4 Michigan Football Predictions for Saturday's Season Opener

The Michigan Wolverines will play football tomorrow.

What a sight for sore eyes. The offseason feels longer every year, and this year’s offseason had plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Now, Michigan is settled on Kyle Whittingham as their head coach, with Bryce Underwood at quarterback.

That should be a good starting point for a team looking to improve on a nine win season in 2025.

A lot of eyes are going to be on Michigan taking on the Oklahoma Sooners in Ann Arbor in a week, but there is business to tend to first. Michigan would like to think of Saturday’s opener as a tune up against Western Michigan. It should be. Michigan’s a more talented team and they have aspirations of winning a Big Ten championship.

Teams with those aspirations should beat a MAC team like Western Michigan.

The expectation is that Michigan will do just that, but here are some more predictions for Michigan’s first game.

Bryce Underwood Throws for 250 Yards

Bryce Underwood is the man with the bullseye on his back this year. His first season was not much to write home about. He struggled. The offense struggled.

His first game last year, however, gave plenty of reasons to believe in the freshman quarterback.

Underwood threw for 251 yards and a touchdown last year in his Michigan debut. He showed confidence, touch, and an ability to drive the ball down the field. This year’s first game is a lot like Underwood’s debut. It’s his first game under a new coaching staff that has been a much better influence on him than what he was working with a season ago.

He should have plenty of chances from Jason Beck to get in a rhythm early. He’ll get the ball to his new and improved receiving corps with room to operate. Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan give Underwood a one-two punch that is better than anything Michigan has had in awhile.

It’s reasonable to expect a similar output from Underwood in his first game this year as he had a season ago. Here’s a prediction that he throws for 250 yards and two touchdown passes as a stepping stone into next week’s game against Oklahoma.

Michigan has three 100 yard rushers

While a lot of focus is going to be on the passing game whenever Michigan takes the field, their ground game has a chance to be one of the best in the country.

Saturday will be the debut of Michigan’s new three-headed monster of a rushing attack. Jordan Marshall is the lead man in the backfield, and he should get plenty of run Saturday night to show what he can do.

Savion Hiter is the most exciting backup running back in the country. He’s expected to be a big cog in Michigan’s backfield, and will continue to push for ways to get on the field. That’s how talented he is.

Both of those men will go over 100 yards Saturday. That would not be too surprising.

The third head in this rushing attack, is someone who was held back from doing it a season ago. Bryce Underwood.

Underwood’s legs are a weapon when they were used properly. Sherrone Moore, however, was hesitant to let his quarterback run, citing the need to have another quarterback available.

He essentially tied Underwood’s hands behind his back by doing that, and the offense struggled as a result.

The training wheels are off in that regard. Underwood’s legs will give everyone something to think about going into next week as he joins the party with 100 more yards on the ground.

Dominic Nichols Gets Two Sacks

Michigan’s pass rush is looking for a boost this season, and offseason buzz might tell us that they’ve found it.

John Henry Daley is a former All-American, and expected to be the anchor of this group, but it’s someone else who has emerged as a potential breakout star.

Dominic Nichols is consistently referred to as the team’s best pass rusher by the offensive linemen who have had to block him in camp.

Now, Michigan’s talented defensive lineman will have a chance to make good on the words of his teammates.

He will. Nichols is going to live in the backfield Saturday night, and bring down the quarterback twice to announce his arrival to the world.

Rod Moore’s Triumphant Return

Rod Moore has been through just about anything you can imagine since 2023. He’s been on top of the world as a national champion. He’s hit rock bottom with separate injuries that continued to sideline him throughout each of the last two years.

Saturday, Moore returns to the field as a starter at safety for his final season in Ann Arbor. Moore will make his return memorable by picking off an errant pass from Western Michigan quarterback, Broc Lowry.

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