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Phil Steele believes Michigan will make College Football Playoff in 2025

clayton-sayfieby: Clayton Sayfie07/03/25CSayf23
Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore is the second-youngest head man in the Big Ten. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)
Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore is the second-youngest head man in the Big Ten. (Photo by Lon Horwedel / TheWolverine.com)

Phil Steele placed the Michigan Wolverines No. 12 in the nation in his 2025 preseason power poll, and the college football expert believes the Maize and Blue will make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Michigan checks in No. 10 in the country in Steele’s preseason top 40 rankings, which take into account strength of schedule and the totality of circumstances that each team will face in 2025.

The schedule played a big part in Steele having Michigan higher in his top 40 than his power poll, with the Wolverines’ slate ranking as the 54th-most difficult in the country, per the expert. That stands 15th of 18 Big Ten teams.

“Last year, the Wolverines lost 14 players to the NFL and this year ‘only’ lose seven,” Steele pointed out. “Despite losing, No. 1, No. 1 and No. 3 DC [draft choices] off the D-line, their front seven is still among the best.

“The offense last year was well below standards but has more experience and talent, and an exciting QB in [freshman] Bryce Underwood.

“They have the schedule to compete for a Big Ten title, avoiding Penn State and Oregon and getting Ohio State at home.”

The teams ranked ahead of Michigan in Steele’s top 40 are No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Georgia, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Oklahoma.

Projecting a College Football Playoff field using Steele’s preseason top 40, Michigan would be the No. 10 seed and take on No. 7 Alabama in the first round, with the winner to play No. 2 seed Clemson.

Steele has four Big Ten teams in the playoff — Penn State, Oregon, Michigan and Ohio State.

Michigan made the four-team College Football Playoff three-straight seasons from 2021-23, finishing the run by winning the national championship Jan. 8, 2024 over Washington. The Wolverines missed the playoffs in 2024, their first year under head coach Sherrone Moore, by going 7-5 in the regular season before knocking off Alabama, 19-13, in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Phil Steele projected College Football Playoff field

• No. 1 Penn State vs. winner of No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Oklahoma
• No. 2 Clemson vs. winner of No. 7 Alabama and No. 10 Michigan
• No. 3 Notre Dame vs. winner of No. 6 Georgia and No. 11 Baylor (ranked No. 13)
• No. 4 Texas vs. winner of No. 5 Ohio State and No. 12 Boise State (ranked No. 15)

*Note: This projected field was created by The Wolverine, based on Steele’s top-40 rankings. It assumes that the highest-ranked team in each conference won its league, and then placed the five highest-ranked conference champions in the field.

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