College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 7
By Zach Bigalke
The transformation in Ann Arbor seems to be complete under Jim Harbaugh. This year there is no better team than the Wolverines in terms of points allowed per game, and the offense is ranked in the top five in scoring. They have won by single digits only once, clamping down on a Wisconsin team with another strong defense but little if any offense. Beyond the Badgers, though, Michigan’s best win at this point came against either Colorado or Penn State, and they’ve only played one game to this point away from the friendly confines of the Big House.
Things will heat up a lot more in the second half of their schedule. Michigan hosts Illinois next week coming out of their bye, then heads to East Lansing for their state rivalry against the Spartans. The Wolverines also have to play road games against Iowa and Ohio State, while their remaining home games after Illinois are against Maryland and Indiana. The degree of difficulty increases once November hits, but Michigan will have a legitimate College Football Playoff case if they run the table from here.