ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan football season came to a disappointing end over the weekend, as the Wolverines saw their four-game winning streak against Ohio State come to a close.
Yes, Michigan will play in a bowl game, so the season isn’t officially over. But we know Michigan will be left out of the College Football Playoff for the second year in row and likely finish around 20th in the final rankings.
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So what does that mean for Sherrone Moore, who is just two seasons into his head coaching tenure?
It’s a complicated time to assess a college football coach. What does success look like within the landscape of the 12-team playoff? What’s a fair timeline to rebuild a roster with the transfer portal and NIL?
Challenges facing Sherrone Moore
Those who defend Moore will point out that he faced some unique challenges taking over as the head coach in Ann Arbor.
Yes, the Wolverines had won 40 of 43 games before Moore got promoted. They had won back-to-back-to-back Big Ten titles, reached the playoff three times, and captured a national championship.
But the timing and manner of Jim Harbaugh’s departure didn’t create a smooth transition. Harbaugh and star quarterback J.J. McCarthy made their decisions to depart for the NFL later than most, leaving Moore to play catchup in terms of rebuilding both his staff and his roster.
He also had to contend with the remnants of the NCAA sign-stealing investigation -- albeit some of that was his own doing.
So it’s unfair to pretend that Moore inherited a program that was firing on all cylinders.
But he’s not immune to blame, either.
First two seasons
Michigan improved from 8-5 to 9-3 in Moore’s second season, but it didn’t really feel like a step forward.
Moore salvaged what was trending toward a disastrous 2024 season by shocking a heavily favored Ohio State in Columbus.
That victory came after Michigan was largely uncompetitive in four of its five losses -- a 19-point home loss to Texas, a 10-point loss at Washington, a 14-point beatdown at Illinois, and a 21-point blowout at home against Oregon.
Other than Washington (a team that finished the season 6-7), none of those losses were unjustified because Texas, Illinois, and Oregon were much better than Michigan.
The problem is that Texas, Illinois, and Oregon were much better than Michigan in the first place.
Sure, anything can happen in a one-off season, especially considering all the extenuating circumstances Moore faced. But does that same reasoning excuse 2025?
Michigan was uncompetitive in the only three games that mattered this season. Oklahoma dominated Michigan from start to finish, although a Justice Haynes 75-yard touchdown run made the 24-13 final score feel better.
USC was another blowout, with the Trojans putting up 489 yards on Wink Martindale’s defense. Then, against Ohio State, it was the offense that didn’t show up, totaling just 163 yards to Ohio State’s 419.
Again, those losses are understandable because those teams were better than Michigan. But how long is a reasonable amount of time for Michigan’s roster to catch up?
Looking ahead to 2026 (and beyond)
There’s no way Michigan can reasonably make a coaching change this offseason. Moore has won the games he’s supposed to win, and that Ohio State upset in 2024 is another feature in his cap.
But what if Michigan doesn’t make the playoff next season? Michigan will be an underdog at Ohio State and Oregon, which means it would have to win the other 10 games, including against Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, and Penn State.
If 9-3 is fine in 2025, is that still the case a year from now?
Then, in 2027, Michigan has to play Texas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, and Penn State -- all on the road. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Oregon come to the Big House.
Those high-stakes games -- the ones that haven’t gone well for Michigan the past two years -- aren’t going away.
So when do the expectations flip from “win the games you’re supposed to win” to “compete at the top of the sport.”
Moore’s resume
Moore has been excellent in terms of talent acquisition, bringing in the sixth-ranked recruiting class last year and the 11th-ranked group so far in 2026.
He also helped Michigan unlock its NIL program, which was a little slow getting off the ground. That has helped make the Wolverines competitive in the transfer portal, as well as in the five-star recruiting market.
That, combined with the role he played in the greatest three-year run in program history, buys Moore some time. Deservedly so.
But the in-game product has to improve. Bryce Underwood didn’t show enough development this season, and that has to change dramatically heading into his sophomore season.
Moore also needs to take a hard look at his offensive philosophy. The first half of the season, Michigan leaned heavily on Haynes ripping off long runs. After Haynes went down, the unit lacked an identity.
Andrew Marsh was a bright spot, but he didn’t have a single catch against Ohio State. It’s no coincidence the Wolverines failed to reach the end zone.
Moore acted swiftly and moved on from Kirk Campbell last year, so he’s not afraid to make difficult staffing decisions. If he thinks changes are warranted again this offseason, he should make them with Underwood’s development top of mind.
Final thoughts
On paper, the 2025 season doesn’t look so bad. Michigan won nine games and will probably get a solid non-playoff bowl game. Pretty decent for a second-year head coach who dealt with a slew of injuries and had a true freshman quarterback, right?
But these Wolverines didn’t pass the eye test. The three losses weren’t competitive, and none of the wins really stand out, either. They have a long way to go to get back into the playoff mix.
This conversation will likely ramp up during and after 2026, depending how the season goes. If Michigan misses the 12-team playoff for a third year in a row, we’ll see what the standard really is for this program.