Michigan opens Week 1 of the 2026 season with a fresh face on the sideline, but plenty of the spotlight is still trained on the quarterback.
The Wolverines host Western Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC, with Kyle Whittingham making his Michigan debut after 22 seasons at Utah, where he went 177-88 and finished 10-2 last season. Michigan is coming off a 9-3 regular season in 2025 under the since-fired Sherrone Moore, and the new season carries an 8½-game win projection, with the under heavily favored.
That projection ties directly to the question hanging over sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class. After an underwhelming first year, the 19-year-old enters his second season with the Wolverines expected to lean on him again.
Western Michigan arrives with a strong résumé of its own. The Broncos won the MAC championship game last season, finished 10-4 overall and are in their third year under Lance Taylor. They’re again expected to be in the hunt for the conference title.
Michigan is favored by 27½ points, and the staff picks reflect a mix of confidence in the Wolverines’ size, depth and running game.
Tony Garcia pointed to the line of scrimmage as the biggest separator between the Big Ten and the MAC, noting that Western has to replace seven players up front who recorded multiple sacks a year ago. Michigan, meanwhile, will rotate eight offensive linemen and bring in more than 10 defensive linemen during the game.
He sees that depth wearing down a Broncos front that can trouble smaller teams but won’t have the same size or depth. His pick: U-M 41, WMU 16.
Shawn Windsor framed the game as the start of the Whittingham era and the next step for Underwood under his new coach. He expects Michigan to have enough to handle the Broncos. His pick: U-M 29, WMU 13.
Rainer Sabin gave Western credit for its credentials, including a MAC title and a strong offensive core, along with at least one vote in both preseason top 25 polls. Even so, he said it’s difficult to see the Broncos’ defense standing up to Michigan’s offensive line and power running game.
He expects the ground attack to carry Whittingham to a win in his first game. His pick: U-M 38, WMU 21.
Carlos Monarrez said the biggest focus will be Underwood, who needs a clean start by improving his accuracy and limiting interceptions. He also wants to see the quarterback use his legs. His pick: U-M 42, WMU 13.
Jeff Seidel focused on how Whittingham might deploy Underwood, wondering whether the quarterback will be kept on a short leash. He pointed to Devon Dampier’s first start for Utah under Whittingham last season, when Dampier threw 25 passes and ran 16 times in a 43-10 win over UCLA.
Seidel expects a similar approach here, saying Michigan should get Underwood plenty of work before Week 2 against Oklahoma. His pick: U-M 38, WMU 10.
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Big Ten Felt Forced To Address Michigan Ending Everyone Noticed
The late-game ending in Michigans win over Western Michigan drew enough attention that the Big Ten felt compelled to explain it. Replay officials added one second back to the clock after determining a Western Michigan player who had stepped out of bounds touched the ball with time still left, a ruling that changed the final sequence and left plenty of people looking for answers after the whistle.
To its credit, the conference did not leave the decision hanging. It released a statement and video footage from the replay officials discussion, laying out the reasoning behind the clock adjustment and showing how the call was reached. In a game that already had the feel of a routine nonconference result, the ending became the kind of small but notable detail that can linger long after the score is final. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have Every Right To Worry About This Offense
Michigans defense did its part against Western Michigan, holding the Broncos to 95 total yards and forcing a turnover on downs, but the first-half conversation still belonged to an offense that never settled in after the opening drive. After that early touchdown march, the Wolverines managed only 41 yards before halftime, a stretch that featured shaky pass protection, limited push in the run game and an attack that kept leaving too much for the quarterback to sort out on his own.
Bryce Underwood showed some early rhythm by completing a handful of throws, but the pressure around him grew as the half went on and the mistakes followed, including an interception. For a Michigan team that expected cleaner execution and more balance, the concerns are obvious because the defense may be good enough to keep games manageable, but it cannot keep bailing out an offense that is still searching for consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Has A Real Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Michigan opened with exactly the kind of sequence that can lull a crowd into thinking the offense has found its footing, as Bryce Underwood helped engineer a touchdown on the first drive. From there, though, the early momentum faded fast. The passing game never fully settled in, and the run game had a hard time getting going, leaving the Wolverines to grind through a first half that looked a lot less comfortable than the opening possession suggested.
The numbers told the story of the frustration, with Michigan managing just 46 rushing yards and averaging only 2.5 yards per carry before halftime. Underwood showed flashes, but the mistakes came too, including errant throws that turned into interceptions and helped leave Michigan clinging to a 7-6 lead at the break. For a team that wants to lean on balance and control, the offense already had a problem it could not hide. [Read more 🡒]