Through Aug. 22, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college football Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full rankings so far.
How do you follow up the most cathartic national title in ages if you’re Michigan?
Why not field a numbing offense, a quasi first-time head coach who juggled an off-field NCAA investigation and an incredibly satisfying conclusion that included a forever victory over your most bitter rivals?
Well, sure. That was Michigan in 2024, though.
Sometimes it was terribly hard to watch, but in the end not bad considering how much the Wolverines lost to the NFL after a championship that won’t be forgotten around Ann Arbor, Mich. Now Michigan must use that final flourish, which included wins over Ohio State and Alabama and made a post-championship 8–5 campaign much easier to swallow, with the arrival of 2025.
The bigger question now is how fast new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey can get rolling and how quickly he can develop the new program savior, five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood. The history with freshmen in this spot is not optimistic, but after what the team experienced last season, at least they know how to manage games to give themselves a chance to win in the fourth quarter. Plus, it’s really, really hard to be worse.
The defense should once again be one of the best in the conference. Plus, there’s an influx of talent on the other side of the ball that badly needed it and some real momentum.
It may not be enough to get the Wolverines back to being a true Big Ten title contender, but given a manageable schedule, nibbling around a playoff spot going into The Game at the end of the regular season can’t be ruled out.
Fast Facts
2024 record: 8–5, 5–4 Big Ten
Offense: 22.0 ppg (113th in FBS), 4.69 yards per play (127th)
Defense: 19.9 ppg (19th in FBS), 4.86 yards per play (15th)
On the Headset
Sherrone Moore, entering second full season in Ann Arbor, 9–5 overall record
It was always going to be difficult for Moore to seamlessly replace Jim Harbaugh and even tougher to come anywhere close to matching the former school legend in terms of popularity around campus. In mid-November, there were even some who wondered if he truly was the best choice to lead Michigan while sitting at .500 and having lost four of five.
Whatever lingering doubts about Moore’s ability to guide the program were probably erased in the final two games. Despite being a huge underdog, Michigan pulled a shocker and planted the flag midfield at the Horseshoe. In the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Wolverines bookended 2024 with another win over Alabama in the postseason. Given that the team lost 13 draft picks and saw incredible regression out of its quarterback play, the head coach flipped the narrative incredibly quickly.
Throw in luring Underwood away from a commitment to LSU and it’s hard to overstate the strides Moore made in such a short span. The recruiting continues to go well, the transfer portal is not a place the program is forced to live in and it wouldn’t be surprising if the momentum continues for the maize and blue. However, Moore will serve a self-imposed two-game suspension this season stemming from the Connor Stalions scandal and could be subject to additional NCAA sanctions.
Key Returning Starter
Safety Rod Moore, Sr.
Moore is a returning starter from the national title team but is coming off a full year where he watched on the sideline after tearing his ACL. He’s not quite back to 100% and is likely to be eased into action, but the defense could be so much better if it can get the dependable veteran back in the lineup.
Key Transfer
RB Justice Haynes, via Alabama
Haynes was once the top tailback coming out of high school and started six games last season, notching seven touchdowns and 448 yards. He’s a downhill runner and feels like a perfect fit for what Michigan wants to do offensively. The left side of the offensive line returns for the Wolverines and he’ll take plenty of handoffs going that way until Underwood, or perhaps Fresno State transfer QB Mikey Keene, gets settled in under center.
Key Departure
DT Mason Graham, fifth overall pick to the Cleveland Browns
Pretty much since he arrived as a freshman, Graham was a critical piece for what has been one of the best defensive units in the country for several years. He wasn’t the type that just overwhelmed you with highlights, but he was the rock up front around which much of the scheme revolved around. It’s hard to just replace that type of production, to say nothing of his leadership, but the hope is a senior-laden group up along the line can help lessen the impact of his departure collectively.
Circle the Dates
- Sept. 6, at Oklahoma
- Sept. 20, at Nebraska
- Oct. 11, at USC
- Nov. 29, vs. Ohio State
Bottom Line
There’s nowhere to go but up for the Wolverines offense, so it’s not foolish to think Michigan can return to the playoff conversation while dealing with a more manageable schedule.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preseason Top 25: No. 18 Michigan.
