The 2026 Michigan Wolverines’ schedule was officially announced on Tuesday. Michigan does have an advantage with eight home games, but there will still be plenty of challenges in Kyle Whittingham’s first season.
The 2026 season is a long ways away, and it’s very difficult to gauge how a season will go at this point. Still, let’s take a look at the schedule and make some early predictions for the Wolverines’ 2026 campaign.
Week 1: vs. Western Michigan
Michigan will start the season with an easy one, as Western Michigan will be
coming to Ann Arbor. It’s not too early to know the Wolverines are going to win this game.
Record: 1-0
Week 2: vs. Oklahoma
Michigan went to Oklahoma in Week 2 last season, and it was a difficult early-season matchup. Like that game, the 2026 edition is massive. The Wolverines can afford two regular season losses and still make the College Football Playoff. If one of those losses comes in Week 2, the odds of making the CFP are going to drop drastically. This is the first big test of the Whittingham era, and the home crowd will help Michigan get the win. This victory will signify that positive change has made its way to the program.
Record: 2-0
Week 3: vs. UTEP
Michigan will round out non-conference play with a home matchup against UTEP. This one shouldn’t present any challenges.
Record: 3-0
Week 4: vs. Iowa
The Wolverines will get Big Ten play started with a home game against Iowa. The Hawkeyes had a very promising season in 2025 and were a couple of plays away from being a playoff team. They will be a tough out as well, but Michigan will survive at home.
Record: 4-0
Week 5: @ Minnesota
The first road game of the season will be in Minneapolis against the Golden Gophers. The Little Brown Jug will be on the line, and this one could potentially be a trap game. It will be closer than fans will be hoping for, but it will be a win nonetheless.
Record: 5-0
Week 6: Bye week
Week 7: vs. Penn State
Going into the bye undefeated would be huge for Michigan, as the remaining schedule presents numerous daunting challenges. The first one might be against Penn State. This is one of the hardest matchups to predict, as it’s very hard to know how good the Nittany Lions will be next season. I expect Penn State to get back to contending in the Big Ten under Matt Campbell, but Michigan will get the win in this matchup.
Record: 6-0
Week 8: vs. Indiana
This is certainly one of the biggest tests of the 2026 season, as the defending national champs will come to town on Oct. 24. If this ends up being a battle of undefeated teamss, it will be one of the biggest games of the season. Unfortunately, I think this is where the Wolverines suffer their first loss.
Record: 6-1
Week 9: @ Rutgers
After matchups against Penn State and Indiana, the Wolverines should get an easy one against Rutgers on Halloween. However, the Scarlet Knights aren’t what they once were. This won’t be a 78-0 win like in 2016, but Michigan will leave Piscataway victorious.
Record: 7-1
Week 10: vs. Michigan State
A new era of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry will begin on Nov. 7 with Whittingham and Pat Fitzgerald squaring off for the first time. Fitzgerald certainly has a steeper hill to climb, and his first edition of the rivalry will end in defeat. The Wolverines will win their fifth game in a row against the Spartans.
Record: 8-1
Week 11: @ Oregon
Michigan will make its first trip to Eugene since Oregon joined the Big Ten in Week 11. The Ducks were one of the best teams in college football this past season, and they are expected to be a national title contender next year as well with Dante Moore returning for his senior year. Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in college football, and the Wolverines are going to see that up close. Michigan drops its second game of the year.
Record: 8-2
Week 12: vs. UCLA
UCLA started off the 2025 season poorly, but improvements were made throughout the year. The Bruins should be better next season, but they aren’t going to come into Ann Arbor and win.
Record: 9-2
Week 13: @ Ohio State
If Michigan once again goes into The Game with a 9-2 record, its playoff hopes will hinge on that contest yet again. We can always bank on the Buckeyes being one of the best teams in the country, and it seems unlikely the Wolverines go into Columbus and leave victorious. Ohio State wins The Game for a second straight year.
Record: 9-3
If Michigan beats Oklahoma in Week 2, the door is open for a CFP run. There are a lot of tricky games down the stretch, but the Wolverines have good talent. It will be interesting to see if they can make a run, but right now, a 9-3 record seems like the most likely outcome.
