The Wolverines claim the No. 1 spot in the preseason poll, edging out No. 2 Fighting Hawks, No. 3 Spartans, and No. 4 Broncos — all four starting at 0-0 with no previous ranking to their name.
Every team in this poll is a new entry, which means nobody is defending anything. There's no incumbent, no team clinging to last year's resume. The Wolverines sit atop the mountain, but the gap between No. 1 and No. 4 is paper-thin. The Fighting Hawks and Spartans are breathing down Michigan's neck, and the Broncos aren't going away quietly.
What the poll really says: the race is wide open. Four programs, zero losses, zero history weighing them down. When the puck drops, the rankings reset themselves through performance, not reputation. Someone has to earn it. May the best team win.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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