Michigan football went out and did what most thought to be unthinkable — it went on the road as a three-score underdog and upended rival No. 2 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes still may make the College Football Playoff, but it was ousted from the Big Ten Championship Game by the Wolverines for the fourth straight year. Though Michigan will now await a lower-tier bowl game, we can now see just how good some of the teams that it played were in the eyes of the coaches across college football.
With the Championship Week US LBM Coaches Poll now out, Michigan’s 2024 regular season ranked opponents were thus: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Texas, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Indiana, and No. 21 Illinois. The Wolverines lost to all of the above except Ohio State. Michigan did receive two votes after beating the Buckeyes, despite the 7-5 record.
A look at the full US LBM Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
US LBM Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 12-0 | 1355 (53) |
| 2 | Texas Longhorns | 11-1 | 1272 |
| 3 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 11-1 | 1192 |
| 4 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11-1 | 1165 |
| 5 | Georgia Bulldogs | 10-2 | 1104 |
| 6 | Tennessee Volunteers | 10-2 | 1025 |
| 7 | SMU Mustangs | 11-1 | 977 |
| 8 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10-2 | 976 |
| 9 | Indiana Hoosiers | 11-1 | 895 |
| 10 | Boise State Broncos | 11-1 | 840 |
| 11 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 9-3 | 733 |
| 12 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 9-3 | 700 |
| 13 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 10-2 | 665 |
| 14 | Miami Hurricanes | 10-2 | 646 |
| 15 | Ole Miss Rebels | 9-3 | 638 |
| 16 | Iowa State Cyclones | 10-2 | 565 |
| 17 | Clemson Tigers | 9-3 | 457 |
| 18 | BYU Cougars | 10-2 | 419 |
| 19 | UNLV Rebels | 10-2 | 255 |
| 20 | Missouri Tigers | 9-3 | 229 |
| 21 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 9-3 | 225 |
| 22 | Colorado Buffaloes | 9-3 | 215 |
| 23 | Army Black Knights | 10-1 | 196 |
| 24 | Memphis Tigers | 10-2 | 187 |
| 25 | Syracuse Orange | 9-3 | 108 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 18 Tulane; No. 19 Texas A&M;
Others Receiving Votes
Texas A&M 90; Duke 39; Tulane 37; Louisville 18; Kansas State 15; Louisiana 11; Michigan 2; Georgia Tech 2; Miami (OH) 1; Iowa 1;