We do not need to panic right this instant. We have a full season's worth of games to see unfold first. However, Kyle Whittingham's first year at the helm of the Michigan Wolverines may end up being bumpier than people want to even admit. They have four hard games with Oklahoma and Indiana at home, as well as two on the road at Oregon and Ohio State. The latter one is the game of focus today.
So leave it up to Josh Pate to discuss Michigan opening up as a 12.5-point underdog at Ohio State...
Ohio State opens as a -12.5 favorite over Michigan via Fanduel pic.twitter.com/DXMJHtli17
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) May 25, 2026
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Michigan will be getting 12.5 points on the road at Ohio State in the Wolverines' final game of the regular season. The associated moneylines for this game are Ohio State -580 and Michigan +420. The projected point total for this game is a combined 45.5 points. A potential projected final score for this game could look something like Ohio State 29, Michigan 16.5.
Whittingham might be a dangerous head coach entering the Big Ten, but this could potentially be a baptism by fire season for him at the helm of the Wolverines. Again, Michigan needs to win two of those four games in question, as well as not drop any other ones, to realistically make the College Football Playoff. The Oklahoma home date may be the easiest, but the other three could be so hard...
What FanDuel has provided us in the latter days of May may have Michigan fans pumping the breaks.
Michigan at Ohio State opening odds provide a sobering reality to fans
While Michigan fans should not be surprised to see the Wolverines listed as underdogs at arch rival Ohio State to end the regular season, the fact it is comfortably a two-score point spread should raise alarm bells. We are looking at potentially the favorite to win this year's national championship, hosting their underdog arch nemesis with a potential playoff berth on the line. That is what we are hoping for...
Follow along with this... Assuming Michigan handles its business vs. Oklahoma in the non-conference portion of its schedule, that means the Wolverines only need to win one of their three hardest Big Ten games. Getting Indiana at home should help. While the Hoosiers may pull back this season, they have lost a grand total of two games under Curt Cignetti. Both of which came in his first year at the helm...
Winning on the road at Autzen honestly feels like the most probable loss Michigan could suffer this season. It is across the country vs. a perennial playoff contender, almost certainly in adverse weather conditions. It is why Michigan may have to beat Ohio State in The Horseshoe to be the third or fourth team out of the Big Ten to make the playoff with a 10-2 (7-2) record. It is still very much in play here.
Overall, no matter how you slice it, the 12.5-point opening spread vs. Ohio State feels staggering. That can and will be changed as the season goes along. For the time being, it is the harsh reality of Wolverines fans. They know that they will have to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and get back to work under their new head coach. Whittingham must show he can learn new tricks as well...
Ultimately, if Michigan is going to be a playoff-caliber team in year one under Whittingham, the Wolverines are going to have to earn it. Nothing will be given to them. While the value from the Oklahoma game could fade in time, especially if OU does not have a great season in the SEC, it makes beating either Indiana, Oregon, or Ohio State that much more important. That is what is at stake here.
For now, Michigan fans may have to accept the reality that making the playoff is a goal, not a fact...
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