College Football: Where is Central Michigan ranked in the preseason polls

Central Michigan football is not ranked in any of the top 25 college football preseason pools but they are ranked in the preseason polls that have ranked all 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

According to the latest preseason rankings, Central Michigan Football has been ranked anywhere from #114 overall out of 133 teams in the FBS  to #106.

There are a few reasons why Central Michigan football is ranked so low in the preseason rankings. First, they lost key players from last year’s team, including quarterback Daniel Richardson who transferred to FAU, and running back Lew Nichols III who was taken by the Green Bay Packers in this year’s NFL draft.

Second, the Chippewas play in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), which is not considered to be one of the top conferences in college football, and thus teams from the conference are usually not ranked in the top 50 of these preseason polls.

However, there are a few reasons to be optimistic about Central Michigan’s chances this season. First, they have a proven head coach Jim McElwain, who has a proven track record of success with 2 SEC Eastern Divisions championships in 2015 and 2016 when he coached at Florida and 2 MAC West Divisions titles in 2019 and 2021. Second, they have a number of talented players returning, including wide receiver Jalen McGaughy and defensive back Donte Kent.

Overall, Central Michigan football is a team that is rebuilding, but they have the potential to be a surprise team this season. They will need to stay healthy and play well together if they want to make some noise in the MAC.

Let’s take a look at where Central Michigan is ranked in these preseason polls.

Athlon Sports, says about CMU this season, “The Chippewas had hopes of contending for the MAC West crown last year but slumped to a 4-8 finish. Turnovers (28 lost) were a major problem, standout running back Lew Nichols III was limited to just 176 carries, and better play was needed at quarterback and upfront. Coach Jim McElwain’s team brings back nine starters off a defense that held opponents to 5.2 yards a snap, which Central Michigan can lean on until its offense gets on track.”

College Football News had the Chippewas ranked No. 103 in their 2022 preseason rankings and they have Donte Kent, CB Jr. as their player you need to know.

ESPN SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. Their preseason projections are also based on three factors: Returning production, Recent recruiting, and Recent history.

Massey Ratings respects Central Michigan’s tough schedule and they slightly have their defense rated higher than their offense going into the season.

CBS Sports has the Chippewas ranked the highest out of all of the preseason rankings that ranked all 133 FBS football teams for the 2023 season.

It is important to note that these are just preseason rankings and things can change a lot between now and the start of the season. However, they do give us a general idea of how Central Michigan is being perceived by the experts.