Kyle Whittingham may offer a ton of promise coming over from Utah to Michigan, but his new team is going to have to scratch and claw for every victory in Big Ten play next fall. Looking at the upcoming schedule for Michigan, they are not getting many breaks with their best 2026 opponents. They host Indiana, as well as Oklahoma in the non-conference. They also have to play at Ohio State and Oregon.
Now that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has decided to return, that makes this game even harder.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore said he has decided to return to school for the 2026 season, forgoing a chance to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. His decision is expected to have significant ramifications on the draft. pic.twitter.com/IPQRYOSbbC
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2026
For those who need a bit of a refresher, here are the home and road games for Michigan next season.
- Home (8): Western Michigan Broncos (Sept. 5), Oklahoma Sooners (Sept. 12), UTEP Miners (Sept. 19), Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan State Spartans, Penn State Nittany Lions, UCLA Bruins
- Away (4): Minnesota Golden Gophers, Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Only the dates for their three non-conference games have been set vs. WMU, Oklahoma, and UTEP.
Kyle Whittingham faces a tougher first Michigan schedule than expected
A third of the teams Michigan will face next year made the College Football Playoff in Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon out of the Big Ten, as well as Oklahoma out of the SEC. To keep it simple, at least two of these four teams, probably closer to three, will be back in the playoff again next year. Michigan can afford a loss to two of these teams, but not a third... What about the rest of the teams they play?
Western Michigan won the MAC. Lance Taylor is a fantastic coach. UTEP is ... not good... As for their six other games in Big Ten play vs. non-playoff teams from this past year, Iowa and Minnesota pose the biggest threats. While Rutgers still employs Greg Schiano, Michigan State, Penn State, and UCLA all employ new head coaches. The only way this schedule would be harder if is Michigan played USC...
So with Moore coming back, the road date at Oregon feels even more like a loss than it did previously. Yes, there is a chance that Indiana pulls back, but let's not bank on that. Oklahoma is the most likely of the four playoff teams on Michigan's schedule to pull back. Ohio State feels like a playoff lock, but this is Michigan's biggest rival. Everything is in play for The Game. However, that Oregon date looms large.
To tie a bow on this, had it been Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola starting at quarterback, we would have given Bryce Underwood and the boys a better chance of pulling off this road upset. This is not to say Michigan is incapable of that, but again, the Oregon game got so much tougher. In a way, the Oklahoma rematch is a must-win. Michigan needs to win one of three vs. the other three CFP teams.
Whittingham can make up the difference, but going 8-4 is very much in play for Michigan next season.