Michigan football should be better off under Kyle Whittingham than it was under Sherrone Moore, but could the Wolverines be better in 2026 but with a worse record than what they had in 2025? CBS Sports thinks so.
The maize and blue do have a daunting schedule in 2026, with games against Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, at Oregon, and at Ohio State. Michigan will need to win at least half of those six in order to remain in College Football Playoff contention, and despite the idea that there will be much better coaching in Ann Arbor this year, few believe it possible that the maize and blue will take a step forward in terms of the overall record. And you can count CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford among those who don’t believe, as he has Michigan winning two of the four — with one of those coming against Indiana and the other against Penn State.
Projected record: 8-4, 6-3Wins: Western Michigan, UTEP, at Minnesota, Penn State, Indiana, at Rutgers, Michigan State, UCLALosses: Oklahoma, Iowa, at Oregon, at Ohio State
Michigan’s first season under Kyle Whittingham should feature noticeable progress, but the Wolverines are staring down a brutal slate, and that reality keeps them outside the CFP at 8-4 despite a notable home win over Indiana. Whittingham’s reputation as a program builder and culture setter is unquestioned, and he’ll have Michigan playing a physical, disciplined brand of football from Week 1. But winning immediately against this slate is another challenge altogether. The Wolverines face heavyweight matchups against Oklahoma, Iowa, Oregon and Ohio State, with three of those contests coming against proven contenders and two on the road in hostile environments. Bryce Underwood and a talented supporting cast will be good enough to beat everyone else, but growing pains are inevitable in a first-year coaching transition.
Michigan wasn’t that far off last season, with a close loss at Oklahoma, and relatively lopsided losses against USC and Ohio State. The bowl game against Texas ended up lopsided after a series of miscues in the fourth quarter led to a bit of an implosion, as the Wolverines held a late-game lead.
They absolutely could go 8-4, that’s nowhere near out of the question. However, what is perhaps questionable is chalking up Iowa coming to The Big House as a loss, as the Hawkeyes lose a ton of last year’s talent and don’t really have a quarterback who can challenge. Penn State is likely the more daunting foe, with Matt Campbell taking over the program and bringing QB Rocco Becht along with him.
If Michigan, however, is able to get past Oklahoma in Week 2, all bets are off, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Wolverines go into the month of November undefeated. But a lot will have to go right. The good news is all of those aforementioned games before November are at home.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: CBS Sports predicts Michigan football record in 2026
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire | USA TODAY Network
