The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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118 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW that (somehow) won nine games last season as the youngest team in the conference. Develop- ing sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood is the biggest key to the season with a much better situation around him, and a defense that will be multiple in its looks. If Michigan can go 4-2 against Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State, it could be a playoff team in Whittingham's first season. 5. USC (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) Lincoln Riley's fifth season leading the Trojans is his most important yet. USC has yet to make the College Football Playoff, and to do so, the Trojans will have to navigate a schedule that includes Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State and In- diana. Quarterback Jayden Maiava holds the keys to the season but will be breaking in a new set of playmakers. Riley also lured former TCU head coach Gary Patterson out of retirement to be his new defensive coordinator. Things are looking up coming off landing the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and returning 15 starters (the most of any Power Four school). Now, it's time for the Trojans to put it together on the field. 6. Iowa (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) Iowa has been a beacon of consistency under head coach Kirk Ferentz, winning at least eight games in every season since 2015, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. The next step is busting through that ceiling and cracking the College Football Playoff for the first time. This might not be the year to reach that goal, espe- cially with how tough the schedule is early, but there is a path to a strong second-half push. Iowa needs to figure out who its quarterback will be and faces more defensive question marks than it may be used to, but there should be little doubt that Ferentz will max his group out. 7. Penn State (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) The Nittany Lions sat atop many projected Big Ten standings last year, but the bottom fell out and James Franklin was dismissed halfway through the season. Former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell took the job and brought several players with him, including quarterback Rocco Becht, in hopes for a smooth transition and immediate results in Happy Valley. PSU has a very manageable schedule to make that happen, and home games in October versus USC and at Michigan could determine whether Campbell can get his new program back to the College Football Playoff. 8. Washington (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) Head coach Jedd Fisch has the Huskies back in a healthy and competitive place after a solid 9-4 season in 2025, and this group has the potential to take another step forward and put itself into the CFP conversation. It all revolves around star quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who got some bad advice and tried to transfer before reversing course and returning to the Huskies. There are question marks on both sides of the ball, and they will rely on youth in many key areas. The runway is there with their schedule to get roll- ing early and build momentum, but Indiana and Oregon lurk in the last two weeks. 9. Nebraska (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) Nebraska finds itself in a precarious spot head- ing into Matt Rhule's fourth season in Lincoln. Star quarterback Dylan Raiola suffered a season- ending injury that led to a collapse, then trans- ferred to Oregon. Portal signal-caller Anthony Colandrea brings improvisational skills to the position. The Cornhuskers have a new defensive coordinator in Robb Aurich (San Diego State) and return three starters from the nation's No. 3 pass defense. The ingredients are there for a hot start before a home game with Indiana and trip to Oregon in October, along with contests against Washington, Ohio State and at Iowa down the stretch. Nebraska could be improved, but with only incremental progress in the win column. 10. Minnesota (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) Head coach P.J. Fleck has been a stabilizing presence, winning 66 games over the last nine years and finishing in the top half of the Big Ten standings each year. Quarterback Drake Lindsey should be improved heading into Year 2, and the Golden Gophers could have a dangerous pass rush with Anthony Smith (12.5 sacks in 2025) and transfer T.J. Bush leading the way. Minne- sota plays Washington, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Penn State this year, in addition to a non- conference tilt against Mississippi State. A sixth eight-plus win campaign under Fleck is not out of the question. 11. Illinois (7-5, 4-5 Big Ten) The Illini have won 19 games over the last two seasons, but this feels like a transitional cam- paign for Bret Bielema's program. The Illini have to replace four offensive line starters and are navigating a scheme change on defense under new coordinator Bobby Hauck, transitioning to a 3-3-5 look. There is continuity on offense and, transfer quarterback Katin Houser could continue a trend of solid quarterback play in Champaign. Illinois has a chance to roll down the stretch if it can stay together through an early road trip to Ohio State and a visit from Oregon in October. 12. UCLA (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) UCLA saw enough from DeShaun Foster three games into the 2025 season to hit the reset but- ton and change coaches. It landed on James Madison's Bob Chesney as its next program leader, hoping to tap into the pipeline that pro- duced Curt Cignetti for Indiana. Chesney took over Cignetti's JMU program and made the Col- lege Football Playoff last season. He brought sev- eral Dukes players and coaches with him. With 41 transfers on the roster, it might be hard to predict how well things well go in Year 1, but this has a chance to work for all the same reasons it did in Bloomington. The ingredients are there to make a bowl game in 2026. 13. Wisconsin (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) Head coach Luke Fickell's seat is scorching hot heading into 2026. The good news is that every- one involved seems to take that pressure seri- ously. The Badgers overhauled their roster this offseason and look like they have the potential to get back to the run-first approach that has defined the program. The schedule is far more forgiving this year — that is, after the season opener against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field — and getting back to bowl eligibility should be on the table. Anything more than that requires a ton of projection and hitting on several best-case scenarios. 14. Northwestern (5-7, 2-7 Big Ten) Head man David Braun was thrust into a dif- ficult situation after Pat Fitzgerald's controversial exit in 2023, but he has largely managed to keep the Wildcats' heads above water, going 19-19 over the last three years. The program moves into the new Ryan Field this fall. Northwestern Wisconsin coach Luke Fickel is on the hot seat after posting two straight losing seasons in Madison (5-7 in 2024 and 4-8 in 2025). The Badgers catch a break and won't face Michigan in 2026. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL