Man, what a ride. If you followed the u of michigan football results this past year, you know it wasn't exactly the smooth sailing fans were hoping for after the recent championship highs. It was a season of massive transitions, weird interim coaching stretches, and a freshman quarterback who basically had the weight of Ann Arbor on his shoulders.
Honestly, a 9-4 finish is respectable for most programs. But at Michigan? People have thoughts. Especially when you drop "The Game" to Ohio State for the first time in over half a decade.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Michigan finished the 2025 campaign with a 9-4 overall record, going 7-2 in the Big Ten. That’s not bad. It’s actually pretty good when you consider Sherrone Moore was navigating his second year—which ended up being his final year—under some pretty intense scrutiny.
Look at the way the season actually shook out. They started strong with a win over New Mexico (34-17), but then reality hit hard in Week 2. A 24-13 loss at Oklahoma showed everyone that the offense wasn't quite a finished product yet.
Here is the thing: the defense was actually solid. Don "Wink" Martindale had that unit playing tough. They only gave up about 17 points per game through a huge chunk of the schedule. But the offense? It was "pro spread" and, well, sometimes it felt a little more "spread" than "pro."
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A Quick Look at the Key Results
- The High Point: Beating Michigan State 31-20 in East Lansing. There is nothing like keeping the Paul Bunyan Trophy to make a season feel okay, even if things are getting rocky elsewhere.
- The Squeaker: That 24-22 win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field. You've probably never seen a tenser game in a baseball stadium. Michigan almost blew a lead late, but they escaped.
- The Heartbreak: November 29. The Game. Michigan Stadium was packed with 111,373 people, and Ohio State walked out with a 27-9 win. It was the first time the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines since 2019. Julian Sayin just picked the secondary apart, and Michigan couldn't find the endzone.
The Bryce Underwood Era Begins
Everyone was talking about Bryce Underwood. He’s the local kid, the five-star savior. He finished the year with 2,428 passing yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. He also ran for 6 scores.
He's a true freshman. You could see the flashes of brilliance, like that 15-yard touchdown pass to Marlin Klein against New Mexico. But you also saw the freshman mistakes. Nine interceptions is a lot. But you’ve gotta let the kid grow, right?
The ground game helped him out quite a bit. Jordan Marshall was a beast, racking up 932 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. When Justice Haynes was healthy, he was averaging over 7 yards a carry. Basically, when Michigan could run the ball, they won. When they were forced to pass 35 times because they were down, things got messy.
The Coaching Carousel Nobody Expected
This is where it gets weird. Sherrone Moore was the guy. Then, Biff Poggi stepped in as an interim for a few games (including the bowl game). It felt like the program was in a bit of a holding pattern.
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Then came December 26, 2025.
Warde Manuel dropped the bombshell: Kyle Whittingham is the new head coach. He’s the 22nd coach in Michigan history. Bringing in a guy from Utah who is known for "toughness" and "player development" is a clear signal. The administration wants to get back to that physical, identity-driven football that won them the natty in '23.
U of Michigan Football Results: The Citrus Bowl Finale
The season ended in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve. Michigan faced Texas, and it... didn't go great. A 41-27 loss.
The score makes it look closer than it was for a while. Texas put up a lopsided fourth quarter that just put the game away. Bryce Underwood threw for 199 yards, but the Longhorns' defense was just too fast. It was a somber way to end the year, leaving the Wolverines at 9-4 and ranked around No. 18 in the final polls.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Season
People see four losses and think the sky is falling. It's not.
Michigan played one of the toughest schedules in the country. They lost to Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, and Texas. All four of those teams were ranked. In fact, Michigan went 0-4 against AP-ranked teams this year. That’s the real sticking point. They beat everyone they were "supposed" to beat, but they couldn't pull off the upset.
They were 9-0 against unranked teams. That tells you the floor of this program is still incredibly high. They aren't crumbling; they're just recalibrating.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're looking ahead to what this means for next year, here’s the deal:
- Watch the Transfer Portal: With Whittingham coming in, expect some roster churn. He’ll want "his" guys who fit that physical Utah-style mold.
- The Underwood Leap: History shows quarterbacks make their biggest jump between year one and year two. If Bryce cuts those 9 interceptions down to 4 or 5, Michigan is a playoff team.
- Defense is the Key: Keeping the defensive core together under the new staff is vital. Ernest Hausmann and Jyaire Hill are the leaders now.
- Buy In Early: If you're a season ticket holder, renewals start in late January. With a new big-name coach, those seats are going to be hot.
The 2025 season was a bridge. It was loud, it was frustrating at times, and it ended with a coaching change that no one saw coming six months ago. But the foundation—especially with Underwood at QB—is still there. Now we just see if Whittingham can build the house.