The telltale signs that college football season is nearly upon us continue to mount, with Big Ten media days having taken place two weeks ago, fall camp having begun, and now, the next step has taken place.
The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll dropped on Monday afternoon, showing the college football world what the expectations are across the sport. While there’s certain to be dramatic changes once the season is underway — highly-ranked teams won’t be ranked at all, while those who weren’t even in the top 25 will find themselves up near the top — it’s a good barometer of where teams stand, or at least how they’re thought of as they approach the 2022 season. Last year, Michigan was one of those unranked teams, only to finish third overall, thanks to beating Ohio State and making the College Football Playoff.
But how are the Wolverines thought of heading into this new season? Not top in the Big Ten, but certainly up there. The maize and blue checked in at No. 6 overall, behind only Ohio State at No. 2 in the conference. MSU and Wisconsin are the only other Big Ten teams ranked at No. 14 and 20, respectively. Iowa is the first one receiving votes not in the top 25, followed immediately by Penn State.
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Full rankings
| Rank | Team | Rcd. | Pts. | 1st | Pvs. | Chg. | Hi/Lo |
| 1 | Alabama | 0-0 | 1634 | 54 | NR | — | 1/1 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 1564 | 5 | NR | — | 2/2 |
| 3 | Georgia | 0-0 | 1542 | 6 | NR | — | 3/3 |
| 4 | Clemson | 0-0 | 1356 | 0 | NR | — | 4/4 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 1284 | 0 | NR | — | 5/5 |
| 6 | Michigan | 0-0 | 1232 | 0 | NR | — | 6/6 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 1219 | 0 | NR | — | 7/7 |
| 8 | Utah | 0-0 | 1134 | 0 | NR | — | 8/8 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 0-0 | 1027 | 0 | NR | — | 9/9 |
| 10 | Baylor | 0-0 | 891 | 0 | NR | — | 10/10 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 0-0 | 859 | 0 | NR | — | 11/11 |
| 12 | Oregon | 0-0 | 734 | 0 | NR | — | 12/12 |
| 13 | NC State | 0-0 | 726 | 0 | NR | — | 13/13 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 0-0 | 711 | 0 | NR | — | 14/14 |
| 15 | Southern California | 0-0 | 602 | 0 | NR | — | 15/15 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | 0-0 | 450 | 0 | NR | — | 16/16 |
| 17 | Miami | 0-0 | 433 | 0 | NR | — | 17/17 |
| 18 | Texas | 0-0 | 383 | 1 | NR | — | 18/18 |
| 19 | Wake Forest | 0-0 | 381 | 0 | NR | — | 19/19 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 369 | 0 | NR | — | 20/20 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 353 | 0 | NR | — | 21/21 |
| 22 | Cincinnati | 0-0 | 339 | 0 | NR | — | 22/22 |
| 23 | Arkansas | 0-0 | 334 | 0 | NR | — | 23/23 |
| 24 | Mississippi | 0-0 | 327 | 0 | NR | — | 24/24 |
| 25 | Houston | 0-0 | 257 | 0 | NR | — | 25/25 |