Wolverine Digest

Fox's Joel Klatt predicts how many losses Michigan will have by the Ohio State game

The Fox Sports analyst believes the Wolverines will be in a good position when they square off against the Buckeyes in late November
Seth Berry|
Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader run flags down the field before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader run flags down the field before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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No. 15 Michigan football has a big matchup on the horizon this Saturday against the USC Trojans on the road. Considering the spread of the game and analysts being split on the result, it is setting up to be a highly contested game that could go either way.

However, whether the Wolverines win or lose, as the season wears on, it begs the question of what type of position the Maize and Blue will be in come the Ohio State game. Outside of this Saturday's game, Michigan should be favored in every game after this weekend, meaning if the Maize and Blue take care of business, at worst Sherrone Moore's team should be set up to have a chance to play their way into the College Football Playoff when they square off against rival Ohio State in late November.

If Michigan is able to go on the road and get a victory over the Trojans, it's possible the Wolverines are 10-1 and will have already locked up a spot in the playoff by the time they play the Buckeyes over Thanksgiving weekend.

Sherrone Moore
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore uses a hand signal to celebrate the Wolverines' fourth straight win over Ohio State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt broke down what he thinks about Michigan's future on his show when discussing The Game on Nov. 29, how it could shape the College Football Playoff and what the Wolverines' situation could be heading in.

"Let's just say, sake of argument, they lose to USC and then they win out and they're sitting there as a 9-2 against Ohio State," Klatt said. "Even if Ohio State is in with a loss, Michigan could be playing for a playoff spot at that point. And, in fact, I really believe that Michigan will have no more than two losses when they get to The Game on that Thanksgiving Weekend. Then they'll be hosting Ohio State with a chance to go to the playoff. That scene will be incredible."

Coming into the season, a number of experts predicted the Wolverines to be back in the playoff hunt this year led by a solid defense and an offense that would have more juice under true freshman Bryce Underwood. Certainly, if the Wolverines do find themselves in Klatt's predicted position going into Nov. 29 at the Big House, they would have to feel good going into The Game against a program they have now beaten four times in a row.

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Seth Berry
SETH BERRY

Seth began writing on Michigan athletics in 2015 and has remained in the U-M media space ever since, which includes stops at Maize N Brew and Rivals before coming onto Michigan On SI in June of 2025. Seth has covered various angles of Michigan football and basketball, including recruiting, overall team coverage and feature/analysis stories relating to the Wolverines. His passion for Michigan sports and desire to tell stories led him to the sports journalism world. He is a 2020 graduate of Western Michigan University and is the former sports editor of the Western Herald, WMU's student newspaper.

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