On3 predicts four Big 10 teams make College Football Playoff, but not Michigan

While it's not all that surprising to see the Buckeyes, Ducks, and Nittany Lions in the mix, the inclusion of Illinois is sure to raise some eyebrows. Although the Fighting Illini return key pieces like veteran QB Luke Altmyer, Illinois is a program that has achieved just one double-digit win season since 2001.

For Michigan fans, leaving the Wolverines out of the playoff projection will only add fuel to the fire. In what is now considered to be a "down year" in Ann Arbor, Michigan finished the 2024 campaign at 8-5 with wins over No. 2 Ohio State and No. 11 Alabama to close out the season. But a sluggish start to the year, along with ongoing issues offensively, kept the Wolverines from having any shot at a spot in the CFP.

In an effort to fix those offensive issues, head coach Sherrone Moore made three significant moves. The first came with the flip of five-star QB Bryce Underwood, Michigan's presumed QB1 in 2025. The next came when Moore made a change at offensive coordinator, bringing in veteran coach Chip Lindsey from North Carolina. The last came when Moore, along with help from Lindsey, brought in veteran QB transfer Mikey Keene from Fresno State.

Although Michigan certainly made other improvements to the roster and staff during the offseason, those three upgrades will likely prove to be the most consequential in 2025.

But it's clear that analysts still view Michigan as a massive question mark, even with the improvements mentioned above. There's no question that the talent is there, but plenty of folks still aren't ready to view the Wolverines as a legitimate title contender just yet.