
As a father of two, I constantly utter phrases like “two more sleeps until Christmas,” “three more sleeps until Grandma and Grandpa’s house,” “five more sleeps until summer break,” etc. I can’t wait to tell my kids “one more sleep until Michigan football” later tonight.
With the season upon us, it’s time to lock in our final predictions. Most national prognosticators have Michigan anywhere from 7-5 to 11-1, with 9-3 being the most common projection. The Wolverines have a relatively easy schedule by
Big Ten standards, but do play a consequential non-conference game against Oklahoma in Week 2.
By now, I’m sure you’ve read more than a few season projections for certain players and position groups here at Maize n Brew, so we won’t rehash those here. The question today is simple — what is this team’s ceiling in 2025?
To find the answer, you logically have to expect the best-case scenario. At it’s core, this revolves around Bryce Underwood matching Trevor Lawrence’s spectacular freshman season in 2018. Lawrence threw for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Expecting that out of Underwood would be foolish as it’s incredibly rare to do, but if we’re looking at Michigan’s ceiling, that’s how you’d hit it.
Michigan would also need major development and improvement out of the offensive line. Evan Link’s switch from right tackle to left and Gio El-Hadi’s switch from right to left guard would have to reap incredible benefits.
Defensively, the Wolverines would need Rayshaun Benny to blossom into a first-round pick, which is entirely possible given the trajectory he’s on. They would also need Rod Moore to get healthy and produce at the level he was before his injury, which seems significantly less likely.
Playing the schedule game, Michigan is fortunate to avoid both Penn State and Oregon. As of the pre-season AP Poll (which is admittedly a joke), the Wolverines only play two ranked teams in No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 3 Ohio State. Other tricky games include a trip to Nebraska without Sherrone Moore, at USC immediately followed by a home matchup with Washington, and the annual clash with Michigan State.
Should everything go right, I could see the Wolverines winning a rock fight in Norman before rattling off a few Big Ten wins. 11-0 heading into The Game is a possibility, though if I was making a season prediction here, I would assume the Wolverines would have dropped a game by then given a true freshman quarterback will make some mistakes. At home against the Buckeyes, anything is possible, as we saw last year.
Am I crazy for saying 12-0 is the ceiling? Probably. I certainly wouldn’t say 12-0 is likely, as this doesn’t appear to be a national championship roster on paper. But if we’re looking solely at the absolute ceiling if everything goes right, the combination of Underwood’s ludicrous talent, an easy schedule, and getting Ohio State at home means 12-0 is the ceiling, in my opinion.
After the regular season, I would set the ceiling as the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. I just don’t see this team winning multiple playoff games to reach the semifinals or National Championship. There are too many holes at receiver and on the offensive line for me to predict anything more.
What do you think Michigan’s ceiling is? Is a Big Ten championship on the table this year, or am I far-fetched for even bringing it up? Let us know in the comments below.