Michigan Football’s 2025 Schedule: Can They Conquer the Challenge or Will Tough Road Games Break Them?
12. Michigan
- Michigan football’s 2025 schedule is perceived as difficult, but the teams they face haven’t performed exceptionally well recently.
- Oklahoma, Nebraska, and USC, despite their reputations, had losing or near .500 records last season.
- Michigan’s 2025 opponents only include three teams with winning records from the previous season.
Fornelli is accurate in terms of ranking, but inaccurate in terms of Michigan fans. It’s been the fans who have noted that these teams aren’t exaclty the best of the best, while many in the media proclaim otherwise — as least as it pertains to the Wolverines’ chances. Also, this isn’t the schedule from 2022 or 2023, when Michigan didn’t face a power team in the nonconference, and in the case of 2023, didn’t play a substantial team until Penn State in November.CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli ranked each Big Ten team by strength of schedule, and at least accurately portrayed where Michigan is in terms of teams on the docket this year.While most pundits exclaim that Michigan football has a tough schedule this season — and thus predict somewhere in the 7-5 to 8-4 range — that doesn’t exactly jibe with the preseason reality.
Everyone’s buzzing about Michigan’s 2025 football schedule like it’s the hardest gauntlet in town—expectations are sliding them into that 7-5 or 8-4 finish territory before a single whistle blows. But here’s the twist: the reality? It’s not exactly the preseason nightmare the pundits want you to swallow. Sure, the Wolverines face heavyweights like Oklahoma, Nebraska, and USC right off the bat, but those teams? They’ve been stumbling near mediocre territory lately. Oklahoma’s barely scraping by with a 6-7 record, Nebraska and USC limping home at 7-6 each. And guess what? Only three of Michigan’s opponents last season even managed winning records. That paints a picture that’s a bit more manageable than the media hype suggests. As someone who’s watched schedules and seasons unravel for decades, I can’t help but feel Michigan’s got a shot to rewrite the script here. The past is a mixed bag, sure, with Michigan’s own 8-5 not dazzling except for that monumental upset over Ohio State. But history alone doesn’t decide the future. So buckle up—as things might just be looking up for the Maize and Blue this season. LEARN MORE.I can already hear the angry cries of Michigan fans who want to know how a schedule that includes Ohio State and a road game against Oklahoma could be this easy, but take it up with Oklahoma. The Sooners are averaging 7.3 wins per year under Brent Venables. Don’t get me wrong, the game carries weight, but it would’ve carried a lot more in 2021. Anyway, outside of those two games, this schedule isn’t overbearing. Road trips to Nebraska and USC won’t be easy, but the home slate is extremely manageable outside Ohio State and a four-game stretch of Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern and Maryland before that game seems beneficial.
This year, Michigan will face only three teams that had winning records a year ago (Nebraska, USC, and Ohio State). Yes, teams are allowed to get better, but that is at least something of a snapshot of where teams were very recently. Again, the Wolverines’ 8-5 record wasn’t much to write home about, but with wins over OSU and Alabama, it shows that the maize and blue have much more recent success than the other teams on the docket.
Yes, some of the teams have big names (the first three road games are against Oklahoma, Nebraska, and USC), but the Sooners went 6-7 last year, while Nebraska and USC went 7-6. The Wolverines didn’t exactly set the college football world on fire with an 8-5 record, but Michigan did have the best win in college football by beating Ohio State, despite being a three-score underdog.
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