Sherrone Moore Forced to Take Official Stand as Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Gains Big Advantage 

A big ‘phew’ moment for the Michigan Wolverines fans. No matter how the 2025 season is going to roll, at least Sherrone Moore’s boys kept their honor intact by winning their season opener. On August 30, Michigan handed a 34-17 loss to the New Mexico Lobos. However, the victory came with a dud moment. Troubles fell on senior linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who was disqualified from Michigan’s season opener against New Mexico. And (obviously) this did not sit well with Moore, who now wants to make an appeal.

It has been only a few days since the 2025 season pulled the curtains, but players had already punched tickets in the penalty list. A few days back, the Stanford Cardinals got penalized for a TikTok dance by their defensive lineman, Clay Patterson. This time, Moore’s Michigan got blacklisted, digging up 2015 memories. While the Michigan head coach might fight for Barham, Brent Venables and co. might have already gone into party mode.  

On August 30, Michigan insider, Alejandro Zúñiga, tweeted, “Michigan will appeal LB Jaishawn Barham’s second-half ejection for targeting, Sherrone Moore says. Currently, Barham would be out for the first half of the Oklahoma game.” The penalty called against New Mexico in the second half will keep Barham sidelined for the first half of the upcoming Oklahoma game on September 7. But what’s the fiasco all about?

With Michigan up 27-10, Barham unleashed a blitz from the edge and hit New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne. The ball seemed to come loose, but Barham scooped it up and dashed into the end zone for a touchdown. That’s when things turned awry for Barham. What could have been a defensive highlight turned into controversy.

His hit on New Mexico quarterback Layne didn’t result in a touchdown or even a fumble. Rather, a targeting call was flagged on the linebacker. For what? Simply playing football. Officials ruled he lowered his head with intent, leading to his ejection. Yes, Barham aimed to deliver a hard hit, which is very much a part of the game. Nothing illegal in it, which invited further controversy on whether it should be penalized or not. What should have been a sack and a punt instead became a free first down for the Lobos.

Officials overturned the play. Their assessment? A personal foul penalty against Michigan and a free 15 yards to the Lobos, who proceeded to march down the field for a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. And the Michigan fans witnessed one of the most unfortunate moments on their opening day, an irate Barham walking up the Michigan tunnel.

This might rekindle the memories from 10 years back, when in a pivotal 2015 matchup against Michigan State, linebacker Joe Bolden was ejected for targeting after a hit on quarterback Connor Cook. Now, what gives Venables a big reason for relief with the axe that fell on Barham?

Oklahoma might have an easy game ahead with Michigan’s (possibly) weakened defense

Jaishawn Barham’s move against New Mexico cost his team a touchdown and put their upcoming showdown with Oklahoma in serious jeopardy. Losing the Wolverine linebacker is a significant blow for Michigan, as the 21-year-old has been a key leader and anchor of the defense. Talking about his stats? In 13 games last season, he compiled 66 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and two pass breakups. It’s therefore evident that he’s a beast unleashed in the field.

Now, what advantage will Moore’s appeal getting called off bring for Venables’ squad? With Braham playing, they will have to face off a defense featuring the linebacker who earned the Defensive Player of the Game honors, not just once, but FOUR TIMES. Obviously, Moore would want Barham to play against Venables’ boys; that’s one of the biggest games on the schedule. Already, Oklahoma is at an advantage, as it is an away game for the Wolverines at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Heading to Norman is always a tough assignment, and Oklahoma’s revitalized defense makes it even more daunting. Already, a bitter narrative is looming for the Wolverines.

According to CBS Sports’ prediction for 2025, “First loss: at Oklahoma on Sept. 6.” The Sooners are believed to have gotten rid of their quarterback trauma, now that they have John Mateer. In his debut, the quarterback came off with flying colors against Illinois State. And with this, a history has been made. Venables’ quarterback produced the highest passing yardage total in a Sooner quarterback debut, completing 30 of 37 passes for 392 yards. With their quarterback firing on all cylinders and Michigan missing key linebacker Jaishawn Barham in the first half, Oklahoma’s pen will smoothly flow to write a victory story.