Paul Finebaum expresses his thoughts on Michigan taking No. 9 spot in preseason AP top 25: "They're living off the past here"

The college football world was on the edge Monday when the preseason AP Top 25 Poll was released. Last year's national champions, the Michigan Wolverines, were ranked No. 9 in the poll, and ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum did not agree with it.

On an episode of "SportsCenter," the veteran journalist called the Wolverines a "marginal playoff team" that is "living off the past."

"Michigan at No. 9, I'm not that fine with that," Finebaum said, as per College Football News. "I mean, to me, Michigan is a marginal playoff team. I think they're living off the past here. Jim Harbaugh is gone, and he's not coming back. In case you missed last week, I think they should have been a little bit lower."

(Timestamp: 2:18)

The Michigan Wolverines, under new coach Sherrone Moore, have a heavy load to manage as they have not yet decided upon their starting quarterback after last year's starter J.J. McCarthy moved to the NFL. The team also needs to determine whether running back Donovan Edwards can effectively take over the workload previously carried by Blake Corum, who is also now in the pro league.

Michigan brought back several defensive weapons from last season's championship team, including defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

Jim Harbaugh is set to return to the Michigan Wolverines as honorary captain

Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be back at Michigan Stadium as an honorary captain for the team's season opener against Fresno State on Aug. 31. Michigan athletic director Wade Manuel is looking forward to having Harbaugh in Ann Arbor for the Week 1 matchup.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines are navigating the fallout from two NCAA investigations stemming from Harbaugh's nine-year tenure as coach. The NCAA announced a four-year show-cause penalty for the new LA Chargers coach for recruiting violations that occurred during the COVID-19 dead period.

The team is also awaiting the final verdict on the sign-stealing scandal that the program was embroiled in last season.

In a recent press conference, Harbaugh deflected a question about the sanctions levied on him.

"I'm stopping the engagement there with commenting," Harbaugh said, as per ESPN. "But my only hope is that one day college athletics will be about what's best for young men and young women who participate in it. That's really all I've got to say about it."

Jim Harbaugh left the Wolverines to take the head coaching job with the Chargers after helping the school win a national championship last year. It was UM's first title since 1997.