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Traveling to one of the most historic environments in all of college football will be anything but easy, especially since it'll only be Week 2 of the 2026 college football season. 2024 was rough for Michigan after the national championship run back in 2023, but the Wolverines improved last year with a regular-season record of 9-3 (excluding the bowl game).
From former Wolverine analyst Connor Stallions' sign-stealing scheme to Sherrone Moore's inappropriate relationship with another staffer, this is a Michigan program that's been through one controversy after another in the past few years. Wolverine athletic director Warde Manuel just announced that he will step down at the end of the calendar year. However, it seems like a fresh new chapter with a new coaching staff.
Michigan Quick Outlook:
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Stadium: Michigan Stadium (also known as The Big House)
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham, 1st season (177-88 record at Utah)
National Championships: 12 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, 2023)
Conference Championships: 45
2025 Record: 9-4 (7-2 in Big Ten)
Players to Watch:
Bryce Underwood, QB Sophomore (6-4, 228): Underwood was the nation's No. 1 high school football recruit in the 2025 class. While he struggled during his freshman season, he still showed a lot of promise for the Wolverines. His second start in his collegiate career came against the Sooners in Norman. He was 9 of 24 passing for 142 yards in the 24-13 loss to Oklahoma. However, there were some key games where Underwood showed some flashes. In the 24-10 win over Wisconsin, he completed 19 of 28 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown. Arguably his most notable performance came against the Washington Huskies where he went 21 of 27 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Underwood isn't afraid to use his legs and shows his athleticism at 6'4. He and the Wolverine offense should be more explosive this season with Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck both coming in from Utah. Under offensive coordinator Jason Beck in 2025, the Utes were fourth in the country in total yards per game (482.9 YPG) and points per game (41.3 PPG).
John Henry Daley, DE Senior (6-4, 255): This might be one of the biggest steals in the transfer portal for Michigan, especially on the defensive side. According to ESPN, Daley is listed as the No. 11 transfer in the country for 2026. He comes along with Whittingham and Beck from Utah. In 2025, he selected second-team All-American by the Associated Press in his first season as a full-time starter. In his two previous seasons before 2025, he was at BYU. Defensive ends coach Lewis Powell is also entering his first season at Michigan after spending 11 seasons at Utah. Daley played in just 11 games last season after a season-ending injury, but he finished ranked in the top five nationally in tackles for loss and sacks. He brings a lot of physicality in the run game.
Jordan Marshall, RB Junior (5-11, 216): Marshall took over a majority of the running game after Justice Haynes suffered a foot injury in the middle of the 2025 season. Haynes is now at Georgia Tech, which means an even larger role for Marshall. He has already shown he can compete at the Power 4 level. As a sophomore last season, Marshall was named second-team All-Big Ten by the media. In 11 games in 2025, he had 150 carries for 932 yards and ten touchdowns. While he saw limited action against the Sooners last year, he will be looking for revenge as well. He has a good balance of speed and awareness.
Oklahoma will be playing at The Big House on Saturday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m. on Fox. The Sooners lead the all-time series 2-0 after beating Michigan 14-6 in the 1976 Orange Bowl and the major 24-13 win in Norman last season.
Continue reading...
From former Wolverine analyst Connor Stallions' sign-stealing scheme to Sherrone Moore's inappropriate relationship with another staffer, this is a Michigan program that's been through one controversy after another in the past few years. Wolverine athletic director Warde Manuel just announced that he will step down at the end of the calendar year. However, it seems like a fresh new chapter with a new coaching staff.
Michigan Quick Outlook:
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Stadium: Michigan Stadium (also known as The Big House)
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham, 1st season (177-88 record at Utah)
National Championships: 12 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, 2023)
Conference Championships: 45
2025 Record: 9-4 (7-2 in Big Ten)
Players to Watch:
Bryce Underwood, QB Sophomore (6-4, 228): Underwood was the nation's No. 1 high school football recruit in the 2025 class. While he struggled during his freshman season, he still showed a lot of promise for the Wolverines. His second start in his collegiate career came against the Sooners in Norman. He was 9 of 24 passing for 142 yards in the 24-13 loss to Oklahoma. However, there were some key games where Underwood showed some flashes. In the 24-10 win over Wisconsin, he completed 19 of 28 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown. Arguably his most notable performance came against the Washington Huskies where he went 21 of 27 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Underwood isn't afraid to use his legs and shows his athleticism at 6'4. He and the Wolverine offense should be more explosive this season with Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck both coming in from Utah. Under offensive coordinator Jason Beck in 2025, the Utes were fourth in the country in total yards per game (482.9 YPG) and points per game (41.3 PPG).
John Henry Daley, DE Senior (6-4, 255): This might be one of the biggest steals in the transfer portal for Michigan, especially on the defensive side. According to ESPN, Daley is listed as the No. 11 transfer in the country for 2026. He comes along with Whittingham and Beck from Utah. In 2025, he selected second-team All-American by the Associated Press in his first season as a full-time starter. In his two previous seasons before 2025, he was at BYU. Defensive ends coach Lewis Powell is also entering his first season at Michigan after spending 11 seasons at Utah. Daley played in just 11 games last season after a season-ending injury, but he finished ranked in the top five nationally in tackles for loss and sacks. He brings a lot of physicality in the run game.
Jordan Marshall, RB Junior (5-11, 216): Marshall took over a majority of the running game after Justice Haynes suffered a foot injury in the middle of the 2025 season. Haynes is now at Georgia Tech, which means an even larger role for Marshall. He has already shown he can compete at the Power 4 level. As a sophomore last season, Marshall was named second-team All-Big Ten by the media. In 11 games in 2025, he had 150 carries for 932 yards and ten touchdowns. While he saw limited action against the Sooners last year, he will be looking for revenge as well. He has a good balance of speed and awareness.
Oklahoma will be playing at The Big House on Saturday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m. on Fox. The Sooners lead the all-time series 2-0 after beating Michigan 14-6 in the 1976 Orange Bowl and the major 24-13 win in Norman last season.
Continue reading...
