Michigan Football: Wolverines garner highest preseason ranking in decade

With Michigan football only a month away, the preseason rankings are being rolled out. The most recent one has the Wolverines ranked the highest in over a decade.

The Amway coaches poll was released today and placed Michigan football at No. 7. Seven just so happens to be the highest-ranking for the Wolverines since the 2007-2008 season which held UM at the same position.

With all the hype surrounding this team, some would expect this team to be ranked in the top four, especially since many media pundits have this team winning the Big Ten and some going as far as predicting them to be a playoff team.

Well, the coaches polled still believe in ‘That Team Down South’ and have them ranked at No. 5. Starting at No. 1, there’s Clemson followed by Alabama followed by Georgia at No. 3. At No. 4 sits Oklahoma and then we circle back to the Buckeyes. Behind them and in front of Michigan are the other Tigers team, LSU.

To view the complete rankings and the list of FBS coaches who voted, click here.

Why this is a good thing

Every year the hype train hits Ann Arbor and every year under head coach Jim Harbaugh, there have been many let downs. No wins over the southern rivals and 2-2 against the in-state Spartans.

Should Michigan have been ranked inside the top four, complacency would have taken hold. Cockiness and over-confidence lead to losses and that’s one thing Michigan fans cannot stand for another season.

Being ranked behind Ohio State gives this team a boost of confidence, letting them know they have a lot to work for and they’re not going to be handed a ranking this season. And this team knows it needs to snake its way to the top.

"“It starts with our goals,” Jim Harbaugh said at media days. “To win the Big Ten championship, qualify for the playoffs, win the national championship. Those are our goals.“Then you put those to the back of the mind and focus on how you can achieve those. That’s what we’re trying to do better. Trying to do more. Focus on that day to day. I think it’s good right now. I think it’s tight, but like an anaconda, you want to keep squeezing it better and make it tighter. That’s where I think our team is.”"

The success of this team will largely depend on how healthy they can become. The running back room is thin and the freshman phenom Zach Charbonnet remains a question mark as does several of the receivers.

On the other side of the ball, Ambry Thomas has been out with an undisclosed injury and is questionable for fall camp. Speaking of fall camp, the players report to the field tomorrow to begin practices which can be held up to six days a week, however, NCAA rules limit the amount of full-contact workouts.