Washington travels to Michigan in Big Noon Kickoff showdown; Week 8 picks
Washington heads East for a big-time showdown at the Big House, where Demond Williams Jr. and company look to lead Washington to its second straight victory over Michigan.
Washington vs. Michigan
Date: Saturday - October 18, 2025, 9:00 a.m. PT
Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
TV: FOX
Michigan Overview
Record: 4-2 (2-1, Big Ten)
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Sherrone Moore
Key Players:
Bryce Underwood (Fr.) Quarterback - The former number one overall recruit in the 2025 class has continued to improve as the season as come along for the Wolverines, which is a scary reality for the Huskies’ defense. So far this season, Underwood has thrown for 1210 yards and five touchdowns with three more scores on the ground. Like any young QB, Underwood has had his struggles with accuracy (only completing 59.7% of his passes), but the arm talent and athletic ability are enough to keep the game close.
Justice Haynes (Jr.) Running back - Haynes transferred over from Alabama and has immediately blossomed into one of the best backs in the country. The junior leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (706) and yards per-carry (7.4). Haynes only carried the ball 10 times in Michigan’s loss to USC last week, so look for head coach Sherrone Moore to scheme up a steady dose of the conference’s leading rusher against a Washington defense that has been susceptible to the run.
Jaishawn Barham (Sr.) Linebacker - The 6’3” 248-pound outside linebacker will be a matchup nightmare for Washington’s offensive line. A projected third-round pick via Tankathon, Barham has put together a solid season thus far. Six tackles for loss and three sacks, both marks lead Michigan.
Three Things to Know
Washington beat Michigan a season ago. Although the game was filled with a completely different litany of players, Washington upset then No. 10 ranked Michigan, 27-17. This season, Michigan is not the current No. 10-ranked team in the country; however, the team this year could be considered better than a season ago. In the game a season ago, Washington still got meaningful contributions from current stars, running back Jonah Coleman (18 car 80 yrds) and wide receiver Denzel Boston (5 rec 80 yrd 1 td).
Bryce Underwood is still just a freshman. Michigan got a major upgrade at QB from last season’s combination of Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle. Underwood has played well so far this season but is still susceptible to making freshman mistakes. The more pressure the Washington defense can put on the young QB, the more likely he is to potentially cough up the football. Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters must put an emphasis on forcing Underwood to make plays instead of comfortably running the offense.
Washington learned how to finally win on the road. Two weekends ago, Washington recorded its first road Big Ten victory after a heroic comeback against Maryland. Now that Fisch can rip the monkey off his back, Washington should be able to come out of the gates with less pressure and more confidence in knowing it is able to go into a road environment and win a game (hopefully this time not surrendering 20 points first).
Washington’s Keys to Victory
Key 1: Get Jonah Coleman going (again). In his last two games, Coleman has rushed for just 101 yards on 32 carries. He has had nine receptions for 67 yards as well, but Coleman’s importance to establishing the run game turns Washington’s offense from good to great. It has been tougher for Coleman to bounce past the first level with two starting linemen (Carver Willis and John Mills) out, but hopefully the nation’s leading touchdown scorer can get back on track in a game where Washington must control the line of scrimmage to be successful.
Key 2: Defense must stop the run. The Washington defense has been money when it comes to stopping the run. UW is allowing just 82.8 yards and 3.1 yards per-carry on the ground so far this season. Michigan averages 216.3 yards and 6.0 yards per-carry. One of these teams has to budge. For Washington to win, it must limit the potent ground attack and force Underwood to make plays through the air.
Key 3: Fast start (again). In two straight contests, Washington has trailed at halftime. Luckily, Washington came back to win both games, but Michigan presents a unique challenge. The Wolverine’s rushing attack puts teams that are already trailing in a deep hole with potential time-killing drives. If Washington gets down early, it has to respond quickly, to limit Michigan’s pursuit of running as much clock as possible with its suffocating rushing attack.
Prediction
The spread: Michigan is favored by 5.5 points.
Kevin: The Huskies head on the road, riding a two-game win streak. Despite the momentum behind the Huskies, an early game, in a hostile environment, against a team looking to shake off a recent loss to USC . . . I don’t see things going Washington’s way in this game. This team under Jedd Fisch has yet to show that it can take control of a game against a bona fide powerhouse program on the road. Because of Demond Williams, I think the Huskies keep this game within a touchdown, but I don’t see Washington winning this game. Kevin’s Pick: Michigan 21, Washington 17
Danny: This game comes down to two factors; Washington’s ability to stop the run and its ability to establish the run on offense. Although Washington has done well against the run so far this season it has yet to see a rushing attack quite like Michigan’s. With John Mills and Carver Willis both still out on the offensive side, Washington’s chances of winning the battle in the trenches are slim. The defense needs to force some turnovers for the Huskies to have a shot, if it can’t, we’re in for a long morning in Ann Arbor. Danny’s Pick: Michigan 31, Washington 21
Week 8 Picks
2025 Records
Kevin: (Straight up, 29-6; vs. the spread, 17-18)
Danny: (Straight up, 25-10; vs. the spread, 16-19)
No. 20 USC (5-1) at No. 13 Notre Dame (4-2) (Saturday at 4 p.m., NBC/Peacock)
The spread: Notre Dame is favored by 9.5 points
Kevin’s pick: Notre Dame 28, USC 26
Danny’s Pick: Notre Dame 31, USC 24
No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0) at No. 9 Georgia (5-1) (Saturday at 12:30 p.m., ABC)
The spread: Georgia is favored by 7.5 points
Kevin’s pick: Georgia 21, Ole Miss 18
Danny’s Pick: Georgia 35, Ole Miss 14
Maryland (4-2) at UCLA (2-4) (Saturday at 4 p.m., FS1)
The spread: UCLA is favored by 3.5 points
Kevin’s pick: UCLA 41, Maryland 30
Danny’s Pick: UCLA 27, Maryland 21
No. 23 Utah (5-1) at No. 15 BYU (6-0)(Saturday at 4:30 p.m, NBC)
The spread: Utah is favored by 3.5 points
Kevin’s pick: Utah 28, BYU 24
Danny’s Pick: BYU 42, Utah 38
Penn State (3-3) at Iowa (4-2) (Saturday at 4 p.m., Peacock)
The spread: Iowa is favored by 3.5 points
Kevin’s pick: Iowa 30, Penn State 17
Danny’s Pick: Iowa 10, Penn State 7
As a Spartan who’s season is over, guess I’m the worlds biggest Huskies fan today.
Go DAWGS!!