Michigan is one of the most interesting teams in college football this season. One of the reasons for that is the unknown.
We just don't know how good the Wolverines are going to be. That's as in, how good or how bad. The schedule is difficult. Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham also inherited and added to a talented roster, one that's capable of making noise in the Big Ten.
That's especially true if Bryce Underwood becomes a much better quarterback this season, a reasonable expectation for a sophomore.
As we get close to the 2026 season, more in the national media are starting to believe in Michigan football. Andy Staples predicted that the Wolverines could make the 12-team playoff. Brandon Walker, questioned that when Staples was on his show, asking if he was on "drugs."
Yet, Staples held his ground and made a convincing case. It was so convincing that he made Walker change his mind. In his latest episode, Walker said the more he thought about Michigan, the more he started to think they could be "in the mix" this season.
"We have forgotten to let quarterbacks develop," Walker said. "We have acted like the first thing we see about a quarterback is the thing we're going to see for the rest of his career. With Bryce Underwood, there's two things here. He was thrown into a tough conference, and it was sink or swim and it was mostly sink. He wasn't that good. But the No. 2 thing is, he had less than zero coaching. He had negative coaching."
A huge difference for Bryce Underewood
Not only that, Underwood will get some of the best coaching in college football.
"Now you get one of the better coaches and coaching staffs in the country. Now they have a real coach."
Walker finished by saying that if Underwood takes a step foward, Michigan can be in the playoff mix. The Wolverines have a great defense. The running game should be elite, as long as the offensive line comes along as expected, although some new injuries are concerning.
Football coaches always talk about toughness, but Michigan wasn't a tough team under Sherrone Moore. Kyle Whittingham will fix that. He will help get the most out of Underwood, and if Bryce's improvement is real, the Wolverines will be a legitimate playoff contender.
The schedule is tough, though, as Walker pointed out, but Michigan should have a better team heading into 2026. That's a good place to start.
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