Paul Finebaum Disagrees With Michigan’s Ranking In Preseason AP Top 25

As the nation reacts to Monday's release of the preseason college football AP Top 25 rankings , ESPN's Paul Finebaum appeared on "SportsCenter," disagreeing with where the Michigan Wolverines are ranked.

The Wolverines enter the 2024 college football season as the defending national champion and the No. 9-ranked program, according to Monday's preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Finebaum referred to Michigan as a marginal playoff team living off the past. He also pointed out that former head coach Jim Harbaugh is gone, making it plausible the program could stumble under Sherrone Moore's new leadership.

"I'm not that fine with that," Finebaum said of Michigan being ranked No. 17. "I mean, to me, Michigan is a marginal playoff team. I think they're living off the past here. Jim Harbaugh is gone, and he's not coming back. In case you missed last week, I think they should have been a little bit lower."

For the Wolverines, there are questions surrounding who it will have as a stand-alone starting quarterback entering this fall and whether running back Donovan Edwards can take over the heavy workload performed by Blake Corum the year prior.

Michigan does bring back plenty of defensive weapons from last season's championship team, including defensive linemen Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, and star cornerback Will Johnson.

With the questions on offense still to be sorted out, the Wolverines may need their strong defensive presence to carry the team early on in the season.

The Wolverines begin their quest to defend their national title when they welcome the Fresno State Bulldogs to Michigan Stadium at 7:30 pm (ET) on Aug. 31. The matchup will air on NBC and Peacock.