2025 W7 Michigan(15) vs USC Trojans(-)

Highlights

Game Overview

Entering this game with a 4-1 record,

in terms of Michigan's schedule, after this W7 USC game, they continue to face lower-ranked opponents until the season finale against Ohio State.
The situation was that if they could win this game and reach the final game at 10-1, given that the opponent is Ohio State, they might make the playoffs regardless of the result, but...

Yes, a blowout loss.
Not a close game, but a blowout.
Missed tackle.
Missed tackle.
Missed tackle.

Pulling myself together, here is the game overview.
Held on October 12, 2025, at USC's home stadium, the LA Memorial Coliseum.
The weather was sunny.
Attendance: 75,500.
(The stadium's capacity is also 75,500, so it is a sellout, but due to seating restrictions, there are many empty (unsold) seats. It makes me sad to see the sparse stands.)

Their opponent, USC, is a legendary football program that moved from the PAC-10 to the BIG-10 last year.
They also played last year.
A rematch against the opponent that Michigan beat with a comeback win right at the end of the game.

Founded in 1888, Team count is 138 (Michigan is Team 146!!).
11 National Championships.
Current HC Lincoln Riley is a famous coach with a reputation for developing QBs.

Notable alumni include the following:
OJ Simpson
Marcus Allen
Ronnie Lott
Junior Seau
Carson Palmer
Reggie Bush
Troy Polamalu
Amon-Ra St. Brown
and so on.

Personally, I liked Marcus Allen.
I watched him more in his era with the Chiefs alongside Joe Montana than in his Raiders days.
Polamalu was also a legendary player with an extraordinary presence.

Pre-game predictions favored USC by 2.5 points (I wonder why there was this spread for a matchup between the 15th ranked team and an unranked team...),
a crushing 13-31 defeat!
Following this, Michiganfell out of the AP rankings!

The impression was that the defense was continuously beaten by short passes and screen plays.
Short pass completion. Missed tackle. It became a vicious cycle as they eventually couldn't stop the run either.

The offense was okay.
Ace RB Justice Haynes left the game due to injury in the first half.
On the first drive, a short pass from Underwood to Haynes was incomplete. It looked like a very difficult ball to catch, but the atmosphere didn't seem good, with Underwood glaring at Haynes.

Stats are from below.

Offense

※The () after the name is the PFF grade for this game
QBBryce Underwood (68.6)was 15/24 207yds 2TD 1INT

The only bright spot on this day was the performance of true freshmanAndrew Marsh (71.0). 8 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD.
When he scored the 69-yard TD catch, it was a nice play where he induced a missed tackle by the opponent and snatched it with individual skill.

On the OL, the starters change every game due to injuries.
RT Andrew Sprague (72.4)
RG Jake Guarnera (61.2)
C Greg Crippen (54.2)
LG El-Hadi (48.8) Changed from Nathan Efobi in the previous game
LT Evan Link (61.3)
El-Hadi, who was the OL leader before the season, returned from injury. No results were produced.
It might be interesting to try using Blake Frazie (71.8, 46 snaps), a tackle who has been used occasionally this season, in place of Link.

★Players who improved their evaluation
Andrew Marsh(PFF 71.0)

His PFF season grade is 74.3, surpassing ace WR McCulley.
Thinking that Michigan will have a core player in the receiving corps for the next two and a half years makes me feel a little brighter, so I selected him as my Offensive Player of the Game.

Andrew Sprague (PFF 72.4)

This game PFF 72.4 PBLK 79.7 RBLK 67.2
Season PFF 71.8 PBLK 75.5 RBLK 60.8 1 penalty, 357 snaps
Leading the Michigan OL.
Joe Moore Award (award given to the No. 1 OL team) Honor Roll selection, but Sprague's contribution was the biggest.

(The Honor Roll itself is like a Watch List, with about 30 out of 134 teams selected.)

★ Players whose stock dropped

QB Jadyn Davis (PFF 24.8)

Davis, who was initially a 5-star recruit but saw his rating drop to 4 stars before enrolling in 2024, did not play last season.
He is currently gaining experience as the backup QB during garbage time this season.
He also appeared at the end of the 4th quarter in this game. It was a disastrous performance, going 0/2 with 1 INT.
Since he was originally downgraded due to his short stature, he needs to find a way to utilize his legs as a runner, but it was a bad fit for garbage time during a blowout loss.

TE

Michigan has been producing excellent TEs recently, but I don't feel much momentum from the TE unit this season.
In this game as well,
Marlin Klein (PFF 51.2)
Hogan Hansen (PFF 60.4)
did not see their ratings improve.
Max Bredeson (PFF 57.7) played as a blocking specialist in a FB-like role, performing his required duties adequately but failing to exceed expectations.

Defense

As I wrote at the beginning, it was a game where they allowed short passes and screen passes, and missed tackles repeatedly.
Naturally, the opponent's passing timing became faster, the pass rush couldn't get there, and they recorded 0 sacks.

The stats were 265 passing YDS, 2 passing TDs allowed, 1 INT; 36 rushes for 224 YDS, 2 TDs

★ Players whose stock rose
Tre Williams (PFF 79.3) 26 snaps
A 6th-year veteran who transferred from Clemson this season.
As a rotational interior DL, he prevented the defense from collapsing.

