Michigan football’s AP Poll record is impressive under Jim Harbaugh

Michigan football has spent 59 weeks ranked in the AP Top 10 since Jim Harbaugh’s arrival after doing it just once in the previous seven years combined.

Sometimes, Michigan football fans forget how bad they had it before Jim Harbaugh came back to Ann Arbor to save the Wolverines.

Most people won’t argue that Harbaugh saved Michigan football now. But it was clear that he had done that even before he finally conquered Ohio State and won two Big Ten titles.

Looking back at the Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke days, Michigan football had two winning records in Big Ten play over seven years — two.

That’s embarrassing. What’s even worse is that Michigan was ranked in the top 10 of the college football AP poll just once — in seven years.

Harbaugh as Michigan back among the best in college football

I would have never believed that possible growing up watching Michigan football. The Wolverines didn’t win many national titles — just the one in 1997 in the modern era — Michigan was routinely ranked and was one of the better programs in college football. Hence, the record for most wins.

Harbaugh hasn’t won a national title yet either. But he has restored Michigan football to its days of glory and over the past eight years, the Wolverines, according to Scott Bell, have spent 59 weeks in the AP’s top 10. 36 weeks have been spent in the top 5, with 14 in the top three.

It’s crazy that the Wolverines didn’t spend a single week in the AP Top 3 or Top 5 for a seven-year span.

Over the past two seasons, Michigan has lived there comfortably and there’s no reason to think that will change. This program is back and hopefully, Harbaugh will stick around for the remainder of his coaching career (if the NCAA doesn’t drive him out).