Michigan football has never had a schedule like it does in 2025. Literally

When teams or fans are breaking down how tough a schedule will be before the season, it's often based on how many ranked matchups are on the slate.

In that regard, Michigan football is looking at a very manageable schedule. The preseason US LMB Coaches Poll was released on Monday, Aug. 4 and there was quite a bit of good news for the Wolverines.

Not only did U-M come it at No. 14, but only one of the Wolverines' 12 opponents was ranked to enter the year. Of course, that's Ohio State, the defending national champion, which enters No. 2.

Not even perrenial power Oklahoma, Michigan's Week 2 matchup, cracked the top 25, though the Sooners received the most votes of any team that didn't make the list. It's the first time the Sooners haven't been ranked to open the season since 1999.

Of course preseason rankings are just a small part of what makes a schedule difficult, and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale recently pointed out that U-M will deal with a number of those in the 2025 campaign.

"We got six away games," he began. "When's the last time we've had six away games, right? So we can break a record. We win on the road, we can break a record. You know, when's the last time we didn't have back-to-back home games? So there's challenges besides who's playing where, how well they're playing, and everything else that that you put into this.

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"If you look at it realistically, the reality is, it's going to be a tough, it's a tough road to hoe, matter who you play."

After a bit of double-checking and cross referencing, Martindale is absolutely correct.

Michigan football spokesman Dave Ablauf, who doubles as a de-facto program historian, said there are only two times on record U-M has not had concecutive home games. That was back in 1924 and 1937, prior to the United States entering World War II.

The last time Michigan played just six home games in a season? That was in 1986, when Bo Schembechler roamed the sidelines and Jim Harbaugh was his quarterback. Those of a certain age may remember that was when Harbaugh guaranteed a victory over Ohio State and delivered on the road. The Wolverines won that game, 26-24, after the Buckeyes missed a go-ahead 45-yard field goal attempt with 1:01 to play, though U-M outgained OSU in total yardage, 529-358.

Lastly on the wacky-schedule bingo card, when Michigan goes to Norman, Oklahoma, on Saturday, Sept. 5 to play a night game against the Sooners, it will mark the first time in the Wolverines will play a true road game against a SEC school since South Carolina was in the conference on Sept. 21, 1985.

The last time U-M played a non-conference road game against a Power four school was 2018 at Notre Dame. Prior to that, it was when Utah was in the Pac-12 in 2015.

There is a slight reprieve in U-M's schedule from mid-October to mid-November. After the Wolverines return home from a road game at USC (Michigan is 5-6 all time vs. the Trojans, including 1-0 in their lone meeting in Los Angeles back in 1957) they don't leave the state for a month.

There are home games against Washington and Purdue sandwiched around a road rivalry game in East Lansing.

U-M has won three straight vs. the Spartans, however last year's game was closer than many remember. MSU had more total yards (352-265), more rushing yards (163-119, which had determined the winner in more than 90% of the contests the past 65 years), more first downs (18-17), ran more plays (65-51) and dominated time of possession (37:05-22:55).

The difference was MSU had six flags compared to none for Michigan and committed the game's only turnover.

After those three contests, Michigan has a bye week before going to Chicago to play Northwestern at Wrigley Field and then College Park the following week against Maryland. After that, it's the regular season finale vs. Ohio State.

"It's exciting for. ... the young men," Martindale said of the big picture. "They're willing to and ready to accept the challenge."

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football schedule: 2025 slate first of its kind for Wolverines