The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 135 And on Nov. 29, the Buckeyes brought it all crashing down by dominating Michigan at the Big House, 27-9, ending a four-game win streak for the Wolverines and knock- ing them out of the CFP picture with a 9-3 regular-season record. Moore would later be dismissed on Dec. 10 after the discovery of an inappropriate relationship with a U-M staffer, sending the program into complete disarray with Citrus Bowl preparations already un- derway. Associate head coach Biff Poggi stepped as the team's interim head coach for the final three weeks of the season af- ter previously serving in the role for the Central Michigan and Nebraska games in September. Poggi managed to keep much of the roster and staff intact — aside from of- fensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who left for Missouri in December – for bowl prep, culminating in a 41-27 loss to the Texas Longhorns in Orlando to close out a 9-4 (7-2 Big Ten) season. Poggi then passed the baton to Kyle Whittingham, who held his opening press conference in Florida and got right to work as the next leader of the Michigan football program. TOP STORYLINES 1. SHERRONE MOORE FIRED FOR CAUSE, KYLE WHITTINGHAM ERA BEGINS Unfortunately, the storyline this season will be most remembered for how it ended. U-M fired Moore with cause on Dec. 10 after receiving "credible evidence" that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, later revealed to be his assistant, Paige Shiver. On the same day he was fired, Moore al- legedly broke into Shiver's apartment and threatened to harm himself while scream- ing at her that she had ruined his life. He was arrested and charged with third-de- gree home invasion, stalking and entering without permission. In March 2026, Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors — malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespass — and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. The Moore situation and U-M's handling of the saga led to the hiring of the Jenner & Block law firm to investigate his conduct and the athletics department's culture. Biff Poggi was tabbed interim head coach to lead preparations for the Citrus Bowl against Texas, while the athletics de- partment conducted a national search for Moore's replacement and landed on for- mer Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who was hired on Dec. 26 and immediately flew down to Orlando to meet with players and their families at the Citrus Bowl. 2. BRYCE UNDERWOOD STARTS IMMEDIATELY Michigan made waves on the recruiting trail late in the 2025 cycle by flipping No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood away from LSU, making him the new de facto face of the program after a 2024 season that was fraught with quarterback issues. U-M's massive investment got him to Ann Arbor, and his immense talent level allowed him to take reps as the starting quarterback from the beginning at Michigan. Underwood, who turned 18 just days be- fore the start of the season, started all 13 games in 2025, throwing for 2,428 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, completing 202-of-335 passes (60.3 per- cent) and ranking 29th in ESPN QBR on the season (72.6). His freshman year was inconsistent rather than a linear progres- sion. He fought through typical first-year mistakes, a lack of playmakers around him, porous pass protection and an overly cau- tious approach to his development. Un- derwood's dual-threat skill set was also teased with 88 carries for 392 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season, including a game with 9 rushes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns in a nonconference win over Central Michigan. 3. WOLVERINES STRUGGLE MIGHTILY IN BIG GAMES Despite the 12-team College Football Playoff offering more leeway to absorb a couple losses in the regular season, the Wolverines were woefully underprepared for the best opponents on the schedule. U- M's seven wins in Big Ten play came against the No. 7 (Washington), No. 10 (Nebraska), No. 11 (Northwestern), No. 15 (Wisconsin), No. 16 (Michigan State), No. 17 (Maryland) and No. 18 (Purdue) teams in the final con- ference standings. An additional win any- where else would have meant a likely CFP berth. Instead, U-M lost a critical Week 2 non- conference game at Oklahoma (24-13) and a showdown out west with USC (31-13), and saw its four-game win streak over Ohio State snapped with a 27-9 loss to the Buck- eyes at a snowy Michigan Stadium. Those efforts were a continuation of a disturbing trend under Moore, with seven of his eight losses on the sideline coming by double digits, and scoring 17 or fewer points in all of them. Poggi and the Wolverines held a 27-24 lead over Texas late in the Citrus Bowl, but the Longhorns rallied and pulled away for a 41-27 victory. Moore ended his time as U-M's head coach 3-6 against Top 25 opponents, with the lone wins coming against No. 11 USC, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 11 Alabama, all during the 2024 season.