Michigan faces major doubts after Paul Finebaum’s brutal Kyle Whittingham take
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With the college football season approaching, several new head coaches will lead their teams onto the field for the first time. Some face immediate pressure to produce results, while others have a less-defined timeline to build their programs into College Football Playoff contenders.
One program facing high expectations is the Michigan Wolverines. Although Kyle Whittingham is just beginning a new era in Ann Arbor, Michigan is only a few years removed from winning a national championship.
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However, Paul Finebaum isn’t buying into the Wolverines. On his show, he criticized the program and said he doesn’t view Michigan as a legitimate contender.
Apr 18, 2026; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham gives remarks following the spring game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images
“I don’t really take Michigan that seriously in football right now. And maybe, maybe that will change under Kyle Whittingham, but it’s hard. Just hard to get much emotion … Once Harbaugh left, it felt like that program just flatlined … They’re just not that relevant. And I’m sorry. I can’t get upset about Michigan. They cheated and stole a national championship three years ago,” Finebaum said.
In reality, replicating Jim Harbaugh’s success will be difficult. Harbaugh spent nearly a decade building Michigan into a national championship program. For years, the Wolverines struggled to get past archrival Ohio State before finally turning the rivalry in their favor.
Everything came together during the 2023 season, and it truly felt like Michigan’s year. The Wolverines defeated Ohio State for the third straight season and then knocked off Alabama on the way to the national title.
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Michigan finished the season 15-0 and captured the College Football Playoff National Championship. Harbaugh then departed for the NFL, and Sherrone Moore’s tenure quickly unraveled amid multiple scandals before the school fired him.
Michigan has fallen from the mountaintop in dramatic fashion. At this point, it’s a significant leap to view the Wolverines as legitimate national championship contenders. Ohio State ended Michigan’s winning streak in the rivalry last season and appears positioned to regain control of the series.
Whittingham also steps into a much different situation than the one he left at Utah. The expectations are exponentially higher, and after experiencing the pinnacle of college football, Michigan’s fan base will expect to compete for championships again.
Can Whittingham engineer a surprise run, or are the Wolverines headed for a long season?
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