Michigan a Top 15 team, CFP contender in this Big Ten football preview

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Many are expecting a step in the right direction for the Michigan football program in 2026 after stumbling to the finish line at the end of 2025. The new energy brought by head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff has been palpable, and pundits around college football believe that the Wolverines could be a dark horse team under the grizzled veteran’s leadership.

That belief is reflected in Bill Connelly’s 2026 Big Ten season preview, which lists Michigan as one of the nation’s and the conference’s best teams. In his current SP+ projections, Connelly has the Wolverines at No. 14 in the country and fifth in the Big Ten with a 16.0 rating.

For those of you who might be new to SP+, it’s a rating that takes into account a team’s offensive, defensive, and special teams efficiencies and determines how much better (or worse) a team is compared to the “average” college football team. In the offseason, the rating also bakes in factors like a program’s returning production (where Michigan is eighth in the Big Ten) and its recent history.

In addition to Michigan’s favorable ranking in the conference, Connelly included the Wolverines in his second tier of College Football Playoff contenders in the Big Ten, labeling them a team that’s “a couple of breaks away from a run” alongside the likes of USC, Penn State and Washington.

Michigan certainly has the talent on paper to compete with some of the best teams in the country, and many contributors are back after merely getting their feet wet last season. However, players like quarterback Bryce Underwood, wide receiver Andrew Marsh and others are still young and have room for growth.

Connelly poses some additional questions for the team in 2026 as well. While Whittingham has an impressive resume of winning without major recruits, Connelly questions how he’ll adjust to coaching a roster full of higher caliber recruits for the first time. Additionally, Connelly poses the question about how Underwood and offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s new partnership will play out this season, and how Underwood’s usage might change from what we saw last season.

Alongside his outlook for Michigan this season, Connelly included some other nice tidbits about the Wolverines. He includes Michigan in one of his five best games of 2026 — surprisingly not for “The Game” against Ohio State, but rather on Oct. 24 when Indiana comes to town. Additionally, he lists defensive end John Henry Daley as one of his 10 favorite transfers in the conference this season.

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