★ Players whose stock dropped

CB Zeke Berry (PFF 70.6)
CB Jaire Hill (PFF 62.2)
S Brandyn Hillman (PFF 49.5)
As a result of the short passes spreading the play to the sidelines, the DBs were forced to make tackles.
And just as the opponent hoped, the DBs missed tackles repeatedly.
After the game, Moore complained that the angles of the tackles were simply not good.

■ Outlook for the next game against Washington

The next game is against Washington, who are doing well at 5-1. (Their one loss is to Ohio State)
Held at Michigan's Ann Arbor Big House.
According to ESPN, Michigan is currently a 4.5-point favorite with a 67.7% win probability.

Washington QB Williams is quite a player so far, with 1628 yards, 117/158, 10 TDs, and 1 INT.

Go Blue !!

■ Cass Tech 2028 5-star QB Donald Tabron on an Official Visit!!

News that 5-star QB Donald Tabron from Cass Tech High School in Michigan, a regular in the national rankings, will be on an Official Visit for this week's game against Washington.

Donald Tabron II
Height: approx. 193 cm (6-3.5 feet)
Weight: approx. 82 kg (180 pounds)
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

247Sports rating: 5 stars, 39th in the nation, 5th in position (QB)

Strengths

1. Pocket Passer Ability
   Evaluated as a passer with stable pocket movement and accurate throwing ability. He is the type who can calmly distribute the ball to targets and deliver passes with a good sense of touch. He is also seen as having a certain level of ability to reset and adjust timing using his feet, and his quality of being able to progress plays without breaking down is highly regarded.
   

2. Growth Potential and Physical Development Room
   Although a slight lack of weight and physical volume is pointed out at present, there is an expectation that he will grow physically in the future.
   Critics have commented that 'he can gain weight (physically) and shows promise,' and if this point is improved, there is a possibility he could become a QB who can compete more effectively in terms of physicality.
   

3. Winning Habit and Track Record
   Despite his young age, he was selected as a starter in his freshman year of high school and led his team to a state championship.
   He recorded 1,656 yards and 17 touchdowns, while also showing a certain level of risk management with 7 interceptions.
   Such 'achievements at a young age' can serve as an indicator to measure mental toughness and obsession with winning.

Weaknesses

1. Lack of Weight and Physical Strength
   His current weight is about 82 kg, which is somewhat light for a QB, and there remains some anxiety regarding his resistance to contact with defenders and congestion in the pocket.
   This point requires future strength training and physical enhancement.

2. Arm Strength Limitations (Not a Strong-Armed Type)
   Tabron is considered to have a pass style that emphasizes touch and precision, and is not evaluated as a 'strong-armed type who zips the ball.'
   In situations where he needs to throw high-speed passes across the long field or strong balls to the deep sideline, his shoulder power could become an issue.

High School Anecdotes

Tabron, who had been working as a QB since middle school and had gathered expectations early on, became a starter early in his freshman year of high school.
That year, he demonstrated leadership by leading his team to victory at a young age, including guiding Cass Tech to the Michigan Division 1 state title.
In addition, he participated in track and field, showing versatility in athletic ability, such as recording a 5-foot-10-inch (approx. 178 cm) clearance in the high jump during his early high school years.

■ John Harbaugh as HC?

This is a mean-spirited rumor.
Among Michigan fans who are frustrated with HC Moore, who cannot seem to close out wins,posts calling for John Harbaugh to become head coach have become active.
John is the current Ravens HC, but there are whispers of him being fired due to this season's poor performance.
It seems Michigan fans have noticed that and are calling for John to take the head coaching job.

■ Next Year's Depth Chart

The most fun time in college football isfrom February to July...

Now, as for my random thoughts on this depth chart

• Jadyn Davis is missing from QB (^_^;)

• I'd like to see Sprague at LT, Babalola at RT, and Haywood at LG.

• Can we actually expect something from the offense?

• The defense is a bit worrying outside of the LBs.

• I mean, college students' play is unstable after all. They have extreme good days and bad days, so even if I want to evaluate them, I don't really know.

Other News

■ National High School Rankings

Cass Tech from Michigan, mentioned above, remains 7-0 and is ranked 21st.
St. John Bosco is 1st.
IMG (FL) has moved up to 4th.
Mater Dei (CA) has suffered their second loss and dropped to 11th.

■ Rival High Schools by State

In Michigan, it's Cass Tech and Martin Luther King Jr. High School.
Famous Michigan players from Cass Tech include:
・Donovan Peoples-Jones
・Jourdan Lewis
・Lano Hill

Alumni of Martin Luther King Jr. High School include
・Ambry Thomas
and that's about it, but from other universities, Sauce Gardner (a 3-star recruit in high school who went to the University of Cincinnati), who is said to be the current No. 1 CB in the league, is also an alumnus.

■ Recent footage circulating

Footage that has been circulating a lot on X recently.
Is it some kind of shoot? Even though the ball is dead, a camera crew is coming onto the field during the game, right???
Is that possible in high school?

■ Bengals' Joe Burrow turning into J.J. McCarthy

■ Credit

I have used a photo from Maize & Blue Nation for the cover photo.

That is all!