Michigan won’t win a championship in 2026, but will be building toward doing so in 2027

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Heading into 2025, many Michigan fans evoked comparisons between that team and the 2021 Wolverines. Ultimately, they fell short of what the 2021 team was able to do, going 9-4 and failing to make the College Football Playoff.

However, when you take into account the team’s youth and what came to light at the end of the season, it’s actually rather impressive what the team was able to accomplish.

Even with a new head coach, Michigan is poised to continue its progression towards a national championship. From 2021-23, the program had to climb the ladder as core players gained experience and others found the roles that suited them best. In 2022, the team went 12-0 in the regular season and won the Big Ten (again), but was ultimately upset in the College Football Playoff by TCU, a team the Wolverines were better than in nearly every facet.

In 2026, Michigan once again appears to be in the second year of the progression. At 66 years old, Kyle Whittingham is making a transition we rarely see. He already has an entire career’s worth of success from his 21 seasons at Utah. Coming to a big program like Michigan at his age would be a challenge for anyone, and because of that, it’s clear he’ll only be here for a good time and not a long time.

In just under six months of work, though, Whittingham has taken the program further than Sherrone Moore was ever able to. Whittingham brought in a staff full of respected assistants who have long track records of success, put together a transfer portal class with veterans at positions of need, and has already landed some highly regarded recruits in the 2027 class.

In the short term, he’ll be the steady hand the program needs at the top, leading a team that will still be very young, with many of the key contributors being sophomores or juniors.

Speaking of those contributors, much of the roster resembles what the 2022 team had as well. It has a sophomore quarterback in Bryce Underwood, a former five-star recruit who didn’t offer much excitement as a true freshman, but should still be talented enough to keep the offense on schedule. It also returns most of its offensive line from 2025, making life easier for all. Not to mention, a solid group of skill players anchored by Jordan Marshall and Andrew Marsh.

On defense, there’s a returning group of defensive backs that’s gained experience over the last two years, led by Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill, both of whom finished 2025 on high notes. And while the defensive line might not be the deepest we’ve ever seen, there’s some great talent at the top with Trey Pierce, Enow Etta and transfer John Henry Daley.

Strictly from a personnel standpoint, Michigan is in a good place with players that are both young and talented, have developed at least a little experience, and are primed to continue taking steps forward. That’s a recipe for a team to be highly successful in 2026.

The team should have the talent and coaching to at least make the College Football Playoff in 2026. The main complicating factor that might prevent that from happening, though, is a schedule that is among the toughest in the country. The Wolverines have a non-conference matchup against Oklahoma, as well as games vs Iowa, Indiana, Penn State, Oregon, and Ohio State.

I’ll spoil the surprise and say there’s a loss or two mixed in there, but the important thing to watch with the Wolverines is how they perform on their bad days. Do they compete and make things interesting even against clearly superior opponents? Or do they come out slow and disorganized, not looking ready to play as we’ve seen in all the losses in the last two seasons?

It’s not fair to expect a national championship or even an undefeated regular season this year. Even though it has many of the same players from a year ago, this is still a group that’s young and developing, while also playing for a new coaching staff for the first time.

Instead, we should merely expect to see this team continue to improve. If all goes according to plan and the team’s core shows meaningful progress, it’s fair to have championship expectations for 2027. For now, I’m sure some fans will be happy with a competitive team and proves to be worthy of a CFP spot, providing glimpses of a future that’s really worth believing in.

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