RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesIf media members are correct, Michigan football will likely be on the outside looking in at a third straight College Football Playoff.
The Wolverines were picked to finish fifth under new coach Kyle Whittingham in the USA TODAY media poll released on Monday, July 27, which had 16 voters this time around. Ohio State received the most first place votes (11) and was picked to win the league, followed by Oregon (5). Defending national champion Indiana finished third, but didn't get any first place votes.
Michigan went 9-4 in 2025 and 7-2 in the Big Ten, which was good for a tie for fourth place in the league. It did so with one of the easiest schedules in the conference, but this year the quest for a spot in the Big Ten title game or spot back in the CFP figures to be much harder. U-M plays each of the top three teams in the league, including the top two on the road in November.
OFF THE FIELD: Michigan to pay Warde Manuel more than $7 million as part of buyout
It's hard to know exactly what this Michigan team will be, given significant turnover this offseason, particularly in the coaching staff. U-M has just one coach (Tony Alford, running backs) who's been with U-M in a regular season game and is still on staff. The only other returning coach is special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs, who wasn't hired until last December and only coached the bowl game.
Michigan has an intriguing roster under Whittingham with former five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, a two-headed monster at running back in Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, a deeper wide receiver core led by Andrew Marsh, a defensive line with a potential All-American in John Henry Daley and an experienced secondary with four projected starters in Jyaire Hill, Zeke Berry, Smith Snowden and Rod Moore, who are all proven upperclassmen.
Still, media members don't seem to think it will be enough to have a truly elite season.
The public should start to get a better feeling for this U-M team in the coming weeks. Michigan will meet at the Hilton in Chicago for Big Ten media day on Thursday, July 30 before fall camp opens the next week in early August.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football picked to finish 5th in Big Ten media poll
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.