The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 121 Opponents On Preseason All-America Teams S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Athlon (1st team), Lindy's (1st team) P Ryan Eckley, Michigan State Lindy's (1st team) WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Athlon (1st team), Lindy's (1st team) TE Max Klare, Ohio State Lindy's (2nd team) LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State Athlon (2nd team), Lindy's (2nd team) WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State Athlon (2nd team) RB Jonah Coleman, Washington Athlon (3rd team) WR Makai Lemon, USC Athlon (3rd team) Opponent Position Groups Ranked Among The Nation's Best Athlon Sports ranks the best position groups nationally every year in its annual preseason magazine. Here's where U-M foes from the 2025 slate checked in: Ohio State No. 1 quarterbacks No. 1 wide receivers No. 3 linebackers No. 4 defensive backs No. 7 defensive line No. 9 offensive line Oklahoma No. 9 defensive line 2025 Opponents In 1-136 Rankings Team Athlon Lindy's Avg.^ Ohio State 3 3 3 Oklahoma 20 12 16 Nebraska 28 24 26 USC 34 28 31 Washington 38 30 34 Wisconsin 44 55 49.5 Michigan State 53 59 56 Maryland 78 72 75 Northwestern 71 81 76 Purdue 104 102 103 Central Michigan 117 106 111.5 New Mexico 123 124 123.5 ^ Average of the rankings provided Schedule Breakdown 2025 SP+ Returning Previous Opponent 2024 Record Ranking Starters (Out of 24) Opponent New Mexico 5-7 130 6 — Oklahoma 6-7 16 10 Illinois State Central Michigan 4-8 117 10 Pittsburgh Nebraska 7-6 34 9 Houston Christian Wisconsin 5-7 37 12 Maryland USC 7-6 30 5 Illinois Washington 6-7 39 5 Rutgers Michigan State 5-7 64 11 Indiana Purdue 1-11 101 2 Rutgers Northwestern 4-8 87 11 USC Maryland 4-8 70 5 Illinois Ohio State 14-2 1 9 Rutgers EASIEST GAME: New Mexico New Mexico went 5-7 last season, then saw head coach Bronco Mendenhall leave for Utah State and 11 players transfer to Power Four institutions. Replacing them with a first-time FBS head man in Jason Eck and a lot of up-transfers doesn't seem like a formula to win big — especially not right away. The first game in the FBS for quarterback Jack Layne, an Idaho transfer, will be at The Big House. That alone makes for a tough task. The Sept. 13 matchup with Central Michigan is the only other game in contention for this spot, but the Lobos have them edged out, so to speak. TRAP GAME: Washington Jedd Fisch is a good head coach, and he made an underrated assistant hire this offseason, tabbing Ryan Walters as his defen- sive coordinator. Walters was fired by Purdue after two seasons as head coach, but he led an Illinois defense to a No. 1 ranking in points allowed per game in 2022. Sophomore Demond Williams Jr. is a potential breakout star at quarterback, and he's just one of several good skill position players on the roster. The Huskies could be dangerous in 2024 — perhaps similar to the way Maryland has been at times under Michael Locksley. This game is sandwiched in between a road trip to USC and a rivalry game at Michigan State. Ohio State junior safety Caleb Downs was named the Big Ten Conference's Tatum-Woodson Defen- sive Back of the Year en route to being selected as a unanimous All-American in 2024. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE Michigan Schedule Superlatives BEST ROAD ENVIRONMENT: Oklahoma On3 ranked Oklahoma's Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium — which holds 80,126 fans — as the 16th-toughest place to play in college football. The Wolverines will take on the Sooners at night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in front of a juiced up crowd that has high hopes for the season. Both teams will almost certainly enter the Week 2 clash 1-0. BEST HOME ATMOSPHERE: Ohio State Magical is an apt description of the environment at The Big House for each of the last two home wins over Ohio State — the 42-27 breakthrough in 2021 and the 30-24 nailbiter in 2023. Given the College Football Playoff field is 12 teams, there's a large chance this game will have high stakes beyond just the rivalry. BEST ROAD TRIP: Oklahoma Michigan has only played Oklahoma once — in the 1976 Orange Bowl. The Sooners are one of the few programs U-M has a losing record against, and eve- ning that up will be the goal Sept. 6. This is a matchup that is rarely seen, the Wolverines have never played in Norman and it's unclear when this trip will hap- pen again. Plenty of fans will make the trip. FUN FACTOID Michigan has won four straight games against Ohio State for the first time since 1988-91. Now, the Wolverines will go for five in a row for the first time since a six-year stretch from 1922-27. The Nov. 29 showdown will be a matchup between the last two national champions. Before 2023-24, the Big Ten Conference hadn't had con- secutive title winners since 1940-42 (Minnesota in 1940-41 and Ohio State in 1942).