It was weird. If you walked into a bar in Ann Arbor last November, the vibe wasn't just "we lost." It was "what on earth just happened to our program?"
The u of m football results from the 2025 season tell a story that the box scores almost miss. On paper, 9-4 looks like a decent year for most Power Four schools. But at Michigan, coming off the high of a national title and then watching the head coach get fired for cause in December? That’s a different kind of pain. Sherrone Moore’s second year was supposed to be the "reload" year. Instead, it became a case study in how fast things can get messy when the off-field drama catches up to the on-field execution.
The Numbers That Actually Mattered
Honestly, looking back at the schedule, the season started with a quiet anxiety. You’ve got a true freshman quarterback in Bryce Underwood—the No. 1 recruit in the country—and everyone expects him to be Caleb Williams immediately. He wasn’t.
Underwood finished the year with 2,428 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Not bad. But he also tossed 9 interceptions. He looked like a kid. A very talented kid, sure, but a kid who was running for his life behind an offensive line that didn't look like the "Joe Moore Award" units of years past.
Then there’s the running game. Jordan Marshall was the bright spot, grinding out 932 yards and 10 scores. He was the heart of the team. But when you look at the u of m football results against top-tier talent, the run game just vanished. Against Ohio State? They managed just 100 yards on the ground. That’s not Michigan football. That’s something else.
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A Schedule of Highs and Very Low Lows
The season was basically a series of "if onlys."
- The Oklahoma Trip: A 24-13 loss in Norman early on showed that the offense wasn't ready for prime time.
- The Rivalry Sweep (Sorta): Beating Michigan State 31-20 in East Lansing felt great. It usually does. They also handled Washington 24-7 in a title game rematch.
- The USC Disaster: Getting thumped 31-13 in Los Angeles was a wake-up call that the Big Ten's new West Coast wing wasn't going to be a pushover.
- The Game: 27-9. At home. To a No. 1 ranked Ohio State.
That loss to the Buckeyes was the first time Michigan tasted defeat in "The Game" since 2019. It wasn't just the loss; it was the way it happened. The defense held tough for a while, but the offense was nonexistent in the second half, putting up a measly 39 total yards. 39! You can't win a middle school game with those numbers.
The Sherrone Moore Exit and the Citrus Bowl
Everything changed on December 10. The university fired Sherrone Moore for cause, citing an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member." Just like that, the guy who sat in Jim Harbaugh’s chair was gone.
Biff Poggi stepped in as the interim for the Citrus Bowl. Talk about a tough spot. You’re playing a Texas team that was arguably one of the four best in the country, and your locker room is in shambles. The 41-27 loss in Orlando was almost mercy. Texas looked like a pro team; Michigan looked like a team that wanted the season to be over.
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What People Get Wrong About the 2025 Results
Most people look at the 9-4 record and blame the quarterback. "Underwood didn't live up to the hype," they say. That’s lazy.
The real issue was the "shackles" put on the offense. If you watch the film from the Northwestern game (a narrow 24-22 win) or the Maryland game, the play-calling was terrified. They didn't let Underwood throw downfield. They played "not to lose" rather than "to win." Donaven McCulley and Andrew Marsh are legit weapons, but they spent half the season blocking for screen passes that went nowhere.
Defensive Regression?
Don "Wink" Martindale’s defense wasn't the problem, but it wasn't the solution either. They allowed about 20 points a game. In the modern era, that's elite. But they couldn't get off the field on third down against Ohio State or Texas. Jimmy Rolder led the team with 69 tackles, but the pass rush—usually a Michigan staple—was inconsistent. Derrick Moore had his moments, but the "chokehold" style of defense we saw in 2023 was gone.
What Happens Next for the Wolverines?
If you're looking for the silver lining in these u of m football results, it’s the roster. Bryce Underwood is still there (for now). Jordan Marshall is a star. The talent is top-five caliber.
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But the coaching search is the only thing that matters right now. Michigan needs a leader who can stabilize the NIL situation and keep the transfer portal vultures away from Underwood. LSU and Lane Kiffin are already circling.
To get back to the College Football Playoff, the next coach has to fix three specific things:
- Open up the playbook: You didn't recruit a generational QB to throw 5-yard hitches.
- Restore the O-Line identity: Michigan won a title because they moved people against their will. That disappeared in 2025.
- Off-field discipline: No more distractions. No more "for cause" firings.
The 2025 season was a hangover from the 2023 championship. Now, the program has to decide if it wants to be a consistent contender or if it’s okay with being a 9-4 team that loses its biggest games. The fans in Ann Arbor won't accept the latter for long.
If you're following the recruiting trail, keep a close eye on the early signing period. The coaching hire will happen fast, and the first priority will be a "re-recruitment" of the current roster to prevent a mass exodus. Check the official athletic site for the latest coaching search updates, as that will dictate the 2026 results more than any spring practice ever could.