The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
134 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY ANTHONY BROOME T wo years ago, there was not a whole lot to write home about until wins over Ohio State and Alabama capped off the 2024 season and provided some hope that perhaps Sherrone Moore and his U-M program had navigated the choppiest waters it would face on his watch. It turns out that could not have been fur- ther from the truth in 2025. Michigan seemed to line up for a much better second year under Moore, from a freshman phenom at quarterback in Bryce Underwood to a schedule that was much more forgiving than the 2024 slate. There was optimism that if the Wolverines could handle some difficult road trips to Okla- homa, Nebraska and USC in the first six weeks they would be able to make a run for a College Football Playoff spot. Instead, the Wolverines, who had the youngest roster in the Big Ten at an average age of 20.5 years old, were forced to navigate the natural ups-and-downs that come with a rookie handling the starting quarterback duties, a school-imposed two-game suspension for Moore early in the season and a litany of other issues and inconsistencies. Michigan lost the road games at Oklahoma and USC but found a way to steal one without Moore on the sideline at Nebraska to head into the stretch run with a 4-2 record, and the hope that a young team would hit its stride as the calendar flipped to November. But even in a five-game win streak head- ing into the Ohio State game, there were struggles, growing pains and self-inflicted errors both on the field and on the side- line that felt like the process had stagnated. 2025 2025 Young Wolverines Ride The Roller Coaster Sherrone Moore's Firing Caps A Tumultuous Campaign Quarterback Bryce Underwood started every game as a true freshman, accounting for 17 touchdowns (11 passing and 6 rushing). PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL