Michigan’s season took another hit Saturday, and the latest US LBM Coaches Poll only sharpens the picture around what’s left.
After falling to the previously 2-6 Michigan State Spartans, the Wolverines are staring at a brutal finish with Oregon, UCLA and Ohio State still on the schedule. All three of those teams are ranked in the new poll, while Michigan’s earlier opponents Indiana and Iowa also remain in the top 25.
That leaves Michigan in a rough spot. Last season, the Wolverines were able to finish ranked despite four losses because of the quality of the teams that beat them. This year, the source of the losses and the strength of the schedule are working against them, and even a perfect finish would not bring the same kind of forgiveness.
The remaining road is lined with ranked opponents, and the numbers reflect it. Oregon is back in the poll at No. 19 after beating Ohio State, UCLA sits at No. 4, and the Buckeyes are No.
- Indiana checks in at No. 5, while Iowa is No.
Michigan’s final three games are at Oregon, home against UCLA, and at Ohio State. The article’s read on the situation is blunt: the Wolverines are not likely to win any of them.
At the top of the poll, Georgia holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA. Indiana is fifth, Miami is sixth, Alabama seventh, Texas eighth and Tennessee ninth. Texas Tech rounds out the top 10.
The full top 25 also includes Wake Forest at No. 11, BYU at No.
12, Kentucky at No. 13, USC at No.
14, Iowa at No. 15, Houston at No.
16, Ole Miss at No. 17, Boise State at No.
18, Oregon at No. 19 and Ohio State at No. 20.
Arizona, LSU, SMU, South Carolina and New Mexico complete the poll.
Missouri and Northwestern dropped out of the rankings.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Losing To Michigan State
Michigans 15-6 loss to Michigan State was ugly enough on the scoreboard, but the bigger concern for the Wolverines was how thoroughly they got bogged down on offense in a game they were expected to control. Favored by two touchdowns, Michigan managed only 192 total yards and turned it over four times, a combination that made the rivalry loss look less like a bad night and more like a sign of deeper trouble.
The frustration goes beyond one off day because the problems showed up in several phases at once, from the offensive rhythm to the coaching choices to the special teams work that never helped steady things. Michigan State also got the better of the game on the ground, which only sharpened the questions around a Wolverines team that has spent the 2026 season trying to find a dependable identity and is still searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Unleashed After Another Ugly Rivalry Performance
Saturday nights 15-6 loss to Michigan State sent Michigan fans straight to social media, where the frustration came through loud and clear. The rivalry game never gave the Wolverines much room to settle in, and by the final whistle, the reaction online had become its own part of the story as supporters and public figures picked apart another rough showing in a matchup that always carries extra weight.
Michigans performance was the kind that tends to linger well beyond one night in East Lansing, especially when it comes against the Spartans. The postgame chatter reflected more than disappointment with the result; it captured the bigger unease around how the Wolverines looked in a game their fan base expected to mean more, and the replies kept piling up as people tried to make sense of it. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Got One Bright Spot In A Brutal Loss To MSU
Saturdays loss to Michigan State was the kind that leaves a program searching for anything to hang onto. Michigan fell 15-6 and saw its offense sputter all afternoon, finishing with just 138 passing yards and 54 on the ground while turning the ball over three times. It was the Wolverines first loss to the Spartans since 2021, and the final score reflected how little went right for Michigan in a game where the defense spent too much time trying to clean up the mess.
Still, there was one bright spot worth noting on a rough day in East Lansing. Edge rusher John Henry Daley was a constant problem for the Spartans, piling up two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, eight tackles and a forced fumble while Michigans defense fought to keep the game within reach. The effort wasnt enough to change the outcome, but it did give the Wolverines at least one individual performance to build around after a loss that otherwise offered very little comfort. [Read more 🡒]