Ohio State held its spot at No. 1 in the new AP Poll, and after what the Buckeyes did in Week 1, that’s hardly a surprise.
They rolled to a 56-3 win behind an explosive second half, and the performance left them looking every bit like a team built to chase a national championship. The poll rewarded that showing by keeping Ohio State at the top of the rankings.
Michigan, meanwhile, got hit with a far harsher message from the voters.
The Wolverines dropped all the way out of the AP Top 25 in Week 2 after surviving Western Michigan on a Hail Mary that never should have counted. Michigan had been 16th in the previous poll, but the new rankings sent them tumbling out completely after a game they should have lost to a MAC opponent at home in the season opener.
Bryce Underwood was at the center of the mess. He struggled badly against Western Michigan, turning the ball over twice and failing to steady Michigan when the game was hanging in the balance. The poor outing followed what he did against Ohio State last season, when he threw for just 63 yards in a 27-9 Buckeyes win and couldn’t get Michigan into the end zone.
There’s even a chance he could be benched, and Kyle Whittingham was not non-committal about Underwood being the starting quarterback for them moving forward.
That situation stands in sharp contrast to where Ohio State sits right now. The Buckeyes head into Week 2 looking like a team with real championship range, even if they were to fall to the Longhorns later on. Their offense has the kind of firepower that changes games fast, and the defense looks capable of handling whatever comes next.
Michigan’s outlook is much uglier. The season opened with CFP hopes from Whittingham despite the huge roster turnover, but that feels like a pipe dream now. The Wolverines are staring at a much tougher road just to get their footing, and the next challenge doesn’t help.
In Week 2, Michigan goes to Oklahoma, and that matchup brings one of the best defenses in the country. Given how Underwood has played and how broken the offense looks, it’s not the kind of test the Wolverines want right now.
In Other News...
Ohio State Looks Strong But Michigan Already Has A Big Ten Problem
After Week 1, the Big Ten mostly stayed in line with expectations, and Ohio State was right where it wanted to be near the top after a decisive opening win. Indiana joined the Buckeyes in holding onto the conferences upper tier, a sign that the leagues early order is already taking shape even if most teams still have plenty to prove.
Michigan, meanwhile, created the first real headache in the standings, squeezing out a narrow and controversial win that left more questions than answers. Rutgers also took a hit with an upset loss, and with early-season results already nudging the rankings around, the next few weeks should tell us far more about which teams are actually built to stay there. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Is Suddenly In Play For Two Huge 2028 Targets
Ohio States season-opening rout of Ball State did more than get the Buckeyes off to a fast start on the field. It also gave the staff a chance to showcase the program to a sizable group of visitors, and the early returns in the 2028 recruiting cycle are already starting to matter as the class begins to take shape around both sides of the ball.
Among the names worth tracking are five-star wide receiver Braylon Clark and four-star safety Jalen Flowers, both of whom have Ohio State among their top schools. The Buckeyes already have commitments from several offensive and defensive prospects, and the staff is clearly pushing to build on that foundation while the 2028 board is still forming. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Already Has A Problem Ohio State Fans Will Love
The first AP Top 25 poll after Week 1 already delivered an early jolt in the Big Ten race, and it was one Ohio State fans were happy to see. Michigan, which entered the season at No. 16, dropped out of the rankings after a shaky opener while the Buckeyes and Texas both handled their business with dominant wins.
Michigans immediate task is straightforward, even if the pressure around it is not: stack together convincing performances and avoid leaving any doubt for the poll voters. After the opening-week escape against Western Michigan, the Wolverines do not have much margin for error, and they will need a much cleaner run in the weeks ahead to climb back into the Top 25. [Read more 🡒]