For the most part, the 2026 Michigan Wolverines have flown under the radar. Mostly.
But not everyone is hypnotized by the maize and blue, and the team is quietly rebuilding with the hiring of Kyle Whittingham to oversee a talented roster. The former Utah head coach does more with less, and despite some sexier names in college football, at least one ESPN analyst thinks the Wolverines could be a surprise.
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In a recent roundtable article, several ESPN personalities were asked which non-College Football Playoff teams from a year ago would make it this year. Even though the answers were mostly the usuals (Texas, Notre Dame and USC, along with the two outliers Louisville and BYU), Eli Lederman chose Michigan football as his choice.
Eli Lederman: This projection relies on a lot of “what ifs,” but why couldn’t a Michigan team that went 9-4 a year ago and had problems on and off the field make the 12-team field in 2026? The arrival of longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham should bring much-needed stability to Ann Arbor this offseason, bringing with him some key former Utah players, including offensive coordinator Jason Baker and star defensive end John Henry Dailey. Any success this fall will be closely tied to the sophomore improvement of coveted quarterback Bryce Underwood. Baker’s innovative scheme and fresh skill talent, including five-star freshman rusher Savion Hitt and Utah transfer pass catcher JJ Buchanan, will certainly help. Meanwhile, Michigan filled some key holes on defense by adding Daley and former Utah players Jonah Lea and Smith Snowden. With visits from Oklahoma State, Penn State and Indiana, plus visits to Oregon State and Ohio State in November, the schedule is daunting, but if Whittingham can turn things around quickly, it could provide the platform for the Wolverines to return to the CFP.
Lederman is not wrong about variables, good or bad. As he noted, the schedule is definitely tight (you could include Iowa State on that list), but given Jason Baker’s previous work and pairing him with Bryce Underwood, Jordan Marshall, Andrew Marsh and Jamie French, there could be some huge dividends.
The good news for the Maize and Blue teams: They don’t have to win the entire season right away. Week 2 goes through Oklahoma State, and then Iowa State awaits you in Week 4. Midseason includes games against Penn State, Indiana State and Michigan State, with end-of-season trips to Oregon State and Ohio State. Build enough of a team to beat the “faster” and most of the rest will likely follow.
The rest of the article raises questions like which team they’ll be talking about in December, but doesn’t get an answer in maize and blue (and maybe it should) to the question of who will be the Most Improved Player. Of course, Underwood now has the proper guidance to see a huge leap from year one to year two.
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This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan Wolverines could get CFP in 2026, analyst says
