For the most part, everyone in the college football world believes that Alabama is the team to beat at this point in the 2016 season. The Crimson Tide received 54 of 61 first-place votes in this week's AP Poll and Nick Saban's team also received 62 of 64 first-place offerings in the Coaches Poll. However, there were some off-the-radar picks for the top spot, mostly centered on Clemson and Florida State, both of which received four votes across the two major polls.
There was, though, one rogue voter in the AP Poll that placed Michigan at the top of his ballot, and that choice has generated some consternation nationally. Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press caught up with Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News, and he explained this thought process:
"I like their schedule and don't think they should face a big challenge until Michigan State, which they can win, and that leaves only Ohio State.
"Most of all, I think the team has had a year under Jim Harbaugh and knows what he wants. His teams have a killer instinct I like and I saw how Stanford improved under him. He also knows how to get teams ready for big games, especially when he beat Pete Carroll a couple times at USC. Now that he is in Year 2, nothing Michigan does will surprise me this season."
It should be noted that Wolf covered Jim Harbaugh directly during his time at Stanford and with the San Francisco 49ers, which could explain some of the thinking here. The Wolverines were, at least, dominant in a 60-point blowout over Hawaii in the team's opener, but Wolf actually voted Michigan number one prior to that showing, which raised even more eye brows.
Given Michigan's schedule and overall talent level, it wouldn't be a ground-breaking shock if the Wolverines reached the College Football Playoff as the Big Ten champion. However, Wolf is on an island by himself here, and he may need some luck to be proven "right".