Michigan football is halfway through the 2026 season and is sitting at 4-2 despite being just a score in each of the two losses away from being 6-0. But even before the final play given up to Iowa and the turnovers that gave Minnesota short fields (and the game), the Wolverines were a bit -- uneven -- to say the least.
The Week 1 game against Western Michigan required a controversial ending on a Hail Mary to see the maize and blue win. And against Oklahoma, it was a one-score win, but the Sooners haven't quite been as good as advertised either. While Iowa and Minnesota are perhaps better than expected, the Wolverines are certainly worse, with an offense that still hasn't found a rhythm, though it found one in the second half against Penn State
this past week.
Now the back half of the schedule awaits, and four of the six remaining teams are ranked. ESPN evaluated all of the first-year Power Four coaches, and Kyle Whittingham gets something of a middling grade by analyst Adam Rittenberg.
Michigan needed stability after a tumultuous end to 2025, and while Whittingham has been steady in his leadership, the on-field results have been erratic, beginning with the controversial opening win against Western Michigan. The quarterback switch from Underwood to Carr might spark an offense that at least should be able to run the ball effectively to complement an excellent defense. Whittingham has been here before -- thriving on defense with mixed or poor results on offense -- and will need to see complementary football during a second-half schedule that includes three top 10 opponents (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana and No. 9 UCLA) and Oregon.
Rittenberg also notes that the defense has been a huge positive, while the offense might be on the right track now that Tommy Carr is leading that unit.
We'll know more about what the team will look like when it hosts defending national champion Indiana, which is coming off a self-inflicted loss against Ohio State in Bloomington. Kickoff is set for 12:10 p.m. EDT at The Big House, and the game will be broadcast on Fox.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: ESPN grades Kyle Whittingham's first season at Michigan halfway through
