College Football Top 25 projections after 2018 spring practices

Michigan entered the spring hoping to trend upward in the eyes of pollsters. But the spring game was canceled, preventing the Wolverines from improving perception for pollsters. That could work against Jim Harbaugh‘s team, which entered the year with a lot of question marks.

After collapsing down the stretch in 2017, losing three in a row to close out the year, expectations will be tempered in Ann Arbor. The team has become better known for extravagant offseason travels than for successes on the field. Pollsters are going to look at the Wolverines and see another young roster in 2018.

That’s still the case despite the ruling that Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson is cleared to play immediately. That adds some clarity to a quarterback position that was very much so in flux, with Brandon Peters the most experienced passer other than Patterson for the Maize and Blue. Pollsters will look at this team and probably see a low-teens unit.