College Football

2024 Michigan football predictions: Ranked No. 8 by RJ Young

Updated Aug. 12, 2024 10:21 a.m. ET

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

[Check out RJ Young's ultimate 134 college football rankings here]

Conference ranking: 3rd in Big Ten (+700 to win conference)
Teams ahead of them: LSU (7), Ole Miss (6), Florida State (5), Oregon (4), Texas (3)
Teams behind them: Alabama (9), Missouri (10), Oklahoma (11), Utah (12), Tennessee (13)

[Michigan 2024 schedule]

RJ's take: Sherrone Moore was anointed for this job. Jim Harbaugh made that certain when he had it committed in his contract that Moore would succeed him as head coach in Ann Arbor. Following a 15-0 season and the first national title won by Michigan since 1997, he's tasked with not fixing what ain't broken and keeping the Michigan Man machine on track to run it back.

Unlike his predecessor’s previous three years, though, he's gonna get the full dose of one of the toughest (non-conference) schedules in the country. 2023 Michigan opponents went 98-59. Seven were ranked. Nine beat ranked opponents.

And every last one of them is coming for the Jordan’s on his feet. Some because Michigan is the champ. Some because they can't get to Connor Stalions. Some because they quite simply hate you more than anybody else (Ohio State). In 2023, Moore acted as head coach and play-caller and held up to the pressure of his post like patriarch Harbaugh himself did.

That was last year.

Let’s see if you can run it back.

Michigan Total Win Odds: Over 9 (+115) Under 9 (-135)

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