Where Michigan Football Ranks in National College Polls after Week 3

Michigan looked the part in the second half against the visiting Miners last week, and trend further in the right direction

Michigan fans felt awfully uncomfortable in the first half against UTEP last week. The offense looked like its Week 1 self, the defense was hardly infallible, and the Wolverines were unable to pull away from a vastly inferior opponent at home in the opening quarters for the second time in three weeks.

Then the second half started, Bryce started torching the Miners defense, the Wolverine defensive front asserted itself, and all anyone remembered leaving the stadium was a Tommy Carr highlight throw in a game which ended as a rout.

This weekend, the Wolverines host 17th-ranked Iowa. Before the Hawkeyes enter town, let’s reexamine where Michigan ranks in different polls across the country.

AP Top 25

The Wolverines climbed one spot in the AP Top 25 to 18th, jumping the wobbling Texas A&M Aggies. Though a win against overmatched UTEP didn’t wow voters, the Wolverines will have an immediate opportunity to improve their ranking this weekend when they host the 17th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.

AFCA Coaches Poll

Michigan was also ranked 18th in the AFCA coaches poll. The two polls have largely been stride for stride in evaluating the Wolverines this season. The question now facing Michigan will be whether they can break through the respectable yet less-than-satisfactory status of a top 15 to 25 team in the nation.

ESPN SP+ Rankings

After hardly moving following last week’s win over the better-on-paper Oklahoma Sooners, Michigan surged in ESPN's SP+ ranking this week. They leapt four spots to 21st overall, led by a defense which continues to rise in such evaluations, and is now nipping at the tail of the nation’s most elite units, ranked 11th on defense.

ESPN FPI

Michigan again bumped up an advanced metric, rising in ESPN’s FPI to 20th. Notably, the Wolverines are considered substantially better than the Hawkeyes, who, their immediate superior in the two traditional polls, rank eight spots worse than Michigan in this metric.

CBS Sports Power Rankings

The CBS Sports Power Rankings continue to outpace their other rankings in this one. Ranked 15th, little mention was made of their performance this weekend, with the focus instead placed squarely on the upcoming matchup with the Hawkeyes. If Oklahoma was Michigan’s first prove-it game, this is certainly their second.

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