Sports

AP Poll Voter That Said Rankings Don’t Matter Proved Her Point With Refusal To Drop Michigan 

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iStockphoto / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

An AP Poll voter refused to drop Michigan after near-loss to Western Michigan.


The Michigan football team nearly lost to Western Michigan as a 28-point favorite in an ugly season opener in Ann Arbor. The poor showing did not impact their status as a Top 20 team in one AP Poll voter’s eyes.

Haley Sawyer ranked the Wolverines 17th despite their struggles. Her refusal to drop the program sparked controversy, which she’s grown accustomed to.

Just last year, Sawyer went viral for her early season rankings after Week 2. She moved Florida up two spots after a home loss to USF.

That was the most egregious movement in a series of questionable ballot decisions. Fast forward one season, and she’s back in the headlines again.

Michigan almost lost to a G6 opponent.

The Wolverines were largely outplayed by Western Michigan in the Big House last Saturday. They committed three turnovers. They were held scoreless for nearly 55 minutes after an opening drive touchdown.

Up until the final possession, the Mustangs had outscored and outgained the Wolverines, with a total yardage advantage of 221-201. A 75-yard drive, and one extra second, proved to be the difference.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood unsuccessfully heaved a Hail Mary on what appeared to be the final play of the game. One second was added to the clock after a review.

The Wolverines connected on the second attempt as time expired to leave with a 13-12 victory.

The call may have been right, even though there was no time showing on the field game clock. The MAC has appealed the decision, however, citing an error in review protocol.

As it currently stands, Michigan won the game. They remain undefeated with a 1-0 start. Their national perception, however, has taken a hit.

The Wolverines fell out of the Top 25 ahead of Week 2. Not every voter, however, punished the program for its performance.

Who is Haley Sawyer?

The Los Angeles based beat writer covers USC for the OC Register.  She is an AP voter.

When most recent AP Poll dropped on Tuesday, Michigan was not included. Individual ballots, however, were later revealed. The Wolverines remained at No. 17 on Sawyer’s list. That was the highest UM ranking of any voter.

Her refusal to drop the Wolverines created noise on social media. There may have been a legitimate reason for missing one of college football’s top storylines of Week 1 due to her West Coast coverage. Most fans aren’t accepting excuses.

Alone, this ballot might’ve gone relatively unnoticed. But when combined with a similar situation from 2025, the optics are bad. Many are demanding her voting credentials be revoked.

Deja vu…

Last year, Haley Sawyer went viral for her rankings after Week 2. Reasoning can be found here:

Sawyer moved South Carolina up four spots into the Top 10 following a lackluster win over South Carolina State but punished Clemson with an 18-spot slide after a sloppy win over Troy.

The Gamecocks’ next opponent, Vanderbilt, remains unranked in Sawyer’s standings despite boasting a more convincing win against a common opponent in Virginia Tech.

She moved Baylor into the Top 25 while disregarding the Auburn team that beat the Bears in Week 1. Meanwhile, Arizona State stayed in her poll while Mississippi State was left out despite a head-to-head win.

Sawyer (left) Florida in her Top 20… she actually moved the Gators up two spots while leaving USF on the outside looking in.

There was a slew of questionable decisions in her Week 2 ballot, headlined by a bump up in the rankings for a Florida team that fell to USF.

Sawyer responded to the criticism in the days that followed. It only further infuriated college football followers.

“I don’t want to go too much into my process or logic, but I will say I appreciate everybody’s interaction on social media and all of your feedback,” she said.

“There’s tons of people that vote on the AP Poll. It’s not a perfect system, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who you pick because it does even out… It’s really fun for discussion, but it doesn’t probably matter in the end.”

Sawyer said rankings were “fun,” but they didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. In some ways, she’s right. The AP Poll is no longer useful in determining a national champion. The College Football Playoff releases its own set of rankings midway through the season. The AP Top 25 is, in some ways, meaningless as are individual ballots.

She further confirmed that notion with her Michigan ranking. The Wolverines are not a Top 25 team despite Sawyer ranking them 17th. Sawyer’s ballot won’t erase the memory of the Western Michigan game, and thankfully, it won’t hold any weight in resume analysis.

Still, the optics of being ranked in the AP Poll shouldn’t completely be dismissed. They can impact recruiting and donor support. They can be used to build future success and highlight team achievement.

A very loud contingent of viewers does not believe Haley Sawyer cares about football. They don’t think she takes her duties as an AP Poll voter seriously.

Her latest ballot only fuels the fire.