national championship game against the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Wolverines check in behind four other teams from the Big Ten, with Patterson ranking Ohio State and Penn State at No. 2 and 3, respectively, while Oregon checks in at No. 7 on his list. Illinois comes in just outside the top 10 at No. 11 in the projected rankings.

Indiana at No. 19 is the sixth Big Ten team to appear in the projected top 25. The entire projected Top 25 is listed as:

1. Texas

2. Ohio State

3. Penn State

4. Georgia

5. Clemson

6. Notre Dame

7. Oregon

8. Alabama

9. LSU

10. Miami (FL)

11. Illinois

12. South Carolina

13. Arizona State

14. Michigan

15. Flordia

16. Ole Miss

17. SMU

18. Tennessee

19. Indiana

20. Texas Tech

21. Texas A&M

22. Kansas State

23. Iowa State

24. Boise State

25. Oklahoma

If the Wolverines do end up at No. 14 in the initial AP Top 25, that would be identical to their Coaches Poll ranking, which also stands at No. 14 heading into Week 1. With Michigan avoiding the Ducks Nittany Lions and Hoosiers this season, the Buckeyes will be the only preseason ranked team across the board Sherrone Moore's team has on the scheudle. We'll see if Oklahoma, Michigan's Week 2 opponent, appears in the first AP poll.

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore smiles while joking with a defensive coach against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

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