The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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62 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2026 B y falling to Iowa 20-19 and Min- nesota 20-14, Michigan began Big Ten play 0-2 for the first time since 2014 and only the second time since 1967. Nobody, not even the cynics, envisioned something like that unfolding. The Kyle Whittingham era in maize and blue was supposed to be the exact op- posite of this, in fact. The 66-year-old Utah legend took over a program whose head coach wasn't fired for performance. The Wolverines won nine games with a more challenging schedule in 2025, and the consensus was that Whittingham could take U-M to another level, possi- bly even an immediate College Football Playoff berth. Even the specifics of how Michigan ended up in the resulting spot are confus- ing. The Wolverines ranked 14th nation- ally in rushing offense a year ago, and the Utes staff that is now in Ann Arbor led the No. 1 team in yards per carry in 2025. Yet the Wolverines recorded 4 or more yards per rush in only one of the first five contests (UTEP). The Wolverines won the turnover margin only once in the first five games (Oklahoma) and wasted good-to- great defensive performances. The offense has been the problem. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Under- wood has a more veteran offensive line, better receivers and is a year older himself, yet the unit has taken a big step back in 2026 under coordinator Jason Beck. "I'm still trying to figure it out," Whit- tingham said on whether he has a grip on his team after losing to Minnesota. "I've been in this profession 40-plus years and this is the biggest challenge I've had. And we will get it figured out, I promise you that. I'm not sure what the timeline is, but I promise you we'll get it figured out at some juncture." Michigan finally made a consequential change at halftime of the Penn State game, trailing 3-0, by benching Underwood and inserting freshman Tommy Carr. And it ignited a fuse, with the Wolverines taking it up a few notches in almost every facet and scoring 3 second-half touchdowns to win 21-18. Compared to the first half against the Nittany Lions, the Wolverines saw an up- tick in production in the following cat- egories: points (21 from 0), total yards (221 from 80), rushing yards (174 from 37), first downs (9 from 3) and yards per play (7.4 from 3.5). Entering the game, Michigan ranked 134th nationally and last in the Big Ten with only 13 runs of 10-plus yards. But the Wolverines broke out with 6 of those against Penn State, including the two lon- gest of the season — a 43-yard touchdown dash by senior running back Bryson Kuz- dzal and a 41-yard scamper by freshman backfield mate Savion Hiter. Walking in the concourse from The Big House press box to the postgame press conference inside Crisler Center, reporters witnessed a fan interaction that said it all. A 40-something Wolverine diehard yelled to the crowd of thousands around him, "Tommy Carr! Anybody? Tommy Carr!" "Tommy Carr!" one nearby shouted. And then another. And another. And another. "Tommy Carr!" For the first time since the 17-10 vic- tory over then-No. 11 Oklahoma on Sept. 12, Michigan fans departed a game with a win and a feeling that their team is headed in the right direction. Carr still has a ton to prove, but the Wol- verines made the right move in trying something different at quarterback. MICHIGAN'S STRUGGLES AS PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas all absorbed multiple losses as well as ma- jor disappointments. Alabama also has fallen twice, but to top-15 outfits in Geor- gia and Tennessee. The Wolverines — who lost to Iowa for the first time in a decade and to Minnesota for the first time in 12 years — aren't alone in their reality playing out much differ- ently than the preseason expectations. In fact, there was only one Big Ten or SEC team that was still undefeated through Oct. 17 — and it was UCLA under first-year head coach Bob Chesney. All 33 other teams in those two power leagues amazingly had at least one loss. Week 7 was as crazy as it gets, with Michigan's quarterback change register- ing as merely a blip compared to what else occurred across the country. Typically, a highly paid veteran being benched would be the biggest news of the week, but five of the top-seven teams in the AP poll lost for the first time in the 90-year history of the rankings. College football was completely flipped upside down right in front of our eyes, be- coming a product more akin to the parity- rich NFL than ever before. "All of us fall victim to the old system of college football, where we had a lot more margin between teams," FOX analyst Joel Klatt said on the "Next Round." "I just don't feel like we have that margin any- more." Michigan certainly doesn't, nor does it have any room for error if it hopes to make the College Football Playoff this Decem- ber. But a look around the country also tells us the Maize and Blue — especially with a defense that leads the nation with only 4.1 yards allowed per play — have a chance against anybody, too. Buckle up. ❏ SAYFIE BLITZ ❱ CLAYTON SAYFIE New Era Off To A Rocky Start The transition to the Kyle Whittingham era of Michigan football delivered lackluster offense and unexpected losses through the first half of 2026. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Staff writer Clayton Sayfie has covered Michigan athletics for The Wolverine since 2019. Contact him at Clayton.Sayfie @on3.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @CSayf23.