Michigan’s bowl picture has gotten a lot murkier after the Wolverines dropped a 15-6 decision to Michigan State and missed a chance to lock up eligibility.
The loss leaves UofM staring at three difficult games to close the regular season: a trip to Oregon, then matchups with UCLA and Ohio State. Those are the kind of tests that can turn a shaky finish into a full-blown problem, and there’s a real possibility Michigan goes 0-3 over that stretch and never reaches the six wins needed to guarantee a bowl berth.
The national projections reflect that uncertainty, though not everyone sees the same ending.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have been locked in on the same destination for five straight weeks. In their Week 10 predictions released Monday morning, Nov. 9, both pegged Michigan for the Cactus Bowl.
They also matched the Wolverines with Cincinnati, a team that enters after back-to-back losses to nationally ranked opponents and sits at 5-4 overall. The Bearcats finish their season against Iowa State, Colorado and BYU.
If that projection holds, Michigan would play at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 26 in Tempe, Ariz.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports landed in the same place, also projecting Michigan against Cincinnati in the Cactus Bowl.
Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated, meanwhile, has taken a different route. For the first time, he no longer has Michigan in a bowl game at all. He had previously placed the Wolverines in the Music City Bowl for several weeks.
That shift underscores how far things have fallen for a team that entered the season with much bigger expectations. Michigan’s College Football Playoff hopes are gone, and even bowl eligibility is now in doubt.
There is still one reason for optimism in Ann Arbor: the defense. The Wolverines have been strong on that side of the ball, while the offense has dragged the team down. On Sunday, Michigan responded by firing offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
Whether that move changes the final outcome remains to be seen, but it is now part of the equation as the Wolverines try to salvage the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Michigan's Rough Season Just Led To Another Troubling Departure
Michigans uneven season has already brought one major change on the staff, with offensive coordinator Jason Beck dismissed after a disappointing 5-4 start. The on-field frustration has now spilled into the roster, too, as defensive end Nate Marshall has left the program and is expected to enter the transfer portal.
Marshall arrived with plenty of recruiting buzz and had shown signs of progress under the new coaching staff, but his role had started to shrink in recent weeks. For a Michigan team trying to steady itself in November, losing a player with his pedigree only adds another layer of uncertainty to a season that has already been hard to define. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Can Read One Troubling Sign In Kyle Whittingham's Future
The chatter around Michigan footballs next coaching move has picked up because the schools athletic director search appears to be moving faster than expected. With Warde Manuel set to step down at the end of December, the timing has only added to the sense that the program is lining up its next major decision sooner rather than later, especially after a disappointing 2026 season left plenty of frustration in Ann Arbor.
Kyle Whittinghams future has become part of that conversation, and not in a comfortable way for Michigan fans. The concern is that the accelerated pace of the athletic director process could point to a change coming before the year is out, rather than waiting for the calendar to run its course. For a fan base already looking for answers, the overlap between the AD search and the coachs status is the troubling sign worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Oregon Quarterback Plan Just Got A Lot More Intriguing
Michigans quarterback situation for the Oregon game has taken on a little more shape, even if the public answer is still being kept under wraps. Kyle Whittingham said the starter was decided internally but not announced, and the expectation around the program is that Tommy Carr will get the nod when the Wolverines face Oregon.
Bryce Underwood also appears likely to be part of the plan, which adds another layer to a matchup already feeling like a reset on offense. Michigan recently moved on from offensive coordinator Jason Beck, and with offensive line coach Jim Harding taking over play-calling duties, the quarterback usage against Oregon could offer the first real glimpse of how the staff wants this offense to look going forward. [Read more 🡒]