How Michigan football is bracing for rare 2025 road-heavy slate: Six road games, no back-to-back home dates

The Michigan Wolverines have a more forgiving schedule this season on paper than last year, but it comes with a different set of challenges this time around. U-M won’t play consecutive home games all season, play 6 road games and the toughest 3 frontloaded on the schedule.

Trips to Oklahoma, Nebraska and USC in the first 6 weeks are key hurdles that could affect the outlook of the 2025 season. It also heads to Michigan State, Northwestern (Wrigley Field) and Maryland this year.

Michigan’s coaching staff is on high alert for an unorthodox and unique slate of games.

“[Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale] hit it on the head in our first meeting, it’s going to be different,” Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito said on Wednesday. “The way we’re going to have to win on the road in different venues, different circumstances, different times. So we’re going to have to prepare in a way where we bring our own juice and bring our own focus. I think that’s something we’ve talked about all camp so far.

“Wink brings it up all the time. Wink is great at talking situational football. He’s the best coach I’ve ever been around when it comes to situational football, and that’s not just on the field. That’s going on all these road games, playing at different sites, different times. He’s getting our guys ready, and Coach Moore does a great job with when we’re practicing, how we’re practicing. So I think it’s coming along really good for where we are right now.”

Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome says that his group is already preparing for the road atmospheres too, practicing silent counts and making sure players are wired the right way heading into the season.

“From a purely practical, logistical standpoint, you’ve got to prepare and be ready for silent count just like you are any time you’re going to play in a road environment that can get a little loud,” Newsome said. “But again, it goes back to mindset… You can look at that as a challenge, or you can look at it as an opportunity. An opportunity to go out and do something that no Michigan team’s done before: go undefeated, go win a national championship without having back-to-back home games.

“It’s been presented to the guys, and to their credit, they’ve had that mindset of—it may not be easy, but it’s something we can deal with, something we look forward to.”

Martindale addressed the Michigan schedule over the weekend and said that finding a way to get the team off to its fastest start possible is an emphasis in fall camp.

“I think that’s a question for Sherrone. I don’t want to get on my soapbox about that, but there’s a lot of things that you look at,” Martindale said. “Everything you want to happen fast, but you just don’t know how fast it’s gonna happen. It becomes natural. We had six away games. When’s the last time we’ve had six away games? We can break a record. We win the road, we can break a record. When’s the last time we didn’t have back-to-back home games?

“There are challenges besides who’s playing where and how well they’re playing and everything else that you put into this. If you look at it realistically, the reality is it’s gonna be a tough road no matter who you’re playing. It’s exciting for the kids and young men and they’re willing and ready to accept the challenge.”