The Big Ten just got a whole lot messier—and not just because of Michigan’s usual circus. Sure, the Wolverines are dealing with Bryce Underwood hype, NCAA heat breathing down their necks, and Sherrone Moore riding the bench for a couple of weeks. But the real curveball? That came out of nowhere on May 10, when Josh Pate jumped on his show and dropped one of the wildest takes of the 2025 season. And if you roll with Buckeye Nation? This one’s going to hit a nerve.
Darren, the fan with the bold prediction, made a statement clear as day: “Michigan wins the Big Ten Championship game versus Oregon.” Pate’s response? “Nice and neat and tidy. I appreciate this… This would be the fourth-best odds beating the third-best odds, if you want to know where they stack up in the preseason. So if this happens, did Michigan beat Ohio State again? I assume they did. Ohio State’s not in the game. I assume Oregon went on the road and beat Penn State in week five. Penn State’s not in the game. I assume that’s what had to have happened. These two don’t play in the regular season, so they can’t hurt each other in the regular season.”
But that wasn’t the mic drop. He rated it a 9.25 on the boldness scale—not quite out of pocket, but definitely on the spicy side. For context, Michigan’s sitting at +850 in the title odds, fourth behind Ohio State (+210), Penn State (+250), and Oregon (+270). If Darren’s vision plays out, that means Michigan stomps into Indy, brushes past the Ducks, and leaves both Ohio State and Penn State at home twiddling their thumbs. Yup, the two B1G bullies just… ghosted.
Credits: Twitter
Pate even mapped out how it might go down. Michigan would’ve had to beat Ryan Day—again. Ohio State? Not in the title game. Oregon? Must’ve cooked Penn State early in Week 5. These matchups don’t exist in the regular season, so the chaos would all spill out in December. And in the middle of it, Michigan’s whole ‘us against the world’ vibe—sparked by the NCAA’s sign-stealing heat—could be fueling the fire. As Pate put it, “Maybe they’ve gone on a warpath.” Maybe, just maybe, chaos is the plan.
What makes this wild isn’t just the prediction—it’s the Ryan Day’s kryptonite. The Buckeyes coach is now 1-4 against Michigan. It started sweet in 2019—smoked the Wolverines 56–27. But since then? Cold streak. Michigan skipped them in 2020 (COVID dodge), then came back with three straight Ls. Harbaugh ran all over him in ’21 and ’22. Even without Harbaugh in ’23, Sherrone Moore still got the dub. And last year? A busted-up Michigan team still beat Day’s best squad, 13-10. That’s tough.
And here’s the kicker—Ohio State is supposed to run it back this year after winning the natty. But Will Howard’s gone, and that QB room? Let’s just say Ryan Day isn’t working with a CJ Stroud or Justin Fields right now. Meanwhile, Michigan’s low-key cooking—Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the country, flipped from LSU and is ready to ball. That’s not just a flex. That’s a full-on power move.
So while Ryan Day is trying to bounce back and reestablish dominance, Michigan’s wilding out with fresh talent and a chip the size of Ann Arbor on their shoulders. Add NCAA beef, Moore’s two-game timeout, and the taste of past Ws, and suddenly that bold prediction doesn’t sound so crazy anymore.
Urban Meyer predicts Sherrone Moore’s Michigan 2025 season
Even the old Buckeye boss is peeping the shift. Urban Meyer, now rocking the analyst mic on Fox and “The Triple Option” podcast, chimed in on Michigan’s 2025 outlook. “I think they’re an eight- or nine-win team,” he said, playing it cautious but real. “Vegas is right looking at that schedule. I’m gonna go nine wins.”
FanDuel’s got Michigan at 8.5 over/under wins, a far cry from their championship high. They went 8-5 in Sherrone Moore’s debut, a big drop after winning the natty in ’23. Key issue? That offense was more stale than gas station hot dogs. 131st in scoring, just 22 points a game, and only 129 yards passing per game. That isn’t Michigan football—that’s Iowa.
Meyer believes the key is defense and letting Underwood or whoever starts at QB cook slowly. And speaking of that QB battle—Mikey Keene’s low-key banged up. So it’s mostly Underwood vs. Jadyn Davis, another former blue-chip. Whoever takes snaps in Week 1 better be ready, because it’s New Mexico, then a trip to Norman to face Oklahoma, followed by Nebraska, and then a nasty trip to USC on October 11. The only breather? They get Ohio State at home this year.
Meyer also dropped this little gem: “If they get a dub there, yeah. If not, no,” when asked if fans would view a nine-win season as a success. Translation? Beat Ohio State or bust. That’s how real it’s gotten in the rivalry. So back to Darren’s bold prediction. Wild? Maybe. But Ryan Day’s got ghosts. Sherrone Moore’s got momentum and a 2-game ban. And Michigan? They got a playoff to attend.
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