The Michigan football season is just a couple of days away as the Wolverines will begin the year at home against New Mexico on Saturday. The week leading up to the first game is always an exciting time in Ann Arbor. The students started class on Monday, and you can feel the buzz around campus as the fan base eagerly awaits the start of a new year. This season, the buzz feels different than normal. After an 8-5 finish a year ago, Michigan fans are anxious to return to the College Football Playoff, and the arrival of a new quarterback has the Wolverine faithful feeling good heading into the season.
Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore named the team's starting quarterback on Monday, and the Wolverines are going with true freshman Bryce Underwood. There have been a lot of talented QBs to come through this program, but it's hard to remember the last time that the fan base was this excited about one. Even JJ McCarthy, who anchored Michigan to a national title and was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy was as good as it gets, but even he didn't earn the starting job as a true freshman. Though if McCarthy walked into a QB room like this one during his freshman season, he likely would've earned the starting job.
It's no secret that Michigan's QB play was unacceptable last year. The Wolverines had one of the worst offenses in the country, and QB play was why. Michigan needed to bring in someone new, and it doesn't get much better than Bryce Underwood. With him leading the way, the offense should be in much better shape.
On the other side of the ball, Michigan fans should be feeling great. The only reason the team won eight games last year is because the defense was one of the best in the country. That unit is riddled with talent again, so we know that the Wolverines will be making it difficult for the opposition to put points on the board.
All in all, there is a lot of reason for optimism in Ann Arbor ahead of the 2025 Michigan football season. With the first game being on Saturday, let's lay out some predictions for the Wolverines' campaign.
Michigan will finish 10-2
The Michigan football team is going to improve from last year, but don't expect the Wolverines to put together a perfect regular season like they did in 2022 and 2023. While there are only two teams on Michigan's schedule ranked inside the preseason top 25, there are still a lot of tricky road matchups.
On this schedule, there are four games in particular that will be big challenges for Michigan: @ Oklahoma, @ Nebraska, @ USC and vs. Ohio State. The Sooners and Buckeyes are ranked to start the year, but the Cornhuskers and Trojans aren't. However, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see those two teams end up in the polls when Michigan meets them later in the season.
Outside of those four games, Michigan has to go 8-0. The Wolverines should be able to easily take care of New Mexico, Central Michigan, Purdue, Maryland and Northwestern. Washington, Michigan State and Wisconsin will be more challenging matchups, but those are games that Michigan should win.
If Michigan can go at least 2-2 in those four tough ones that we previously talked about, this should be a playoff team as long as the Wolverines take care of business in the other eight. It's hard to say who Michigan will fall to, but this feels like a 10-2 season.
Michigan will beat Ohio State again
Yes, it's hard to say who the two losses will be against, but Ohio State won't be one of them. The Wolverines have the Buckeyes' number right now, and that isn't going to change this season. If the Wolverines can go into Columbus as 20-point underdogs and beat Ohio State's best roster ever without a QB, they can win at home with Bryce Underwood this season. Michigan got better during the offseason in terms of new and returning talent, and the Buckeyes lost a lot. The Wolverines are in better shape than they were last year, and The Game will be in Ann Arbor. Michigan will make it five in a row.
Michigan will play Notre Dame in the CFP
If the Michigan football team does finish the regular season with a 10-2 record, then it will be in position to go back to the College Football Playoff. If both teams end up where a lot of people expect them to, we could see the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry renewed in the CFP. The 12-team playoff creates more chances for rivalry matchups in the postseason, and we didn't see any last year. It feels like that is going to change this season, and this iconic rivalry that hasn't been played since 2019 would be incredible to see.
The Michigan football team will kick off the 2025 season and the Bryce Underwood era at 7:30 ET on Saturday night against New Mexico from the Big House in Ann Arbor. The game will be airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The Wolverines are currently favored by 34.5 points.
