The Wolverine

February 2025

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531518

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 17 of 67

18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2025 BY CHRIS BALAS D espite huge losses on of- fense, Michigan football had high hopes heading into the 2025 season. The Wolverines returned a handful of po- tential first-round draft picks, were a preseason top 10 team based largely on the defense's potential and had two of its toughest games at home in Texas and Oregon. Instead, offensive difficulties de- railed any championship hopes early, starting with a blowout home loss to Texas in Week 2. Several of the pundits who chose U-M as its "preseason top 10 team most likely to disappoint" were right (and crowed about it), especially after a road loss at Washington in Week 6 all but eliminated them from long- shot playoff contention. But if the 2024 season proved any- thing, it was that not all 8-5 campaigns are created equal. As one former col- league noted after wins over Ohio State and Alabama to end the year, "It could have been worse. Remember 2017?" We do, including home losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, a blow- out road loss at Penn State and a bowl game loss to South Carolina. This year's team beat both rivals, MSU at home and one of the biggest upsets in the history of The Game with a 13-10 win at Ohio State, topped USC at home with a late touchdown and stunned Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 19-13, to finish on an extremely high note. After a 20-15 loss at Indiana in Week 11, the only way head coach Sherrone Moore could change the narrative on a lousy season was to win in Columbus NARRATIVE NARRATIVE FLIPPED FLIPPED Strong Play At The End Of The 2024 Season Provides Hope For 2025

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - February 2025