Media Roundup: What's Being Said About Michigan After Rutgers Win, Heading Into Week 5

Michigan, now 4-0, beat Rutgers this past Saturday, 31-7. It wasn't a flashy win by any means, but the Wolverines were dominant in getting it done. Michigan allowed a touchdown on the opening drive, but the defense hunkered down and the Wolverines' offense did what they needed to do to put 31 points on the board and stay turnover-free.

I'm going to take a look back to see what the national media had to say about Michigan, and what they're saying about the Wolverines heading into a Week 5 tilt against Nebraska.

CBS Sports grades Michigan after its performance against Rutgers:

Barrett Sallee gave Michigan an A-. He says it was a vintage Wolverines' victory.

Michigan fell into a 7-0 hole early but responded with 31 straight points in a vintage Wolverines victory over Rutgers. The Michigan offense wore down a Rutgers team that, surprisingly, isn't half bad.

ESPN Power Rankings has Michigan at No. 3 through four weeks:

ESPN ranks Michigan behind Georgia and FSU on its updated power rankings.

The Wolverines played their first game with coach Jim Harbaugh back on the sideline after serving a self-imposed three-game suspension. The game started a little shakily with Rutgers scoring on the first drive via a 69-yard pass. Michigan was able to settle in, however, and put it away with a 31-7 win over the Scarlet Knights. A turning point came when Rutgers decided to go for it on fourth-and-2, down 10 points in the third quarter in Michigan territory. Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil intercepted the pass and took it back for a touchdown. The Wolverines' offense had a balanced effort with 214 yards through the air and 201 on the ground as running back Blake Corum scored twice and quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw for one touchdown. The Wolverines go on the road for the first time this season next week.

Mel Kiper Jr. updates his 2024 NFL draft board. Lists Corum and Edwards as top two running backs:

Running backs

1. Blake Corum, Michigan
2. Donovan Edwards, Michigan
3. Roman Hemby, Maryland
4. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
5. Audric Estime, Notre Dame
6a. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
6b. Trey Benson, Florida State

ESPN SP+ and FPI rankings are polar opposites on Michigan:

ESPN's FPI (Football Power Index) which is based on projections, lists Michigan as the No. 12 team in the country. The Wolverines are projected to win 9.8 games and has just a 3.7% chance to win out. It has Michigan having an 11.6% chance to make the CFP. Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Penn State are the top four.

On the other hand, ESPN's SP+ (it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency) has the Wolverines as the No. 1 team in the nation. The top four teams there are Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State, and Washington.