What are we to make of the Michigan Wolverines ahead of this college football season? Michigan is entering its second season with Sherrone Moore at the helm of the operation. After having made three straight College Football Playoff appearances under his mentor and predecessor Jim Harbaugh, Michigan regressed considerably last season under Moore's guidance. This was expected.
However, Michigan still recruits at a high level and has tremendous support from the university and its rabid fan base to remain a power in the new college football world. For that reason, I am not going to bury them just yet, even though my concerns about Moore's makeup as a Power Four head coach remain. The players are strong, but you have to be great to come out of the Big Ten and be ranked.
Looking at the US LBM Coaches Poll ahead of this fall, you can see Michigan well out of the top 10...
Preseason Coaches Poll for 2025 college football season
- Texas Longhorns: 1,606 points (28 first-place votes)
- Ohio State Buckeyes: 1,565 points (20 first-place votes)
- Penn State Nittany Lions: 1,525 points (14 first-place votes)
- Georgia Bulldogs: 1,466 points (3 first-place votes)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 1,360 points
- Clemson Tigers: 1,324 points (2 first-place votes)
- Oregon Ducks: 1,307 points
- Alabama Crimson Tide: 1,210 points
- LSU Tigers: 1,056 points
- Miami Hurricanes; 823 points
- Arizona State Sun Devils: 806 points
- Illinois Fighting Illini: 734 points
- South Carolina Gamecocks: 665 points
- Michigan Wolverines: 580 points
- Ole Miss Rebels: 573 points
- SMU Mustangs: 555 points
- Florida Gators: 498 points
- Tennessee Volunteers: 492 points
- Indiana Hoosiers: 460 points
- Kansas State Wildcats: 438 points
- Texas A&M Aggies: 392 points
- Iowa Sate Cyclones: 392 points
- BYU Cougars: 287 points
- Texas Tech Red Raiders: 261 points
- Boise State Broncos: 246 points
In a way, I am actually good with them at No. 14. It may be a tad higher than I expected the Wolverines would be ranked to start the season, but again, I am okay with it ... for now. That being said, I think there are plenty of reasons why Michigan is ranked behind another Big Ten team in Illinois just outside of the top 10. Michigan can make its way back to the top of the rankings, but they will have to earn it.
Here are five harsh questions that may explain why Michigan is not starting the year out in the top 10.
5. Has the Big Ten turned and left Michigan outside of its elite teams?
When my FanSided.com colleague and False Start co-host Cody Williams and I did our Big Ten preview episode earlier this week, Michigan was not among our College Football Playoff locks for this season. Without hesitation, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State were the only teams in the Big Ten we could definitively say were locks in the league. We even liked Illinois and Indiana more than Michigan.
The Wolverines were placed into a category of contenders with the likes of Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa for me. What I am getting at is Michigan was so pedestrian offensively last season under Moore. That is his side of the football. He may be a former offensive lineman who loves to run the football, but you have to throw it some of the time in the context of today's college game. It has left Michigan behind...
No matter how you slice it, Moore's first year leading the team damaged Michigan's blue-chip stock.
4. What if the good luck finally runs out vs. their arch rival Ohio State?
This may or may not have been Sherrone Moore's saving grace last year, but I have a hard time seeing Michigan beating Ohio State in the same manner they did a year ago. Ryan Day needs to figure this out in Columbus before Buckeyes finds somehow find a way to discredit him for winning a national championship this year. To me, if Michigan beats Ohio State for a fifth year in a row, it would be swell.
However, we are talking about the defending national champions and the biggest lock among locks to make the College Football Playoff potentially losing to their big rival for the fifth year in a row. Again, it could happen, but what if all the good luck finally runs out? For their winning streak to continue, Michigan's offense needs to be able to go toe-for-toe with the Buckeyes'. I have a hard time seeing it.
A win over Ohio State would do wonders in Michigan being able to win around nine or 10 games.
3. How will Michigan fare when Sherrone Moore serves his suspension?
This is far more important than maybe I even realized. Sherrone Moore will be serving a two-game, self-imposed suspension for his role in the Connor Stalions scandal. Moore deleting a ton of text messages from his phone will have him missing Games 3 and 4 on the season for Michigan. While they should have no problem with Central Michigan, they cannot lose to Nebraska in Lincoln, folks...
This is because I do not like Michigan's chances to come out of Week 2 with a road victory over Moore's alma mater of Oklahoma. Brent Venables is not a great head coach, but he knows defense. This game will be in Norman. He will have a new cast of characters offensively. Ben Arbuckle will be calling the plays with John Mateer at quarterback and Jaydn Ott in the backfield. I like OU's upside.
There is a chance Michigan starts the year at 2-2 with Power Four losses at Oklahoma and Nebraska.
2. What if Bryce Underwood is not ready for stardom as a true freshman?
Five-star freshman Bryce Underwood is the biggest reason why I think Michigan has a decent shot to make the College Football Playoff, and potentially stay inside the top 10 once the Wolverines finally breach that threshold. His talent is off the charts, but asking an 18-year-old to be deodorant for an offense that was not good at all last year is a bit much. He will be great, but we will need some time.
It is the same reason why I am not crowning Arch Manning over at Texas just yet. He may be in his third season with the program, but he has only two starts under his belt. We need to stop living in a microwave society and allow these promising prospects to bake. In time, I fully expect Underwood will be a fantastic player for the Wolverines, probably before the end of the season, if I had to wager on it.
However, it may potentially be a baptism by fire in the early part of Big Ten play for this true freshman.
1. When will this be Sherrone Moore's team? Is he even the right fit?
As you can probably tell, I am not the biggest fan of Sherrone Moore as Michigan's head coach. Jim Harbaugh was a transcendent one at his alma mater. Anytime you promote the loyal assistant from within after said coaching legend's departure, you are bound to be disappointed. Last year, I felt that Moore was substitute teaching Harbaugh's team, hoping his mentor would come back soon enough.
While a lot of great coaches struggle right from the jump, the Wolverines need to pop midway through year two under Moore for me to actually believe he is the right guy. It is largely contingent on Bryce Underwood blossoming into a star quarterback as an 18 year old. I will finish with this. If Michigan is not close to being a playoff team again, the university and fanbase will make him wear it.
For that reason, Moore could end up on the hot seat before the end of his second season on the job.