Champaign News-Gazette writer Bob Asmussen was the only writer to give the University of Michigan a No. 1 vote in the preseason college football AP Top 25 and the only writer to vote them higher than third. Kyle Meinke of AnnArbor.com caught up with Asmussen, a beat writer covering the University of Illinois, for the rationale behind his vote:
Asmussen knows he's in the minority, but is standing behind the pick. Why? "First of all, Brady Hoke has done a great job," Asmussen said of the second-year Michigan coach.
"I think when he came in there, it could have been a disaster. And instead, he managed that season last year. So, I'm impressed with the way he's turned that thing. I think they have extreme momentum going into the year, coming off the bowl and they played well down the stretch last year. I like that, and I think that's important to this team because, they obviously lost their way under (Rich Rodriguez). I like what he does, I like the staff he has there. So start with the coaching. I think it's fantastic, and everywhere (Hoke's) gone, he's done this. He's been good, and now he actually has the bodies to help him win a national championship."
Michigan was voted eighth in the poll.
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