Big Ten Media Days are almost here, and with the unofficial kickoff to college football closing in, ESPN’s Football Power Index has already dropped its latest read on the sport.
The FPI, built on 20,000 simulations, is described as “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season.”
In that ranking, Michigan checks in at No. 15 nationally.
That puts the Wolverines in a respectable spot as they head into a season that has already brought plenty of change. After a 9-4 finish, the program moved on from Sherrone Moore and brought in Kyle Whittingham as head coach, while also installing two new coordinators. Even with that turnover, Michigan is still drawing preseason respect - and for good reason.
Whittingham and his staff managed to keep a major portion of the roster intact. Bryce Underwood is back.
So are running back Jordan Marshall, wide receiver Andrew Marsh, and a big piece of the offensive line. On the other side of the ball, Michigan also brings back important defensive pieces and added more talent through the transfer portal, including All-American edge rusher John Henry Daley.
That mix is why the Wolverines are being viewed as a team that can make noise in 2026.
Still, there are real questions to answer. Underwood enters his first year working under Jason Beck, and Michigan needs him to take a clear step forward. He showed flashes of enormous talent, but he also had stretches filled with mistakes that left people shaking their heads.
The staff has been telling the fanbase that Underwood has made the leap. If that proves true, the Wolverines’ offense could climb to another level.
Then there’s the schedule, and it’s not doing Michigan any favors. The Wolverines have a tough non-conference matchup with Oklahoma in the Big House, and Big Ten play brings the league’s heavy hitters: Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State, plus Iowa and Penn State, both of whom are expected to be better.
If Michigan gets back to the College Football Playoff, it won’t come easy. In 2026, it will have to be earned.
In Other News...
Michigan Awaits Huge Decision From A Blue Chip Line Priority
Michigans offensive line board is still taking shape, and one of the biggest names on it is nearing a call. Lincoln Mageo, a 2027 four-star interior lineman from Oceanside High in California, has been on the Wolverines radar for a while, and his recent trips to Ann Arbor have kept Michigan firmly in the mix. Rivals currently lists him as the No. 242 overall prospect and the No. 14 interior offensive lineman nationally, which gives a sense of why his recruitment has drawn so much attention.
The Wolverines are competing with Washington and Utah for his commitment, and Mageo has already seen enough of Michigans campus to make the race interesting. He has spoken positively about the coaching staff, and the programs pitch on player development clearly has his attention as the decision window closes. For Michigan, landing a prospect with his profile would be another important sign that the staff can keep stacking premium line talent in a class that still has room to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Troy Bowles Suddenly Carries Bigger Michigan Stakes Than Fans Realize
Troy Bowles arrived from Georgia and quietly became a steady piece for Michigan last season, appearing in every game and finishing with 27 total tackles. With so much turnover at linebacker, that kind of reliability matters more now than it did a year ago, especially for a room that suddenly needs new voices and new starters to emerge.
Michigans new head coach Kyle Whittingham has already flagged Bowles, Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng as the top names in the mix, which puts Bowles in the middle of a real spring and summer battle for a much larger role in 2026. The Wolverines do not just need depth there anymore, they need someone to help fill a major hole, and Bowles is suddenly carrying a lot more weight in that conversation than most fans probably realized. [Read more 🡒]