After the revelations of Sherrone Moore's extra-marital affair, it was clear that his mind wasn't 100 percent focused on Michigan football last season.
Yet, the more we learn about the way the Michigan football program worked under Moore, the more it seems like a miracle that this team won 17 games over the past two seasons, including a 2024 win over second-ranked Ohio State.
Meeting with the media at Big Ten Media Days, Whittingham offered up another indictment of Moore, as the Wolverines' current head coach explained that the players didn't bench press last season, at least not very often, something running back Jordan Marshall confirmed in his press conference at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.
The problem went beyond just one lift, though, or a lack of one. Whittingham said that after the team was tested soon after he took the job, he found that Michigan football wasn't nearly strong enough.
Michigan football was lacking "strength"
Michigan HC Kyle Whittingham:
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) July 30, 2026
“The most glaring thing that stood out to me when we first got here was that when we tested them in the strength room, the overall strength of the team was not up to par. ... We had all these real tall, long, good-looking athletes but the sheer…
“The most glaring thing that stood out to me when we first got here was that when we tested them in the strength room, the overall strength of the team was not up to par. ... We had all these real tall, long, good-looking athletes but the sheer strength wasn’t there," Whittingham said via Alejandro Zuniga.
It's one of the many shocking ineptitudes of the Sherrone Moore era. It might be even worse than not supplying a 17-year old freshman with a dedicated quarterback coach.
Despite the overall lack of strength in the program and a quarterback who at times felt like he was sent up a creek without a paddle, Michigan football found a way to win nine games. The roster was retained, and he could feel the excitement in Whittingham's voice.
This roster is really good. The offensive and defensive lines should be among the best in the Big Ten. Whittingham said recently that the running back room might be the best in college football. Savion Hiter will start out the season as the backup running back, but he's a superstar.
And the defense should be much improved, even from last season. Wink Martindale was a disaster. Jay Hill will be a major upgrade. Whittingham is a major upgrade, too. That's becoming clearer by the day.
Michigan fans are concerned about his Ohio State answers. Whittingham said Michigan didn't need to be "obsessed" with the Buckeyes.
The results are the only thing that matters against the Buckeyes, so we'll reserve our judgments there, but it's good to see the Wolverines finally have an adult in the room again, as well as an elite, and most importantly, a competent head coach.
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