Michigan Earns Way Back into AP Poll

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Michigan has bounced back well enough from losses to Appalachian State and Oregon to get back into the AP Top 25.

The Wolverines were No. 24 in Sunday's poll after winning their fifth straight game, a 48-21 victory over Purdue on Saturday.

Michigan (5-2, 3-0 Big Ten) plays next weekend at Illinois (5-2, 3-1). The Illini rode their strong start to a No. 18 ranking, but fell out of the poll after losing Saturday at Iowa 10-6.

Michigan opened the season by being stunned at home by Appalachian State, triggering an unprecedented fall in the AP poll from No. 5 to unranked in a week.

College football's winningest program followed up the stunner by getting routed at home 39-7 by Oregon. The setback was the Wolverines' worst since losing 50-14 at Ohio State in 1968, the season before former coach Bo Schembechler's debut in Ann Arbor.

Michigan responded to being embarrassed last month by beating Notre Dame, Penn State, Northwestern, Eastern Michigan and Purdue.

After Illinois, the Wolverines finish the season with games at home against Minnesota, and on the road against Michigan State and Wisconsin before closing with rival Ohio State on Nov. 17 at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan and Ohio State are the only Big Ten teams without a conference loss, although they are on opposite ends of the poll. The Buckeyes jumped two spots to No. 1 after winning their first seven games, staying undefeated long enough to pass up teams such as LSU, California and USC.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: Collegiate Images