Now that we’re just over a week removed from the completion of the 2024 college football season, many outlets are looking to the future with 2025 far on the horizon. That includes figuring out which teams will win their conferences, make the 12-team playoff, and then make a run.
As far as Michigan football is concerned, ESPN’s resident advanced stats guru Bill Connelly expects the Wolverines to make the Big Ten Championship Game, lose that to Penn State, but then still make the College Football Playoff. From there, Connelly thinks that the maize and blue will win one game — and it happens to be a doozy.
According to his projections (subscription required) Michigan will play (and lose) the Big Ten to Penn State, but then will have a rematch in Ann Arbor with Ohio State. Per Connelly, Michigan will beat OSU for a fifth-straight time in November and make it six in December.
However, Connelly has the Wolverines losing to No. 1 Georgia in the next round in the Sugar Bowl.
Top four seeds: 1 Georgia, 2 Penn State, 3 Utah, 4 Louisville
First-round matchups
12 Boise State at 5 Alabama. A personal dream matchup for the 2009 playoff that we never got.
11 North Carolina at 6 Texas. What was I supposed to do, not set up Belichick vs. (Arch) Manning?
10 LSU at 7 Notre Dame. What was I supposed to do, not set up Brian Kelly vs. Notre Dame?
9 Ohio State at 8 Michigan. What was I supposed to do, not set up the angstiest first-round matchup to date?
Predictions
First round: Until proven otherwise, I’m going to assume that playoff home-field advantage remains the most powerful substance in college football history and select all the home teams.
Quarterfinals: 1 Georgia over 8 Michigan (Sugar Bowl), 5 Alabama over 4 Louisville (Orange Bowl), 3 Utah over 6 Texas (Big 12’s revenge in the Cotton Bowl), 2 Penn State over 7 Notre Dame (Rose Bowl)
Semifinals: 1 Georgia over 5 Alabama (Peach Bowl), 2 Penn State over 3 Utah (Fiesta Bowl)
Finals: 2 Penn State over 1 Georgia. Hey, if Will Howard can win a national title, so can Drew Allar. Especially with new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles in Penn State’s corner.
If you’re a Michigan football fan, while you’d like another national championship, in Sherrone Moore’s second year, most any would take this with the idea that the following year, Bryce Underwood’s second in college, could be a better-than-average shot to win it all again.