When it comes to Michigan football in 2026, very few on a national scale are even discussing the Wolverines -- except to call them overrated. Now you can apparently add 'potential fraud' to the list.
Our mothership over at USA TODAY Sports put together a list of teams that might not live up to the lofty preseason expectations
. And while there are some obvious answers that they correctly have identified -- such as LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech -- somehow, the maize and blue are catching some strays.Here's what they had to say about Michigan football entering 2026 and why it might be overrated.
The No. 16 Wolverines lucked out in getting Kyle Whittingham to help reset the program, and they are one of the teams outside the obvious Big Ten favorites
that can sneak its way into the field. That will be tough to do with a monstrous schedule awaiting Michigan. Having Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State all on the schedule is simply too much to think the Wolverines can manage the slate without a loaded roster, and there's a realistic chance Michigan can finish 7-5 or 6-6 in a very disappointing campaign. Whittingham was never able to get Utah to the promised land in his two decades there, and he likely has to wait to do it in Ann Arbor.
The premise isn't inaccurate in that the schedule is potentially daunting and if things don't come together, it could equal a disappointing season. However, coming off a 9-3 season with a beleaguered coaching staff and one of the youngest rosters in the country, there's more reason to believe that the Wolverines' star is pointing up rather than down.
Plus, while Michigan is ranked, it's hard to call it overrated, since it appears to be an afterthought for most, outside of rivalry talking heads who are just about the only ones who can't stop discussing the Wolverines, outside of the media dedicated to covering the team.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: USA TODAY names Michigan football a potential CFP 'fraud' in 2026
