By admin 
Kyle Whittingham took over as the Wolverines’ head football coach after the Sherrone Moore scandal rocked college football late last year. Now, in Year 1, Whittingham is tasked with cleaning up the mess and pushing Michigan football up the pecking order in a top-heavy Big Ten Conference.
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The former top-ranked quarterback in the country, Bryce Underwood, is back under center after a stop-start freshman campaign, where the Wolverines won nine games but lost two straight to close out the season. Former BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill hopes to bring discipline and a physical blueprint to the defense. And at age 66, Whittingham is eager to prove that, for him, the Michigan job is a renovation project, not a retirement tour.
Here are five bold predictions for Michigan in 2026.
5 Bold Predictions for Michigan for the 2026 College Football Season
Michigan Won’t Make the 12-Team Playoff
Fresh off a 9-4 campaign where the Wolverines closed the season with back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Texas, the pressure is on Whittingham to ensure this group starts fast and finishes stronger.
But even the most optimistic Wolverine fans must admit the schedule looks brutal from the outset. Michigan plays host to Oklahoma in a must-watch non-conference tilt, before games against Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State.
Michigan should be formidable. Underwood will likely progress nicely, and the early signs out of Ann Arbor are that the defense should be strong under Hill. But that schedule might be a bit too much for the Wolverines to overcome in Year 1 under Whittingham.
The Wolverines will finish in the 8-4 or 9-3 range and miss out on the 2026 College Football Playoff field.
Bryce Underwood Will Rush for 500+ Yards in Year 2 as Starting Quarterback
Bryce Underwood’s freshman season at Michigan was a mixed bag. He struggled with passing the ball, but showed flashes as a runner. He tallied 392 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season, good for third-best on the team. Michigan will lean on Underwood’s rushing abilities even more this fall, and he’ll eclipse the 500-yard mark during the 2026 season.
At Utah, offensive coordinator Tim Beck relied on quarterback Devon Dampier to shoulder the load in the rushing game. The Utes used Dampier as a downhill, battering ram-style runner. Underwood is more elusive and faster in a straight line, but there are parallels between the two players’ games.
After the departure of running back Justice Haynes, the Wolverines will need all the help they can get in the run game. Underwood’s natural talent as a runner should come in handy to offset Haynes’ production from last season.
Michigan Will Lose to Indiana and Oregon, but Beat Oklahoma
For 21 seasons as head coach at Utah, Whittingham did more with three-stars and duct tape than most coaches do with a roster loaded with five-stars. He won games at a high clip. He got players to the next level. And he turned Utah into a perennial Pac-12 and Big 12 contender.
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But he’s never faced a schedule this difficult. There’s a very real possibility that Indiana and Oregon are both top-10 teams when they take on Michigan this fall. The same could be said for Oklahoma, which is likely to be among the top 20 at minimum. That slate would be difficult for any program, much less one still breaking in a young quarterback, two new coordinators and plenty of new players in key positions.
Don’t lose hope, though, Michigan fans. While you might lose your three heavyweight conference matchups, getting Oklahoma in the Big House feels like a blessing.
Give me the Wolverines in a close one over the Sooners.
Michigan Will Close Out Regular Season With a Loss to Ohio State
No game matters more to Michigan fans than their annual date with archrival Ohio State.
When those two teams meet, you can throw out the record books and expect the unexpected. Two seasons ago, the Wolverines shocked Ohio State 13-10 in a game that later motivated the Buckeyes to win the national title. Last season, Ohio State got its revenge by hammering Michigan 27-9 in a game that was never particularly close.
In 2026, these two teams will meet with everything to play for. Ohio State will be firmly in the College Football Playoff field, with Michigan on the outside looking in. It’ll be a hard-fought game, but Ohio State will come out on top for the second straight season. The Buckeyes’ win will slam the door shut on Michigan’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Edge-Rusher John Henry Daley Will Be Breakout Star for Michigan Defense
Michigan brought in 16 transfers this past offseason, and none of them will be more impactful than Utah edge-rusher John Henry Daley.
Despite a nasty Achilles injury late in the 2025 season, reports suggest that Daley is progressing nicely and is on track to play a meaningful role for the Wolverines this season. Last season at Utah, Daley led the Utes with 11 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a game-wrecker in every sense of the word.
This season, under Hill, Daley will slot in nicely to what Michigan wants to do on defense. He’ll get after the passer, be a force in the run game and will quickly become one of the breakout stars of the Michigan defense in 2026.
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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 4:34 AM.