USC and Utah are no longer in the Pac-12, but Lincoln Riley and Kyle Whittingham are back in the same conference this season, now that Whittingham has relocated to Michigan. Will Riley and USC or Whittingham and Michigan finish higher in the 2026 Big Ten football standings? USA TODAY Sports thinks Michigan is overrated.
“The Wolverines have been decimated by scandal since … the entire 2020s. They also return 10 starters but only three on defense; Wink Martindale’s group hardly was Sherrone Moore’s problem the past couple years in Ann Arbor. Factor in a schedule that includes road tilts Minnesota, Oregon and Ohio State, plus home games against Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State and defending national champion Indiana — in addition to an entirely new coaching regime — and it’s easy to see Michigan is out in front its football skis with this No. 16 ranking,” the article stated.
One has to ask: Is Michigan overrated in the perception of some college football analysts because Kyle Whittingham is getting the benefit of the doubt? It’s not a terrible reason to rank Michigan higher or express general optimism that the Wolverines can produce a high-quality season. Whittingham hounded Riley and USC in head-to-head combat. The two coaches and schools won’t meet this year … unless they both reach the Big Ten Championship Game, a scenario which is extremely unlikely.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Will Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan finish above Lincoln Riley’s USC?
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire | USA TODAY Network
