Where Michigan stands in post-spring college football rankings

Michigan Wolverines football ended spring practices in late-April and looks forward to the summer cycle in June. The Maize and Blue went 8-5 last season but built great momentum by winning their last three games, against Northwestern, Ohio State and Alabama.

By all accounts, Michigan had a productive spring that kept that steam going. The Wolverines are expected to be a top 20 team at the very least this season. Here’s a roundup of four different national voices’ post-spring top 25 rankings.

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The Joel Klatt Show: No. 12

Top 10: No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Clemson, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Alabama, No. 10 Illinois

Big Ten: No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Oregon, No. 10 Illinois, No. 12 Michigan, No. 21 Indiana, No. 23 Iowa

USA Today: No. 15

Top 10: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Clemson, No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Oregon, No. 9 Alabama, No. 10 Miami

Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Penn State, No. 8 Oregon, No. 13 Illinois, No. 15 Michigan, No. 22 Nebraska

Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith: “If the final weeks of last season are to be believed, Michigan is poised to reclaim a place among the top teams in the Big Ten. One reason for optimism is the clear upgrade at QB, whether it’s Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene or five-star freshman Bryce Underwood under center. But Underwood may need more time after making incremental progress as an early enrollee playing in spring drills. The Wolverines should be very strong on both lines even as the defense loses a star in tackle Mason Graham.”

CBS Sports: No. 16

Top 10: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Clemson, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 LSU, No. 9 Alabama, No. 10 Florida

Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State, No. 6 Oregon, No. 12 Illinois, No. 16 Michigan

Brandon Marcello: “If heralded five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood takes over and can spark an otherwise putrid passing attack, Michigan could be a top-10 team at the end of the year. The Wolverines finished last season on a tear, beating Ohio State and Alabama, and did it with a solid running game and, of course, a suffocating defense.”

On3: No. 17

Top 10: No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Illinois, No. 10 Florida

Big Ten: No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon, No. 9 Illinois, No. 17 Michigan, No. 22 Nebraska, No. 25 Iowa

Andy Staples: “If Michigan’s offense can be even slightly above-average, then I have the Wolverines ranked too low. It appears freshman QB Bryce Underwood may have to be the day-one starter, which wasn’t the original plan. If he needs some time to develop, then it could look like last year for a little while. If he immediately lives up to his recruiting hype, then Michigan becomes a title contender again.”