Wolverines rankings after week 4

The Michigan football team will not slip down the college football rankings for the fourth week in a row.

The Wolverines soared in the polls after their thrilling 27-24 win on Saturday over then-No. 12 USC.

The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0) jumped five spots to No. 12, the biggest gain in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll released Sunday afternoon. The Trojans dropped four spots to No. 16.

Texas, the only team to beat Michigan since 2022, is ranked No. 2 behind the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Ohio State is ranked No. 3 and travels to Michigan State on Saturday night. Oregon (No. 7) and Penn State (No. 8) are also Big Ten teams ahead of the Wolverines.

The game was not for the faint of heart. Michigan looked like it was going to win outright early on, but lost the lead at the end, only to come back from behind in the last minute. UM led 14-0 thanks to long touchdowns from Kalel Mullings (53 yards) and Donovan Edwards (41 yards). Those were the only offensive points UM scored in the first 59 minutes of the game.

INSIDE THE WOLVERINES:This is Michigan football. Time will tell if it is enough to get back into the CFP

USC slowly came back from there and trailed 14-10 in the third period when Will Johnson scored his third interception return for a touchdown, this time for a Michigan record 42 yards, making the score 20-10. Johnson left the game, but afterward head coach Sherrone Moore said he could have returned if he had been needed.

It looked like the double-digit lead could not be maintained as the offense stalled or lost the ball three times on its first five possessions of the second half, giving USC enough time to take a 24-20 lead with 7:01 left until Mullings came to the rescue.

ANALYSIS:This is Michigan football. Time will tell if it is enough to get back into the CFP

On Michigan's last gasp, Mullings unleashed a whirling, booming 63-yard run that will go down as one of the best ever in UM history. It gave the offense its first penetration of the Trojans' red zone all day, and seven plays later he followed a bone-crushing block by Max Bredeson to score the 1-yard game-winning score on fourth down with 37 seconds left.

Alex Orji made his first career start and did very little, but most importantly, he made no mistakes that cost his team the win in a game where UM couldn't have afforded another misstep. Orji completed 7 of 12 passes for 32 yards, the fewest passing yards in a Michigan win since Bo Schembechler's final years as coach, and added 13 carries for 43 yards.

But Mullings aside, this game was won by defense. The Wolverines made life difficult for USC quarterback Miller Moss. According to Pro Football Focus, Wink Martindale's unit had 27 quarterback pressures — eight from Josaiah Stewart, six from Derrick Moore, and three each from Kenneth Grant and TJ Guy — and 16 hurries, seven hits, eight tackles for loss, six pass breakups, four sacks, three batted balls, a pick-6, and a forced fumble.

Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will face Minnesota (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) next Saturday at Fox's Big Noon Kickoff in Ann Arbor when it plays at home for the fifth consecutive year. UM won't play in the Big House again until it hosts Michigan State on Oct. 26.

Below you'll find the rest of the top 25.

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL GRADE AGAINST USC:Complementary football back in focus with fighting victory

Top 25 US LBM Coaches Poll, September 22nd

The complete ranking can be found here. The votes for the top places are in brackets.

Wolverines rankings after week 4

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