Where Michigan Football Ranks in Joel Klatt’s Big Ten Ranking System

There are some surprises early in the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State, despite not having played anyone yet, is the clear favorite in the Big Ten. Both Oregon and Penn State have had their struggles, and USC has rebounded after two weeks of play. On the other hand, the Wolverines look like a shadow of their 2023 national championship team.

Klatt, who was a guest on the Joel Klatt Podcast, ranked the Big Ten teams by tier. He has Ohio State as the clear favorite and the only team in tier one. The FOX analyst has both USC and Oregon as teams in tier two. And then, moving up to tier three, Klatt has Penn State and Nebraska as the No. 4 and No. 5 teams in the Big Ten Conference.

The reigning national champions? Klatt still has them as a tier three team, but at the end of the line as the No. 6 team in the conference. He’s intrigued by what new starting quarterback Alex Orji could do for the Michigan offense going forward and wants to see what he can do against USC. But through three weeks, the Wolverines haven’t exactly been impressive — especially in their biggest game against Texas.

“And then I have Michigan,” Klatt explained. “Yeah, Michigan has completely fallen from what would have been a clear Tier 2 team at the beginning of the season to a clear Tier 3 team right now. And to be honest, at the end of Tier 3, because of the way they’ve been playing, the quarterback issues they’ve had.

“I think they’re sixth in the Big Ten right now, but they reserve the right to change that because they’re starting over with a new quarterback Alex Orji stepping in. I actually think that’s a good way for Michigan to go. Michigan has to run the ball.”

Orji will add a new element to Michigan’s offense as long as he’s the starting quarterback. He fits the mold of the Wolverines wanting to run the ball. Michigan rushed for 301 yards last week against Arkansas State. The key for Orji and the Wolverines is to take care of the ball. Davis Warren, who started the first three games, threw six interceptions in that span. Orji needs to take care of the ball and give Michigan a chance.

“They’ve got to have a time advantage,” Klatt said. “They’ve got to have a snap advantage and they’ve got to get that toughness and that physical identity back on their team, which I think Alex Orji fits. Is he going to be great throwing the ball now?

“Maybe not, but Orji is the guy that I think can take them to their ceiling this year, especially in the Big Ten. I’m really looking forward to that game this week against USC. I can’t wait to watch that film and see what they really are.”

You can host Michigan against USC on Saturday on CBS. The game starts at 3:30 pm ET.

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