Michigan could go 12-0 or could go 6-6 this year, with the difference resting in the hands of a few key contributors:
When looking at the 2025 schedule for the Michigan Wolverines , there are a whole lot of toss-ups. In additional to Ohio State, games against Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC, and Washington are all winnable but are all losable, meaning the number of wins could theoretically fall anywhere between six and 12 (assuming the gimmes play out as expected).
How Michigan does in these 50/50s will determine the outcome of the year. Fail to improve on last season, and expect to rack up the losses in these early contests; get back on track, however, and 11-0 heading into the The Game is really not that much of a stretch, as wild as that might sound.
What will most influence how these games play out? The obviously answer is Bryce Underwood, as On3’s Ari Wasserman laid out on Thursday , far from the first national analyst to take the low-hanging fruit. However, here are three more things that will have just as much impact as Underwood — for better or for worse.
The Offensive Line
After back-to-back Joe Moore Awards (which really should have been three straight), the Michigan front five dropped off big time last season. Now, the line is tasked with protecting a freshman quarterback, who wants to use his legs and will need time to allow his unspectacular receiving corps to get open. Last year’s level of play will again yield subpar results on offense, even with the upgrade to Underwood.
For so long, the run game has been a reliable staple, but poor blocking could be a big issue. Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes seem like an exciting duo, but so much of the Wolverines’ dominant rushing attack the past few seasons was due to the line. Even Blake Corum would have seen a drop in production behind last year’s crew, so just assuming Marshall and Haynes will perform regardless of the group in front of them is foolish.
Wink Martindale
Similar assumptions seem to be made on the other side of the ball. While everyone is aware that Michigan lost its two best defensive tackles, among others, the narrative is that Rayshaun Benny, Derrick Moore, TJ Guy, and the transfer tackles should be good enough to keep the defense strong, especially with Wink Martindale heading into his second season. After all, Martindale and the new starters did well against Alabama, right?
The issue here is that the Wolverines need the defense to play at a top-10 level to help the offense. Even if Underwood lights it up as a freshman, the pivotal games listed above all happen relatively early, so relying on the offense to win most games is unreasonable. Personally, I do feel good about Martindale, but with replacements all over the defensive line and the secondary, it is possible that the Michigan defense drops off in a way that no one is willing to consider.
Donaven McCulley (…and friends?!)
Even if Underwood is good from the rip, it will not matter if he does not have anyone to throw the ball to. All reports point to Donaven McCulley being pretty solid, but one receiver is not nearly enough to sustain a passing game. Michigan needs Frederick Moore, Semaj Morgan, Marlin Klein, or someone else to help out the young quarterback. Otherwise, these coinflip games will turn into losses if the Wolverines ever stumble on defense.
The flip side is that a good WR2 (or strong threat at tight end) can both provide a runway for Underwood as he gets acclimated to college and offer the potential for a legitimately good offense. Should Moore break out, or a wild card like Andrew Marsh burst onto the scene, then suddenly the Michigan offense could go from survival to scary. It may not be the most probable outcome, but the pass catchers are absolutely one of the biggest inflection points this year.