The Michigan Wolverines finished with an 8-5 record overall in 2024. It was a transition year for the football program after they won the National Championship and also Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL.
Sherrone Marrone took over as the Wolverines head coach last season. They beat the Ohio State Buckeyes for the fourth consecutive season. Michigan also beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in another bowl game. The Michigan Wolverines are looking to take a step forward for the 2025 season.
CBS Sports Writer Questions Michigan Wolverines’ Ability To Make the 2025 College Football Playoffs
With Michigan missing the postseason last year, many are wondering if they are going to be back in the conversation next year. With Marrone having another season and incoming freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood coming to town, things could change fast. Underwood is the number one recruit in the class of 2025.
He flipped from LSU to Michigan as a Belleville, Michigan native. It is interesting to see what he can do next year. However, CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli thinks that the Wolverines can get back to the postseason, but it will be extremely difficult for them to do so. Fornelli said,
“Here’s a secret I want you to keep between the two of us. If I were putting this list together from most likely to least likely, I’d have Michigan behind Illinois. I know it feels crazy on the surface, but Michigan is coming off an 8-5 season that included a loss to Illinois. Also, while Illinois is third nationally in returning production, Michigan is No. 29, and we’ll hear plenty of former Wolverines have their names called in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
It’s not just raw production that Michigan is replacing, but also some of its best players on defense. Still, the bigger question facing this team is the offense, particularly at quarterback. Bryce Underwood arrives in Ann Arbor with plenty of hype, but I’m skeptical he’ll begin the season as a starter. Sherrone Moore came up under Jim Harbaugh, and the Wolverines were in a similar situation a few years ago when they kept the more talented, but less experienced, J.J. McCarthy on the bench behind Cade McNamara. I’d bet on transfer Mikey Keene starting with Underwood being eased in as the season goes on. But if Underwood does live up to his promise, we could see a fast turnaround in Ann Arbor.”
The Wolverines could very well have one of the easiest schedules in the conference next season. Michigan will not have to face the Indiana Hoosiers, the Illinois Fighting Illini, the Oregon Ducks, or the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Michigan Wolverines will face the Michigan State Spartans on the road on October 25 and will face the Ohio State Buckeyes at home on November 29.
Michigan has a golden opportunity to get back to the playoffs next season. There is a very good chance that the Wolverines get back to the playoffs with this schedule. If they don’t, it would be a major surprise in the BIG10 Conference also.
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