ESPN’s Greg McElroy ranks Michigan football in the top 10 outside of the preseason

There are many different opinions about Michigan football in the 2024 season.

Some believe the Wolverines have simply lost too many players – their head coach, several assistant coaches and several program-defining players – to remain in college football’s top tier. Others look at what Michigan brings back on defense and the key offensive weapons they have like Donovan Edwards and Colston Loveland and see Ann Arbor as another contender.

One of those expecting the Wolverines to regress is ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy, who released his preseason top 25 rankings on Thursday. The former Alabama quarterback has Michigan just outside his top 10 at No. 11, the fourth-highest Big Ten team in his rankings.

McElroy’s top four isn’t a huge surprise, as Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon and Texas, in varying order, seem to be the unanimous favorites for 2024. McElroy rounds out his top 10 with Alabama, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, Missouri and Tennessee.

It’s important to remember that preseason rankings are nothing more than educated guesses about how a season will go. It’s very difficult to even guess what Michigan will look like in 2024. I don’t expect a precipitous drop-off in performance for the program. There are too many good players and coaches left (not to mention head coach Sherrone Moore’s new additions) for the wheels to fall off in Ann Arbor. But I also don’t necessarily expect the Wolverines to be national title contenders in the fall.

Michigan’s schedule is difficult, but the Wolverines have three of their five toughest (on paper) games at home, as Texas, Oregon and USC all come to Ann Arbor. I have little doubt that Michigan will shine defensively again in 2024. This defensive line and linebacker staff make up one of the best front sevens in all of football. There are more question marks in the secondary, but cornerback Will Johnson is a bona fide star and safety Makari Paige is as reliable as can be.

The questions are primarily about the offense. Michigan’s quarterback play will largely determine this team’s performance potential. The offensive line is replacing all five starters, but this unit has earned the benefit of the doubt at this point.

I’m not one to get worked up about preseason rankings. My first impression of McElroy’s rankings is that Michigan is a little low, but I understand why they are ranked where they are. The good news is that in less than 50 days, we have actual results on the football field to judge by, not just our own thoughts and wills.

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