ESPN: Will Michigan football contend for the playoffs?

[ASFN Admin]

No one seems to know exactly where to place Michigan football in 2026. There are high expectations, yet little aptitude for the idea that the Wolverines will do much of anything. Will the maize and blue be ranked by the end of the year? Can they make the College Football Playoff? Pretty much everyone expects them to start around No. 14-16 this year, but with a bear of a schedule, there's little expectation that the Wolverines will emerge around that ranking.

There's a lot that can go wrong, but there's also a lot that can go right. Even so, there are a lot of questions in all three phases of the game. Questions persist about the offense with Bryce Underwood leading the charge, along with new offensive coordinator Jason Beck being tasked to replicate his success of the past two seasons. The defense lost a lot of bodies from last season's squad, but can Jay Hill wring the most out of the talent he's acquiring?

These are the same questions that ESPN's resident advanced stats guru Bill Connelly, and he shared some thoughts about what Michigan can do to rise to the top.

How will the Jason Beck-Bryce Underwood partnership work? Beck is one of the more delightful offensive coordinators in the country and turned Devon Dampier, with dynamite running capabilities and a decent but limited arm, into the quarterback of a top-10 offense. (Utah was sixth in offensive SP+ last season.) But Beck will now call plays for Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. Underwood flashed moments of excellence with his arm as a true freshman, and not including sacks he rushed 68 times for 506 yards; but Dampier rushed twice as much. Will Underwood run more? Will Beck seek similar efficiency with a more customary run game?

Those are the most pressing issues, but the questions obviously don't stop there. New defensive coordinator Jay Hill -- another successful and Utah-centric coach now working with far more blue-chippers than ever -- will need to find the right chemistry among key returnees such as tackle Trey Pierce, linebacker Troy Bowles and corners Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry and an important batch of seven transfers, including three from Utah: star end John Henry Daley, tackle Jonah Lea'ea and do-everything nickel Smith Snowden. Safety Chris Bracy (Memphis) could play a huge role too. An offensive line full of carryovers from last season's young unit will need to click under longtime Whittingham assistant Jim Harding. And, well, someone will need to catch Underwood's passes. Sophomore Andrew Marsh is a budding star -- as is sophomore running back Jordan Marshall -- but others will need to step up, be it slot man Channing Goodwin, tight end Zack Marshall, young transfers JJ Buchanan (Utah) or Jaime Ffrench Jr. (Texas) or touted freshman Salesi Moa. There's obvious potential here but immediate success is far from guaranteed.

That said, Connelly has Michigan finishing fifth in the conference with the 20th-ranked offense and the No. 13 defense. However, he has the Wolverines with the No. 113 special teams. But that last number should rise significantly under new special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs, who revitalized the unit in just one game, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football 2026 season expectations per ESPN

Continue reading...