The bye week gave fans of the Michigan Wolverines plenty of time to panic about all sorts of things, primarily Bryce Underwood and the passing game after back-to-back subpar efforts. While the offense
does not look close to championship-caliber, the team does more or less control its own destiny when it comes to the College Football Playoff, simply needing to win the next three games.
The first contest of this final stretch comes against the Northwestern Wildcats — at Wrigley Field. Northwestern turned some heads after the win over Penn State, but in hindsight that outcome looks less and less impressive. Accordingly, the Wildcats are just 3-3 in conference play and 67th per SP+, giving Michigan the sharp advantage in this one, especially with plenty of support likely coming from the bleachers.
No. 18 Michigan (7-2, 5-1) at Northwestern (5-4, 3-3)
Date & Time: Saturday, Nov. 15, noon ET
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
TV/Streaming: FOX
There have been some close ones in this head-to-head (overtime in 2012, Dileo power slide in 2013, failed two-point conversion in 2014, late comeback in 2018), but Michigan has won each of the past eight and 16 of the past 18. Last year’s 50-6 Game 11 blowout felt like a consolation prize for the Wolverines, but actually turned out to be the start of a great ending. Maybe history will repeat itself in 2025??
Offense: Just make contact
Underwood is a five-tool player but is still more of a prospect than a big leaguer. His last two outings were unfortunately some of his worst, completing just 53.8% of his passes for 5.9 YPA and zero passing touchdowns. He now faces a defense that allows the 21st-fewest passing yards per game nationally and has limited nearly everyone outside of Jayden Maiava.
The run defense is a slightly different story. Even though Purdue was shut down a few weeks ago, Northwestern’s last four opponents combined for 8 rushing touchdowns and a decent 4.4 YPC. Even though there are still remnants of a Big Ten West defense here, Jordan Marshall has to be salivating at the opportunity to swing for the fences and add to his home run total.
Michigan can probably win this game on the other side of the ball alone, but some fireworks in the top half of the innings would be enjoyable. Letting Marshall do his damage then get some rest is imperative with Justice Haynes still out, and seeing a least a bit of a bounce back from Underwood will help calm some nerves ahead of the end-of-year showdown in just two weeks. If anything, just hitting some rhythm throws would be a good win.
Defense: Solid fundamentals
In true Big Ten West fashion, Northwestern is just 96th per SP+ in offense and is extremely one-sided. This unit is a contact hitter, ranking 30th nationally in YPC, but offers no power at the plate, sitting just 122nd in YPA. SMU transfer Preston Stone has been unable to elevate this offense, ranking 15th among 16 qualified Big Ten quarterbacks in passer rating. The former four-star is averaging 5.7 YPA in Big Ten play with 5 touchdowns to 5 interceptions.
Stone should not threaten the Michigan secondary, but Caleb Komolafe could do some damage on the ground. Komolafe has surprisingly become the team’s RB1 and ranks sixth in the conference at 80.7 YPG and has scored eight times this season, including 3 touchdowns in the past two weeks, averaging 121.5 yards in those contests. A powerful runner, the Wolverines will need to maintain gap discipline and avoid broken tackling, again preventing any sort of self-implosion.
Like pretty much every game against Northwestern, the Wolverines should be fine if they do the little things right. Last season’s contest followed the narrow loss in Bloomington, which was the false dawn of Wink Martindale’s evolution (though it did last for a glorious two more games). No need for flashy plays or wild curveballs on Saturday; the Wildcats do not offer enough threat on their own to require any special gameplan.
Station to station
“One game at a time” is the team’s mantra right now, and rightfully so. Michigan cannot boost itself into the playoff picture regardless of what happens Saturday, but the season would end with any slip-up over the next two games, so there is no need to try to take the extra base. The Wolverines just need to stay alive and keep the line moving, not running into unnecessary outs.
Aside from the scoreboard, this feels perfect to really up the vibes. Playing at Wrigley is a unique experience, and there should be even more maize and blue in the stands than a normal trip to Northwestern. The offensive line is going to make the run game feast, and the defense is going to enjoy plenty of dominance as well. If Underwood looks even slightly improved from his past two showings, expectations are going to keep rising heading into the final week.
