The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 39 ting far too much faith in what Michigan had in the QB room. I know there were a lot of key starters returning from the title team, but the inability to land a capable QB in the transfer portal doomed this team. I know it sounds mean, but I said many times last year that Michigan was a Big Ten team with a MAC [Mid-American Conference] QB room. That said, the fact that was the case and the team still won eight games, includ- ing wins over Ohio State and Alabama, is impressive. It also says a lot about the rest of the roster, and what could've been accomplished with even average Power Four QB production. Lassan: It's interesting how one month or a couple of games can change the perception of a season or a coach. Sherrone Moore stepped into a tough spot last year by having to replace several key players off a team that won the na- tional championship in 2023. Although t h e Wo l v e r i n e s weren't projected to repeat as the na- t i o n a l c h a m p i o n , contending for the playoff with a ros- te r s t i l l s to c k e d w i t h t a l e n t wa s still a realistic goal. However, between the offensive strug- gles, questionable coaching decisions at times, and the early results, it was fair to wonder if Moore's learning curve was steeper than most anticipated. But by the end of the '24 season, Moore clearly had this program back on track thanks to wins over Ohio State and Alabama. Staples: In terms of culture, I think the Ohio State game and the bowl win against Alabama showed that Moore did an excellent job establishing a personality for the program — and it builds upon the one Jim Harbaugh established in his time. That's the good. The bad is that even though the timing of Harbaugh's exit put Moore in a tough spot because he couldn't really go get a transfer portal quarterback, Michigan's inability to throw the ball was inexcusable. Even though the program is obviously going to be a run-first outfit, the passing game needs to at least be average. That said, knowing how bad the Wolverines were in the pass game makes wins like USC even more impressive. And that speaks to culture. Obviously, Moore and com- pany have done a lot of work in terms of recruiting and staff changes to create a more functional offense. If they suc- ceeded, it will get really fun going for- ward. In today's college football, what should be the realistic expectation and goal for teams like Michigan? Bender: It's been one year, but I'm starting to think coaches will be judged on making the CFP more than their reg- ular-season résumé. Look at Dan Lan- ning and Oregon. Do you remember the Big Ten championship or the Rose Bowl loss more? Making the CFP will be the equivalent of leading a Sweet 16 run in basketball, and that's going to be the goal every single season. There is less criticism of James Frank- lin after a run to the CFP semifinals. Ryan Day led a national championship run after losing to Michigan for a fourth straight year. The playoff has changed the value system for grading coaches, and reach- ing the CFP is validation. Josh Heupel has been to the CFP. Lane Kiffin hasn't. Chances are, that's being talked about in Knoxville. That is what Moore must do at Michigan to keep up with Lanning, Day and Franklin — who are expected to lead CFP runs again in 2025. Fornelli: I'm an old man when it comes to this sport, so I still believe win- ning the Big Ten is, and should always be, Michigan's first priority alongside beat- ing Ohio State. That said, I understand the landscape of the sport is changing dramatically, and it's changing how fans look at the sport. We can debate whether it's for the best or not until the end of time, but it won't alter the reality. In that sense, the playoff should be an annual expectation for Michigan. Espe- cially since the likelihood of expansion to 16 teams in 2026 is extremely high. I don't know what the automatic bid situ- ation will be for the Big Ten and SEC, but no matter the format, it's one Michigan should expect to participate in annually. Lassan: I still think we are learning what exactly the impact of the expanded College Football Playoff and larger con- ferences will have on the season over- all and how it impacts the standards for some of the blue bloods like Michigan. However, I do think the regular season has been watered down to a degree, and the sport has shifted to a focus on the playoff being everything that matters. Considering Michigan's status as a blue blood, historical success and re- cent national championship, I think this program is in the category of teams that making the playoff on a frequent basis should be a reasonable goal and expecta- tion. Staples: Domi- nating as Ohio State has been in the Big Ten or Alabama was in the SEC in the 2010s is going to be much tougher in the new era. Making the CFP and having a real chance to com- pete for national ti- tles is reasonable to expect for Michigan most seasons. What do you expect out of freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood this season? Will he win the starting job right away? Bender: It could mirror in some ways what Dylan Raiola did at Nebraska last season. Raiola — also a five-star quar- terback recruit — was considered a pro- gram-changer. He finished with 2,819 passing yards, 13 TDs and 11 intercep- tions, and he also led the Huskers to their first bowl victory since 2015. Under- wood takes over a program that is ahead of that schedule — and he will have ups and downs like any other freshman quar- terback. We do anticipate he wins the starting job in fall camp, and the key will be how he manages the home-and-road difference. Raiola had a 142.2 passer rat- ing with 11 TDs and 5 INTs at home, and "In terms of culture, I think the Ohio State game and the bowl win against Alabama showed that [Sherrone] Moore did an excellent job establishing a personality for the program — and it builds upon the one Jim Harbaugh established in his time." ANDY STAPLES, ON3 COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST