Wolverines Finish Among Top 15 in National Rankings
1/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
NEW YORK -- The University of Michigan football team finished the 2004 season ranked among the top 15 in both national polls released early today (Wednesday, Jan. 5). The Big Ten co-champion Wolverines (9-3, 7-1 Big Ten) listed No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and No. 14 in the Associated Press media poll.
U-M listed as high as No. 7 this season and fell no lower than 19th in either poll. The Wolverines will enter the 2005 season having appeared in the top 25 of the last 108 Associated Press polls, the longest streak in the nation.
Michigan posted its eighth nine-win season during head coach Lloyd Carr's 10-year coaching tenure and claimed the school's 42nd conference crown and Big Ten-leading 19th Rose Bowl appearance this season. The Wolverines have earned five conference championships in the last eight seasons (1997-2004), second only to Florida State's six Atlantic Coast Conference championships during that stretch.
Southern California won the 2004 national title, claiming the top spots in the coaches and media polls, following a 55-19 victory against Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl last night.
Associated Press National Ranking Notes
U-M has finished in the final top 25 rankings each of the past 20 years and 35 of the past 37 years (was not ranked in 1984 and did not receive a final AP ranking in 1982).
Since the preseason 1988 poll, Michigan has been ranked in every poll but three in 1993 and four in 1998.
U-M has been ranked in the top 25 for all but four of Lloyd Carr's career games (all during the 1998 season).
The Wolverines have been listed in the top 10 of the polls 58 times during Carr's tenure, compiling a 39-15 overall record.
Michigan has been ranked in every poll over the past six seasons and has been listed in the national rankings every time since Oct. 24, 1998.
The Wolverines rank No. 1 all-time in composite AP final football polls (1936-2004).
U-M has been ranked in the final AP top 25 poll 53 times since its inception in 1938.
Final Associated Press Media Poll (Jan. 5)
| Rank, Team | Record | Points | Prev | |
| 1. | Southern California (62) | 13-0 | 1,622 | 1 |
| 2. | Auburn (1) | 13-0 | 1,559 | 3 |
| 3. | Oklahoma | 12-1 | 1,454 | 2 |
| 4. | Utah | 12-0 | 1,438 | 5 |
| 5. | Texas | 11-1 | 1,391 | 6 |
| 6. | Louisville | 11-1 | 1,261 | 7 |
| 7. | Georgia | 10-2 | 1,204 | 8 |
| 8. | Iowa | 10-2 | 1,111 | 11 |
| 9. | California | 10-2 | 1,060 | 4 |
| 10. | Virginia Tech | 10-3 | 996 | 9 |
| 11. | Miami (Fla.) | 9-3 | 917 | 14 |
| 12. | Boise State | 11-1 | 888 | 10 |
| 13. | Tennessee | 10-3 | 868 | 15 |
| 14. | Michigan | 9-3 | 842 | 13 |
| 15. | Florida State | 9-3 | 754 | 17 |
| 16. | Louisiana State | 9-3 | 711 | 12 |
| 17. | Wisconsin | 9-3 | 482 | 16 |
| 18. | Texas Tech | 8-4 | 476 | 23 |
| 19. | Arizona State | 9-3 | 463 | 21 |
| 20. | Ohio State | 8-4 | 423 | 24 |
| 21. | Boston College | 9-3 | 314 | 25 |
| 22. | Fresno State | 9-3 | 203 | NR |
| 23. | Virginia | 8-4 | 157 | 18 |
| 24. | Navy | 10-2 | 126 | NR |
| 25. | Pittsburgh | 8-4 | 99 | 19 |
Final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll (Jan. 5)
| Rank, Team | Record | Points | Prev | |
| 1. | Southern California (61) | 13-0 | 1,525 | 1 |
| 2. | Auburn | 13-0 | 1,460 | 3 |
| 3. | Oklahoma | 12-1 | 1,366 | 2 |
| 4. | Texas | 11-1 | 1,324 | 5 |
| 5. | Utah | 12-0 | 1,300 | 6 |
| 6. | Georgia | 10-2 | 1,191 | 7 |
| 7. | Louisville | 11-1 | 1,166 | 8 |
| 8. | Iowa | 10-2 | 1,022 | 13 |
| 9. | California | 10-2 | 937 | 4 |
| 10. | Virginia Tech | 10-3 | 906 | 9 |
| 11. | Miami (Fla.) | 9-3 | 903 | 14 |
| 12. | Michigan | 9-3 | 802 | 12 |
| 13. | Boise State | 11-1 | 792 | 10 |
| 14. | Florida State | 9-3 | 776 | 15 |
| 15. | Tennessee | 10-3 | 771 | 17 |
| 16. | Louisiana State | 9-3 | 693 | 11 |
| 17. | Texas Tech | 8-4 | 478 | 21 |
| 18. | Wisconsin | 9-3 | 449 | 16 |
| 19. | Ohio State | 8-4 | 430 | 22 |
| 20. | Arizona State | 9-3 | 377 | 24 |
| 21. | Boston College | 9-3 | 245 | NR |
| 22. | Fresno State | 9-3 | 206 | NR |
| 23. | Virginia | 8-4 | 157 | 18 |
| 24. | Navy | 10-2 | 129 | NR |
| 25. | Florida | 7-5 | 101 | 19 |
Media Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
