Michigan, Michigan State Ranked in AP Preseason College Football Poll

The University of Michigan is at No. 7 in the Associated Press preseason poll released Sunday, giving the Wolverines their highest opening since 2007. Michigan State University also figures to do well this season at No. 12, according to the poll.

The Big Ten champions last year with a 12-2 record, Michigan State made it to the College Football Playoff semifinal, but got a lower ranking after losing key starters, the Detroit Free Press said.

Defending national champion Alabama came in at No. 1.

Here’s the methodology the AP uses:

“The AP Top 25 is determined by a simple points system based on how each voter ranks college football's best teams. A team receives 25 points for each first place vote, 24 for second place and so on through to the 25th team, which receives one point. The rankings are set by listing the teams' point totals from highest to lowest. The mathematical formula is the same as the one used for the AP Pro 32 rankings and the AP Top 25 rankings for men's and women's basketball.”

Michigan’s representatives are Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News and Pat Caputo of The Oakland Press. The Wolverines got a No. 1 ranking from one voter, Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Here’s the Top 25, along with the number of top rankings each team received:
1. Alabama (33)
2. Clemson (6)
3. Oklahoma (4)
4. Florida State (5)
5. LSU (1)
6. Ohio State (1)
7. Michigan (1)
8. Stanford
9. Tennessee
10. Notre Dame
11. Ole Miss
12. Michigan State
13. TCU
14. Washington
15. Houston
16. UCLA
17. Iowa
18. Georgia
19. Louisville
20. Southern California
21. Oklahoma State
22. North Carolina
23. Baylor
24. Oregon
25. Florida

Michigan and Michigan State were also ranked in the USA Today coaches poll, with the Wolverine at No. 8 and the Spartans at No. 11.

Michigan State opens at home on Friday, Sept. 2. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Here’s the Spartans’ full schedule. Michigan also opens at home on Saturday, Sept. 3, against Hawaii. Kickoff is at noon. Here’s the Wolverines’ full schedule.

The two teams battle each other on Saturday, Oct. 29, in East Lansing. The game time hasn’t been announced.

Tell Us: How do you think the Wolverines and Spartans will fare this year?

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