Winning it all is basically the worst thing that can happen to your next season's expectations. Just ask any Michigan fan who lived through the months following that snowy January night in Houston. Coming off a 15-0 national championship run, the 2024 season was always going to be weird. Jim Harbaugh left for the Chargers. Half the roster went to the NFL. Sherrone Moore stepped into the biggest shoes in college football history while the NCAA was still sniffing around the building.
The university of michigan football schedule 2024 looked like a gauntlet on paper. It was. Honestly, it was the kind of schedule that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep and offensive line coaches start drinking way too much espresso.
The Reality of the 2024 Grind
People look at an 8-5 record and think the wheels fell off. It's not that simple. If you actually watched the games, you saw a team that was essentially an elite defense tethered to an offense that spent most of September and October trying to find its own car keys.
The season kicked off at the Big House against Fresno State on August 31. A 30-10 win felt fine, but the red flags were there. The offense was clunky. Davis Warren was under center, and while he’s a great story, the passing game lacked that "pop" we saw with J.J. McCarthy. Then Texas came to town on September 7.
That game was a wake-up call.
Texas didn't just win 31-12; they looked like the team Michigan used to be—physical, disciplined, and relentless. It was the first time since 2021 that Michigan felt truly outclassed in their own stadium. The honeymoon of the national title ended exactly at noon on that Saturday.
A Schedule of Highs and Very Low Lows
After the Texas reality check, the Wolverines had to regroup fast. They beat Arkansas State 28-18, a game that was way closer than anyone wanted. But then came the USC game on September 21.
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This was the "Stripe Out." It was loud. It was classic Big Ten football. Michigan threw for only 32 yards. Seriously. 32. And they still won 27-24 because Kalel Mullings decided he wasn't going to be tackled by human beings that day. He finished with 159 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner. It felt like Michigan had found its identity again: "We can't throw, but we will run over your face."
But that identity is hard to maintain when everyone knows what's coming.
The middle of the university of michigan football schedule 2024 was a brutal stretch of travel and inconsistency:
- Sept 28: Beat Minnesota 27-24 to keep the Little Brown Jug.
- Oct 5: Lost a heartbreaker at Washington, 27-17. A rematch of the title game that felt nothing like the title game.
- Oct 19: A truly ugly 21-7 loss at Illinois. This was the low point. The offense was non-existent.
- Oct 26: Beat Michigan State 24-17. No matter how bad the season is, beating Sparty is a requirement for survival in Ann Arbor.
Why "The Game" Changed Everything (Again)
By the time November rolled around, Michigan was unranked and looking like a team that might stumble into a 6-6 finish. They got thumped by a terrifyingly good Oregon team (38-17) and lost a close one to a revitalized Indiana squad (20-15).
Heading into Columbus on November 30, Michigan was a 20.5-point underdog. Nobody—and I mean nobody outside of Washtenaw County—thought they had a chance. Ohio State was ranked No. 2. They were loaded. They were angry.
And Michigan beat them anyway.
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It was a 13-10 defensive masterclass. Dominic Zvada, who was basically the MVP of the season, nailed a 21-yard field goal to seal it. The defense shut out the Buckeyes in the second half. It was the fourth win in a row over Ohio State. In a season defined by "what went wrong," that Saturday afternoon made everything else feel like a footnote.
Ending on a High Note in Tampa
The reward for that upset was a trip to the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama. Yeah, Bama. Again. On December 31, 2024, Michigan did something historic: they beat Alabama for the second time in a single calendar year.
A 19-13 victory in Tampa secured an 8-5 finish. Freshman Jordan Marshall stepped up with 100 yards on 23 carries. The defense, led by Mason Graham and Josaiah Stewart, looked like the best unit in the country one last time.
The Stat Sheet That Matters
If you want to understand why the university of michigan football schedule 2024 played out the way it did, look at these specific contributors who kept the ship upright:
Dominic Zvada (K): He was nearly perfect, going 26-of-27 on field goals. Without him, this team might have missed a bowl game entirely. He was the Big Ten Kicker of the Year for a reason.
Kalel Mullings (RB): He ended the year with 948 rushing yards. He was the heart of the offense when the passing game was stuck in neutral.
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Mason Graham (DT): A unanimous First-Team All-American. He’s a first-round NFL talent who played like it every single snap, even when the score was out of reach.
Colston Loveland (TE): He set the U-M record for catches by a tight end in a single season with 56. He was the only consistent target in the air.
Actionable Takeaways for Michigan Fans
Looking back at the university of michigan football schedule 2024, there are a few things we can actually learn for the future of the program.
First, the "quarterback room" needs a complete overhaul. Relying on a carousel of Davis Warren, Alex Orji, and Jack Tuttle proved that even an elite defense has a ceiling if the offense can't threaten the secondary. The decision to fire offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell on December 3 was a direct result of this realization.
Second, the defensive identity is sustainable. Even with a new coordinator in Wink Martindale, the "Michigan Way" on defense—physicality and elite interior line play—remains the gold standard.
If you are tracking the program's trajectory, the next step is watching the 2026 recruiting cycle. With the 2024 season in the rearview, the coaching staff is now under immense pressure to land a "blue-chip" signal-caller to avoid another year of 32-yard passing performances. Keep an eye on the transfer portal window opening this spring; that is where the 2026 season will actually be won or lost.
The 2024 season wasn't a failure, but it was a bridge. It was the year Michigan learned that the "process" is a lot harder when the faces change, but the "culture" still knows how to win in Columbus.