With the Big Ten releasing its conference schedules for the upcoming 2026 college football season, Kyle Whittingham and the Michigan Wolverines will be up against it during his first year on the job. The hall-of-fame-caliber coach coming over from Utah could be what ignites a fire in this team and gets Michigan back into the playoff. Unfortunately, they will have a tough road to hoe next season...
Here are the dates, opponents, and locations for Michigan football during Whittingham's first season.
Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
Sept. 5 | Western Michigan Broncos | Ann Arbor, MI |
Sept. 12 | Oklahoma Sooners | Ann Arbor, MI |
Sept. 19 | UTEP Miners | Ann Arbor, MI |
Sept. 26 | Iowa Hawkeyes | Ann Arbor, MI |
Oct. 3 | at Minnesota Golden Gophers | Minneapolis, MN |
Oct. 10 | BYE | |
Oct. 17 | Penn State Nittany Lions | Ann Arbor, MI |
Oct. 24 | Indiana Hoosiers | Ann Arbor, MI |
Oct. 31 | at Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Piscataway, NJ |
Nov. 7 | Michigan State Spartans | Ann Arbor, MI |
Nov. 14 | at Oregon Ducks | Eugene, OR |
Nov. 21 | UCLA Bruins | Ann Arbor, MI |
Nov. 28 | at Ohio State Buckeyes | Columbus, OH |
Dec. 5 | Big Ten Championship Game | Indianapolis, IN |
And here is a sweet visual representation Michigan shared out on its official football account on X.
Mark your calendars and set your fall plans accordingly!
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) January 27, 2026
2026 Schedule » https://t.co/S1s365Z3LO pic.twitter.com/tYLTITeOzC
In all likelihood, Michigan will need to go around 10-2 to be in a great position to make the playoff.
How could the Michigan Wolverines perform with their 2026 schedule?
Let's break this down by each month of the season to see how good Whittingham's team can be...
Michigan Wolverines September 2026 slate
Michigan has four games in September: Three in the non-conference and two vs. Power Four opponents. They will not have to leave Ann Arbor until October. While the home games vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 5) and UTEP (Sept. 19) are the epitome of gimmes, drawing Oklahoma at home in the non-conference (Sept. 12) and kicking off Big Ten play vs. Iowa (Sept. 26) are not the easiest of draws.
In a best-case scenario, Michigan wins all four. In a worst-case, it splits the four with home losses to Oklahoma and Iowa in what could be a rough season ahead... While going 3-1 with a loss to either Oklahoma or Iowa is possible, look for the Wolverines to lock in and come out of September with a 4-0 mark. It is all about seeing if Oklahoma and Iowa can beat Michigan in The Big House. They will not...
September projection: 4-0 (Wins over Western Michigan, Oklahoma, UTEP, and Iowa)
Michigan Wolverines October 2026 slate
Michigan has four games and its annual bye during the October portion of its schedule. Its first road game of the year will be on Oct. 3 at Minnesota. Following their Oct. 10 bye, Michigan will host Penn State on Oct. 17 and Indiana on Oct. 24 before playing a potentially spooky one on Halloween at Rutgers on Oct. 31. Winning at least three of these games will be key for Michigan's playoff chances.
Could Michigan win all of these games to be 8-0 entering November? That is not out of the realm of possibility. That being said, Indiana has not lost a game in over a year. The Hoosiers could be gotten at home by Michigan, but let's not count our chickens before they hatch. The road date at Minnesota, the home date vs. Penn State, and the road game at Rutgers are must-wins for Michigan in October.
October projection: 3-1 (Wins over Minnesota, Penn State, and Rutgers. Loss to Indiana)
Michigan Wolverines November 2026 slate
At 7-1 (4-1) heading into November, Michigan needs to win three of its final four games to ensure itself of a playoff berth in all likelihood. Unfortunately for them, this is the hardest third of their schedule. While it has two very winnable games at home between Michigan State (Nov. 7) and UCLA (Nov. 21), they have two brutal road dates at Oregon (Nov. 14) and at arch rival Ohio State (Nov. 28)...
No, Michigan is not winning all four of these games in November. Even if it splits the four, that would not be the worst thing in the world. That may cost the Wolverines a shot at the playoff, but they will be right there in and around the cut line with a 9-3 mark. Since we have given the Wolverines the benefit of the doubt in the first two-thirds of the year, we have to even it out with some November heartbreak.
November projection: 2-2 (Wins over Michigan State and UCLA. Losses to Oregon and Ohio State)
Michigan Wolverines projected 2026 season under Kyle Whittingham
In an absolute best-case scenario, Michigan will go 11-1 (8-1) with one Power Four loss, probably to Oregon in most estimations. If it were to hit the fan for Michigan in Whittingham's first-year in charge, we are looking at a 7-5 record with losses to Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State, as well as an unexpected one along the way. In the end, it feels safe to potentially split the difference at 9-3 (6-3).
The early-season wins over Oklahoma and Iowa will buoy this team into some playoff conversations. While the losses to Indiana and Oregon were not unexpected, it may come down to The Game in the end. With it being in Columbus, that puts the Wolverines in a very precarious spot. If they win, they make the playoff. If they lose, they will not, just like this past season. So close, yet so far for this team.