Ultimate preview for Michigan Football’s 2026 regular season
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The 2026 college football campaign is days away from kicking off and the Michigan Wolverines are entering a new era under first-year head coach Kyle Whittingham with high expectations — projected to total 8.5 wins according to FanDuel.
Here’s our ultimate season preview for Michigan including game-by-game breakdowns and win total predictions.
Week 1: Western Michigan (Sept. 5)
Western Michigan might not be the headliner of Michigan’s non-conference slate (more on that in a moment), but the Broncos aren’t exactly a cupcake as the defending MAC champions. With that said, the Wolverines will have significant advantages in talent and depth, so expect Michigan to settle in and eventually pull away for a win to start the season.
Week 2: Oklahoma (Sept. 12)
The must-see battle between Michigan and Oklahoma pits a pair of prestigious programs in one of the most highly-anticipated non-conference matchups this year. Michigan will be searching for a signature win to kick off the Whittingham era, and a triumph over Oklahoma (No. 10 in preseason AP Poll) would immediately catapult the Wolverines into College Football Playoff contention.
Week 3: UTEP (Sept. 19)
UTEP should be a bit of a breather for Michigan following the battle with Oklahoma. The Wolverines certainly can’t take any game for granted, but the Miners are coming off the worst season (2-10) of any Michigan opponent this season and shouldn’t pose much of a challenge. In the final tune-up before Big Ten play, Michigan should be able to secure a blowout.
Week 4: Iowa (Sept. 26)
The Wolverines will remain home for a fourth straight contest as Big Ten play gets going against Iowa in a potential trap game. Iowa’s stout defense (it had the nation’s ninth-best scoring defense in 2025) and run game could provide a tough test for Michigan, but the Wolverines should be able to forge ahead in the second half and start the conference schedule with a 1-0 record.
Week 5: at Minnesota (Oct. 3)
Minnesota is the first road trip of the season, so it will be essential for Michigan to play with poise in order to handle the away environment and eventually come out unscathed. The Golden Gophers went unbeaten at home (7-0) last season, and road games in the Big Ten rarely feel routine. However, Michigan hasn’t lost at Minnesota since 1977, so we’ll see if that trend continues.
Week 6: Bye week (Oct. 10)
Week 7: Penn State (Oct. 17)
The schedule kicks up a notch here, as Michigan hosts a homecoming matchup against Penn State. It will be a physical and tense matchup as always, and the winner could vault itself into the thick of the Big Ten title race. Michigan has historically had success against Penn State at home (9-4) and will likely be a slight favorite.
Week 8: Indiana (Oct. 24)
Indiana comes to town as the defending national champions, making this arguably Michigan’s toughest home game of the season. The Hoosiers are expected to be among the Big Ten’s best teams again (tied for the conference-best 10.5 preseason win total), so a win could drastically change the national perception of Michigan’s season and keep the Wolverines in the playoff mix.
Week 9: at Rutgers (Oct. 31)
Just the second road game of the season will take place on Halloween night, as Michigan travels to New Jersey to take on Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are led by one of the nation’s best running backs in Antwan Raymond (103.42 rushing yards per game in 2025), but Michigan should be able to establish the line of scrimmage early on and grind out another win in Big Ten play.
Week 10: Michigan State (Nov. 7)
Michigan State would love nothing more than to derail Michigan’s season, but the Wolverines will be heavy favorites in the annual in-state rivalry game. The Spartans are projected to be near the bottom of the Big Ten (preseason win total of 4.5) so Michigan should be able to cruise to a fifth straight win over Michigan State and hang onto the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
Week 11: at Oregon (Nov. 14)
The final weeks of the regular season will present Michigan with some of its toughest tests. First off, the Wolverines will travel across the country to face No. 2 Oregon (third-best preseason odds to win the national title, per FanDuel) in a truly hostile atmosphere. On paper, Michigan isn’t nearly as experienced and talented as Oregon, so this has to be penciled in as a loss for now.
Week 12: UCLA (Nov. 21)
If there’s ever been a trap game, this is it. Directly in between Michigan’s biggest games of the season is a matchup with UCLA on Senior Day. UCLA has struggled since joining the Big Ten (6-12 in conference play) but is expected to be much improved this season and could threaten to pull off an upset if Michigan is reeling from a loss at Oregon or gets caught looking ahead to Ohio State.
Week 13: at Ohio State (Nov. 28)
The Game. That’s really all that needs to be said. Whether Michigan has a chance to clinch a berth in the Big Ten Championship or not, legacies are made in this game. Michigan proved it can go to Columbus and beat a heavily-favored Ohio State, but a win over the Buckeyes (preseason favorites to win the national title) seems like a long shot.
Overall season review
Michigan is expected to compete at a high level, but one of the nation’s most difficult schedules leaves very little room for error. The ceiling for the Wolverines is competing for a Big Ten title and spot in the CFP, but it seems more likely that Michigan will fall just short of those goals while just narrowly exceeding FanDuel’s projected win total of 8.5.
Michigan regular season wins odds
- Over 8.5 wins (+152)
- Under 8.5 wins (-188)
Michigan record projection: 9-3
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos