With about eight minutes left in the game, I had a feeling of zen, “win or lose, this game has been fun.” But that quickly dissipated when Bryce Underwood threw his second interception of the game. The
Wolverines ended up losing in the Citrus Bowl to Texas by a final score of 41-27.
Here are three winners and two losers after the game.
WR Andrew Marsh — Winner
Holy Andrew Marsh. If you don’t have him as your breakout player of the year, I don’t know who you’d have.
Coming into the season, we knew he had talent, but Marsh has been an absolute stud in 2025. While he only had three catches for 10 yards, he came away with one touchdown and made a huge impact in the return game. He had 143 kick return yards on four attempts. He gave Michigan a spark ahead of each possession. He’s someone the Wolverines should make sure returns in 2026.
QB Bryce Underwood — Loser
There’s still a lot to like about what Underwood brings to the table, but he unfortunately didn’t end the season with only positive reviews. He had three interceptions and was slow in making decisions. One of those decisions ended with Marlin Klein getting hit hard by a defender. He did throw for two touchdowns, but got help from his receivers in those situations, too. He also ran for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Coaches — Winners
Honestly, the team came out with more fight than I expected. While I didn’t think Biff Poggi made great decisions speaking with the media, I do think the coaches had some plays dialed up that worked. I thought Michigan was aggressive and made some good calls on fourth down. They were also willing to put Marsh on the return team, which really paid off when it came to field position.
Secondary — Loser
Michigan’s secondary had some positives in this one, but also gave up more than 100 yards after the catch and more than 200 passing yards total. While I give credit to some big plays by a few guys, there were just too many instances where they weren’t able to make a tackle. They also didn’t help the defensive line out when Arch Manning would carry the ball.
FB Max Bredeson — Winner
This is going to be a little bit of a different interpretation for “winner.” Max Bredeson’s injury was a bummer. It sucks he went out this season after giving so much to the program. But seeing him on the sideline coaching up his teammates was a good moment. He’ll be one of those players we want on the team each and every year. He may have lost out on being on the field, but sticking with the team and doing everything he can to help them out shows he’s a true winner.
We know the team wins and loses together, but who would you say won the day and who could use some improvement heading into the offseason? Let us know in the comments!
