Michigan Wolverines fans aren't going to be happy with ESPN.
It's been a couple of days since the college football bowls ended, and with only the national championship game still to be played, ESPN has released its end-of-season Top 100 college players list. Michigan is the No. 1 team in the country and is favored on Monday to secure its first title since 1997. But you wouldn't be able to tell that from the list; it doesn't feature a single Wolverine in the Top 20, and there are some eyebrow-raising snubs on the list.
The top of the list is unsurprising: Heisman winner Jayden Daniels is No. 1, Washington superstar Michael Penix Jr. is next, and stud Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. is third. But it's a bit curious to see someone like Brock Bowers sitting at fifth after missing several games, when Michigan All-American guard Zak Zinter is all the way down at 41.
Michigan's highest-ranked player was defensive back Mike Sainristil at No. 21, entirely too low for the best player on the best team in the country. Ironically enough, this might be too high for Sainristil, who is much-beloved by Michigan fans even though few would tell you that he's the team's best player.
Instead, those fans might pick Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who came in 33rd behind Alabama's Jalen Milroe despite out-dueling him in Pasadena. They could also pick record-setting running back Blake Corum, who checked in at 46th, below several other backs on the list.
Some would even pick lockdown corner Will Johnson, a true sophomore who clamped down some of the best receivers in the country this year — and who was 55th in the preseason edition of this list. You might assume that his strong campaign would have boosted him even higher, but it did not — he appeared nowhere on the end-of-season list. Yes, he missed some time, but no more than Bowers did, so there must be a perception of performance component to his omission as well.
Of course, the most important thing is what happens on the football field. Michigan's players wouldn't trade their iconic Rose Bowl win over Alabama, or a potential ensuing national championship, for any individual accolades. But in a season when the Wolverines have often felt snubbed or underestimated, they have one more piece of "bulletin board material" heading into their biggest game yet.
