Michigan Football’s historic season capped with No. 3 ranking in AP poll

Following the national championship game, the final AP poll for the 2021 college football season was released and Michigan football finished No. 3. 

Finishing in the top five of the AP college football poll is something that Michigan football hadn’t done since 1999.

But after a historic 12-2 season that featured a 42-27 win over Ohio State and a Big Ten championship, Michigan football landed in the top five of the final AP poll and ranked No. 3 in the final tally behind No. 1 Georgia and second-ranked Alabama. Cincinnati was fourth, followed by Baylor at fifth. Ohio State finished sixth and Michigan State ranked ninth.

For Jim Harbaugh, it’s the first top-five finish during his career as Michigan football head coach but it’s his second finish in the Top 10 which U-M also achieved after the 2016 season. The Wolverines have also finished 12th, 14th, and 18th while being unranked in 2017 and 2020.

Putting Michigan football’s ranking into context

Michigan football has a spectacular history of winning games and the glory years were under Bo Schembechler. Michigan didn’t win the national title under Bo, however, he led the Wolverines to five AP top-5 finishes during his career.

Since Bo retired, Harbaugh’s 2021 team is only the fourth Michigan football squad to finish the season ranked in the top five. Lloyd Carr’s national championship team of 1997 did it, as did the 1999 team which was led by Tom Brady. Following a win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, that team finished fifth with a record 10-2.

Gary Moeller also had one top-five team and that was after the 1993 Rose Bowl win over Washington. He did have two other teams finish sixth and seventh respectively.

The big concern right now is whether Jim Harbaugh will return as Michigan football’s head coach. There have been rumors about NFL interest for about a week and while Harbaugh is negotiating with Michigan about an extension, the deal isn’t done yet.

The final ranking in the AP poll, which gives Michigan its first top-five finish of this century, is also a reminder of how far the Wolverines came this season and how much they need Harbaugh.