Michigan didn’t crack the College Football Playoff last year, but don’t let that fool you. After a rocky midseason stretch, the Wolverines flipped the switch and finished 2024 with serious momentum. A 19-13 win over Alabama capped a three-game win streak that included dominant defensive efforts against Ohio State and Indiana.
Fox Sports analyst sees a major comeback season for the Wolverines
Now, Fox Sports' Joel Klatt believes Michigan is the Big Ten team everyone’s sleeping on.
During his latest episode of "The Joel Klatt Show", the analyst called Michigan’s late-season surge “easily the best run” of any non-playoff squad, pointing to the Wolverines’ suffocating defense. Despite an offense that couldn’t get much going through the air, Michigan found a way to knock off top-tier teams and claw its way to eight wins.
The missing piece? Quarterback play. Michigan struggled mightily under center last season. Davis Warren threw for just 1,199 yards with more picks than touchdowns, and the offense averaged only 22 points a game. That should change quickly.
Bryce Underwood, the nation’s top-ranked quarterback recruit, flipped his commitment from LSU and signed with Michigan in early December. The 6-foot-4 Detroit native brings serious firepower after throwing 152 career touchdown passes and winning back-to-back state titles at Belleville High School. With Underwood set to take over, Klatt sees a massive leap coming.
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Michigan’s schedule opens with New Mexico and then a huge early road test at Oklahoma. After that, it’s a mix of winnable matchups across the conference slate.
“If they beat Oklahoma,” Klatt said, “nothing looks daunting after that.”
With Sherrone Moore now leading the program and a blue-chip quarterback in place, Klatt didn’t hesitate with his final take:
“Watch out for Michigan. This is a bounce-back year. Michigan is a buy.”
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