Michigan heads into 2026 with the kind of roster that invites big expectations and even bigger questions. The talent is there, maybe more than anywhere Kyle Whittingham has coached before, but plenty still needs to be sorted out.
Bryce Underwood has to take a leap. The offensive line has to keep him clean.
The linebackers have to prove they can absorb the loss of Cole Sullivan.
That uncertainty makes the early stretch tricky, because Michigan won’t get much time to ease into things. The opener against Western Michigan is no freebie, either. The Broncos won the MAC last season, so the Wolverines are not walking into a tune-up.
Then comes the game that could define the whole season: Oklahoma.
Michigan hosts the Sooners in what could end up being the biggest matchup on the schedule. That’s not just because of the opponent.
It’s because of what the result would mean in a year with a brutal path ahead. A loss there would leave Michigan with almost no room for error if it wants to stay safely in the playoff picture.
With Indiana, at Oregon, and at Ohio State still on the slate, going 2-1 in those games is a tall order. And that’s before even getting to Iowa, Penn State, and the rest.
Last season’s trip to Oklahoma showed how quickly things can unravel. A young, inexperienced, and poorly coached Michigan team got exposed under the lights and never really recovered.
This year should look different. The Wolverines are still young, but they should be much more mature, and much better coached, than they were a season ago.
That’s why a win over Oklahoma would carry so much weight. It would tell the country Michigan is back in the championship conversation.
It would quiet the questions around Underwood and whether he can lead a top-tier team. And it would give the Wolverines a real shot to build momentum before the schedule turns nasty.
If Michigan beats Oklahoma, 6-0 becomes a real possibility before Indiana comes to town. Win that one, and suddenly 9-0 is on the table heading into Oregon. That’s how much one early statement win could change the shape of the season.
Lose to the Sooners, though, and the margin shrinks fast. The playoff picture would already be hanging by a thread before Big Ten play even gets rolling. Win it, and the expectation changes entirely.
For Whittingham, it’s a chance to give the team a jolt in the right direction. For Michigan, it might be the season’s biggest swing.
In Other News...
Kenny Dillingham Finally Revealed Why Michigan Never Really Had A Chance
Michigans coaching search took an unexpected turn after Sherrone Moore was let go, and Kenny Dillingham quickly became one of the names at the center of it. The Arizona State coach had enough interest to get a serious look from Michigan, but the pull of staying put was always part of the equation, with family and his commitment to building something in Tempe weighing heavily on the decision.
Dillingham later explained that he leaned on Kyle Whittingham for advice early in the process, the kind of conversation coaches often have when career opportunities collide with personal ones. The offer itself landed while Dillingham was out to dinner with his family in Arizona, and by the time the dust settled, Michigan had moved on without the coach it had hoped to land. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Hit With Another Ugly Twist In Sherrone Moore Fallout
A new lawsuit has pushed Michigan back into the legal spotlight around the Sherrone Moore fallout, this time from a former athletics department executive assistant who says the university has not been forthcoming about what happened behind the scenes. Paige Shiver alleges the school violated the states Freedom of Information Act by withholding public records tied to an internal investigation, including investigative files, text messages and other internal communications.
Her complaint goes beyond records access, too, adding claims of sex discrimination and a hostile work environment as the university continues to deal with the aftermath of Moores dismissal. Moore was fired over an inappropriate relationship, then later faced criminal charges and probation, and the latest filing suggests the controversy is still creating fresh legal and reputational problems for Michigan. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Made A Hire That Could Shape Bryce Underwood Fast
Kyle Whittinghams arrival in Ann Arbor has already started to reshape the staff around Michigans most important long-term project, and the next move came quickly. On Jan. 2, he brought in Jason Beck as offensive coordinator, pairing himself with a coach he knows well from Utah and one whose background leans heavily toward quarterback development.
That matters because Michigan is trying to accelerate Bryce Underwoods growth while also giving its young offense a clearer structure. Beck has spent years coaching quarterbacks at multiple stops, and his work under Whittingham gives the Wolverines a built-in level of familiarity at a time when continuity can be just as valuable as scheme. The bigger question now is how fast that fit translates once the offense gets on the field. [Read more 🡒]