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The Michgan football team finished the 2024 season 8-5, and based on preseason expectations, it was a disappointing year. However, the Wolverines ended the season with wins against #2 Ohio State and #11 Alabama. Those victories gave the team some much-needed momentum going into the offseason, and expectations are high coming into the 2025 season as well. With what should be much-improved quarterback play and one of the best defenses in the game, Michigan should have the tools to be successful.
Michigan seems to have the right pieces in play for a better season, and their schedule shapes up nicely as well. The Wolverines avoid a lot of top teams in the Big Ten, but a non-conference game early in the season is one that could make or break the campaign.
“You've got the schedule in the Big Ten. They've got the benefit of actually a decent schedule,” Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt said during a recent episode of his podcast. “They don't have to play Penn State, they don't have to play Oregon, they don't have to play Illinois, they don't have to play Indiana, and they don't have to play Iowa. So what do they have? Well, a huge game Week 2 against Oklahoma that's on the road.”
Going on the road to play Oklahoma in Week 2 is not going to be easy, especially considering that if freshman star QB Bryce Underwood is the starter, it will be his second career game. It's going to be a difficult matchup, but if the Michigan football team finds a way to win, it will be in a great spot going forward.
“If, and I know that's a big if, because Norman's not an easy place to play. If they were to beat Oklahoma, nothing looks daunting on the schedule,” Joel Klatt continued. “They would have games at Nebraska, at USC, Washington, before the huge game against Ohio State at the end of the year. I think this is a bounce-back year for Michigan. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that they go and win that game in Norman. I really don't, in particular with how good their defense is. Watch out for Michigan.”
The offense is the big question mark for the Wolverines. They couldn't move the ball effectively at all last year, but the defense still found a way to win them eight games.
“Michigan went 8-5 a year ago, several close games coming off that national championship run the year before. Of the teams not in the playoff, Michigan had easily the best last month of the season of anybody in the country,” Klatt said. “They were unbelievable on defense, they got wins against Ohio State and against Alabama despite only scoring 32 total points in those games, their defense was number one in the country in scoring defense and total defense over their last four. And by the way, in those last four, not a cupcake schedule. They played three teams that were in the top-15: Indiana, Ohio State and Alabama.”
Michigan should have another terrific defense, and Bryce Underwood was the #1 player in the 2025 recruiting class. If he matches the hype, this could be a fun year for the Wolverines.
“They gave up two total touchdowns over the last three and a half games,” Klatt added. “If they get any offensive contribution from Bryce Underwood or whoever plays quarterback, this team should be drastically better. This was an eight-win team with an offense that couldn't throw the ball at all.”
The Michigan football team needs to take signifcant strides offensively to have a successful season. We will find out a lot about how good this team is when they travel to take on Oklahoma during the second week of the season.
