The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542067
28 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 I n the same terse, 64-word media statement released Dec. 10 announcing that head coach Sherrone Moore had been terminated, U-M athletics di- rector Warde Manuel designated Biff Poggi as U-M's interim head football coach. Poggi will lead the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl matchup with Texas Dec. 31. Poggi, who entered the season as associate head coach, previ- ously served as interim coach for the team's wins against Central Michigan (63-3) and Nebraska (30-27) this year, while Moore was serving a suspension for allegedly deleting text messages amid the NCAA's investigation into the program for scouting violations. "It has been a tumultuous time," Poggi said Dec. 15 during media availability for the bowl game. "A lot of anger and, at first, disbelief. The kids quite frankly feel very betrayed, and we're try- ing to work through that. "[The situation is] unique and com- plex, obviously. … I don't know that you can prepare for something like this." The 66-year-old Poggi first joined U-M for the 2016 season in an analyst role and spent the 2021 and '22 seasons as associate head coach under head coach Jim Harbaugh. He left for a two- year stint as head coach at Charlotte and returned to Ann Arbor to serve as associ- ate head coach under Moore in 2025. Poggi was Charlotte's third head football coach and posted a 6-16 record while with the 49ers. Prior to joining the college coaching ranks with Michigan, Poggi was a well- respected prep coach in Baltimore. He spent more than 19 years at The Gilman School, including 11 as head coach, then from 2017-20, he founded and led the football program at Saint Frances Acad- emy to national prominence. — Mark Panus MICHIGAN DRAWS TEXAS IN CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL Michigan vs. Texas in the Citrus Bowl seemed a poorly kept secret after the Wolverines lost to Ohio State Nov. 29 — the matchup was officially announced Dec. 7. The Wolverines and Longhorns will meet Dec. 31 for a 3 p.m. tilt. U-M has made six appearances in the Citrus Bowl, all since 1998, going 4-2 in the game. The Wolverines lost to Alabama, 35-16, on Jan. 1, 2020, in their most recent appearance. Prior to that, the Wolverines beat Florida twice (2007 and 2015), the former being Lloyd Carr's last game as Michigan head coach. U-M beat Arkansas and Auburn in 1998 and 2000, respec- tively, and lost to Tennessee in 2001. Texas is a somewhat familiar oppo- nent for the Wolverines, having played in Ann Arbor in Week 2 last season, a 31-12 win for the Longhorns. The two are currently scheduled to meet again in Austin during the 2027 season. Texas went 9-3 this year with losses to Ohio State, Georgia and Florida. Michigan, of course, had an identical regular-season record, with its losses coming to Okla- homa, USC and OSU. Texas had been lobbying for a playoff bid but fell short, so there's no telling how the Longhorns will feel going into this game. On Dec. 8, two days before he was fired for cause, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, however, acknowledged his team would be playing to win and was excited for the opportunity. "It will be about preparing for the game, just like we did last year," Moore said at the time. "Preparing for the bowl game as much as we can, and getting as good as we can at football. … It's a chance to have 10 wins, and 10 wins in college football is huge." Texas should bring out the best in the Wolverines, he added. "It's a great matchup, obvi- ously a historic program. I have a lot of respect for Sark [Texas coach Steve Sarkisian]," he continued. "Offensively, de- fensively, special teams-wise, they're a complete team, could possibly [have been] in the play- off. It's a great opportunity for our football team to go against a really great opponent. "Offensively, it starts with Arch [Man- ning] … the quarterback. He's just im- proved throughout the season. He took a lot of criticism at the beginning; still, he's a heck of a player. He's talented, can run … and they've got weapons all over the place, do a really good job schem- ing around the football. Defensively, they're attacking. [Colin] Simmons is the outside linebacker, defensive end. He's pretty special, pretty elite." ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Biff Poggi Named Interim Head Coach Biff Poggi, who went 2-0 as Michigan's interim head coach earlier this season, will guide the program in its Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas Dec. 31. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL 2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Result/TV Aug. 30 NEW MEXICO W, 34-17 Sept. 6 at Oklahoma L, 24-13 Sept. 13 CENTRAL MICHIGAN W, 63-3 Sept. 20 at Nebraska W, 30-27 Oct. 4 WISCONSIN W, 24-10 Oct. 11 at USC L, 31-13 Oct. 18 WASHINGTON W, 24-7 Oct. 25 at Michigan State W, 31-20 Nov. 1 PURDUE W, 21-16 Nov. 15 vs. Northwestern* W, 24-22 Nov. 22 at Maryland W, 45-20 Nov. 29 OHIO STATE L, 27-9 Dec. 31 vs. Texas^ 3 p.m./ABC * at Wrigley Field in Chicago ^ at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.