By Week 4, Michigan will have played two ranked opponents with potentially four more to go. The Wolverines and Sooners failed to get a prime-time matchup, instead being relegated to the Noon slot, and now Michigan fails to get the late kickoff time against No. 18 Iowa.
After a rough outing in Week 1 that still resulted in a miracle win, Michigan dropped out of the AP Top 25 altogether after starting at No. 16. Then the Wolverines go and take down No. 11 Oklahoma at home and are back where they belong in the rankings, now at No. 19. This sets up what should be a great ranked matchup against the No. 19 Maize and Blue vs. No. 18 Iowa.
With both teams playing their final "cupcake" game before the start of conference play, those rankings shouldn't shift too much, so why such a poor start time for such a close-ranked matchup? Especially when you see it is Oregon vs. USC in the prime-time slot on CBS that night, the same Oregon team that just lost to Oklahoma State and a USC team that can't get their own fans in the stands.
Michigan football vs. Iowa will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26. The game will air nationally on CBS.
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) September 14, 2026
The game will be the second-ever Stripe Out at the Big House. pic.twitter.com/mOT22QM6X6
Not only does Michigan not get a prime-time slot for yet another ranked matchup this season, but for the second time in program history, The Big House will sport a Stripe Out, and it won't even get to be seen under the big lights.
The disappointment for Michigan goes deeper than a poor kickoff time vs. Iowa
It's Year 1 under Kyle Whittingham, so understandably, there was some hesitation to make claims that Michigan was the powerhouse it once was, even just a few years ago when it won a National Championship. The Week 1 performance didn't look good for Whittingham and Co., but the narrative quickly became that Michigan just couldn't cut it in college football anymore.
Now suddenly the Wolverines are back on top because of the upset over No. 11 Oklahoma in Week 2. So, I am not sure if you have whiplash from trying to follow how the media feels about Michigan, but I certainly do, and it feels more like disrespect and disappointment than anything else.
Sure, Michigan can't have prime-time games every single week, or even for every single ranked matchup, especially when they face six preseason-ranked teams in 2026, but not having any so far is completely ridiculous.
The Michigan-Ohio State game will never be under the lights as long as Fox Sports holds the broadcasting rights to Big Ten matchups. With the numbers that game brings in, it will continue to be played at Noon every year, just like it is already scheduled for this season.
If Michigan is suddenly a team to watch and fear now, shouldn't they get a chance to play under the lights of a prime-time slot? The fact that Michigan vs. Iowa is already slated for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff, even though both teams are most likely to remain where they are in the rankings, is ridiculous and, frankly, disappointing when the Wolverines are on the rise.
With so many ranked matchups this season, Michigan is bound to have one under the lights, and it would have been awesome for it to be the second-ever Stripe Out, but fans will just have to wait a little longer for the big game in The Big House.
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