FOOTBALL

Analyst reluctantly puts Michigan football in his top 4

Michigan football is on the rise, even in the eyes of one of the team’s biggest critics.

Published

1 year ago

October 8, 2023

Oct 7, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after running back Leon Franklin (34) runs for a touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

It has been well-documented that Paul Finebaum is not a fan of Michigan football or its head coach, Jim Harbaugh, whom he has heavily criticized over the years. After the Wolverines’ win over Nebraska last weekend, Finebaum still excluded the Maize and Blue from his playoff bracket; however, after a 52-10 win over Minnesota on the road yesterday evening, Finebaum has Michigan back in contention and gave the team a bit of praise — a move that he is clearly reluctant to make.

Analyst Paul Finebaum reluctantly puts Michigan football in his top 4

Paul Finebaum, an SEC lover and avid Michigan critic, is the leader of Michigan’s schedule hate — it is a drum that he continues to beat over and over despite the schedule not changing on a weekly basis. While there is no denying that Michigan football is a playoff team right now, Finebaum slipped the Wolverines in at the bottom, coming in at No. 4.

Obviously, it wouldn’t be a Finebaum segment if he didn’t grill the Wolverines a little, too.

“Let’s welcome Michigan back to the party,” Paul Finebaum said. “They’re No. 4. Yes, they may be the most complete team in the country, but we need to see Michigan play real football, and so far, they’re playing a bunch of pretenders. They’ll get a competitive game, maybe in November, but not yet.”

Michigan football came in at No. 2 nationally in today’s updated coaches’ poll — the Wolverines will likely be No. 2 in the AP poll later today as well. Unfortunately for Michigan, Georiga is going to be the No. 1 team in the nation until they lose, which is the respect that winning two straight national titles does for a program.

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