The Michigan Wolverines' season is not off to the start that most people were hoping for. Expectations changed dramatically after each of the first two games. After a 13-12 win over Western Michigan, expectations were in the dumps.
When Michigan followed that up with a 17-10 win at home over the Oklahoma Sooners, expectations rose again. The expectation was that Michigan would challenge for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Now, expectations are back in the dumps as Michigan is 3-2 after losing to Iowa and Minnesota in back-to-back weeks .
Michigan is entering their bye week in a desperate situation. If they want to make the playoffs, they'll likely have to run the table. To say that is unlikely is probably an understatement. That means this season will end in some form of a disappointment.
That means the list of losers through five weeks is more concerning than our list of winners. Let's start on the positive side.
Smith Snowden was in a competition when he got to Ann Arbor to be the team's starter on the boundary with Zeke Berry. Had he lost that competition he would have moved inside to the nickel spot and received fewer snaps.
He won the competition, and has arguably been Michigan's top cornerback. Yes, he gave up the game-winning touchdown against Iowa. Other than that, he's been rock solid in the passing game. He's physical as a run defender. He's provided leadership on the back end that this group has needed.
He recorded his first interception as a Wolverine on Saturday against Minnesota, and should have plenty of challenges down the stretch to continue to prove his mettle as a cover corner.
The other Utah transfer outside of Snowden was sophomore receiver JJ Buchanan. When he came to Michigan it was unclear if he was going to be a receiver or a tight end. The Wolverines ultimately settled on receiver, and he has been a godsend to their passing game.
Both he and Andrew Marsh may have a chance to threaten 1,000 yards at the end of the season if quarterback Bryce Underwood can play more consistently.
Buchanan is the team's leading receiver and was the hero of Michigan's 13-12 win over Western Michigan as he made the play on their desperation hail mary that allowed them to escape.
Buchanan has been betrayed this year, like most of the passing game by some odd play calling and inconsistent quarterback play, but he has certainly looked the part of a top tier receiver.
If Michigan can figure things out at quarterback, Buchanan and Marsh both make for a nice duo down the stretch of 2026.
Michigan's season has been forgettable thus far thanks to two poor games in conference play, however, what is the biggest play of their season?
That belongs to cornerback Jyaire Hill, who came into the season looking to take the next step to become a shut down corner.
Has he ever been. Hill is hardly targeted, and when he is, he's typically sticky in coverage.
Oklahoma's John Mateer learned that the hard way when he tested Hill on a third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter with The Big House rocking all around him.
Hill stepped in front of the intended receiver and picked off Mateer, returning the ball deep into Oklahoma territory to set up what was the game-winning touchdown.
Hill is going to get drafted in April. The only question is how high will he go. He will have a chance to prove himself against some big time receivers as Michigan goes through the final stretch of its season.
Nichols was the name that was getting all the buzz during the offseason despite the addition of John Henry Daley in the transfer portal.
Nichols was called the team's best pass rusher by multiple offensive linemen, and was proving it early in the season.
Michigan defensive end Dom Nichols celebrates a sack against Western Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Nichols was at the top of the country in pressures after two weeks. A nagging injury has slowed Nichols down a little. He has just 2.5 sacks through five games, all of which came in the first two games of the season. Hopefully a week off can give Nichols some time to heal so he can turn up the heat down the stretch of the regular season.
Bowles has admittedly been up-and-down this season, but the high end flashes are very high. He's the team leader in tackles with 40, and recovered a huge fumble against Oklahoma in their 17-10 win over the Sooners.
Bowles still has some polish that is required, but when he plays fast he looks like he has been shot out of a cannon. Bowles is a senior and is playing like one on the middle of a defense that was looking for some leadership and production at a position that had a lot of question marks coming into the season.
Bowles emerging has made the rest of the group better.
The list of losers is plenty of low hanging fruit, but unfortunately that's the situation that Michigan finds itself in after five games.
Kyle Whittingham was brought in to clean up a program that finished its 2025 season in turmoil thanks to the misgivings of their former head coach.
He was also brought here to win. Make no mistake.
Through five weeks, Whittingham has not won. Michigan is 3-2. They could easily be 2-3. A play or two against Oklahoma breaks the other way and they are 1-4.
Yes, they could also just as easily be 5-0, but they've hardly looked like the team they should be with as much talent that is on the roster.
Whittingham has made a lot of promises. He's said a lot of nice things through his first season as Michigan's head coach. The problem is, those things are not manifesting themselves on the field.
He promised his team would be disciplined when he took over. Michigan is an undisciplined mess that commits too many penalties.
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham next to quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) reacts to 20-19 loss to Iowa at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
He promised his team would clean up the penalties. Michigan still commits too many and struggles to get lined up on a weekly basis.
He promised last week he'd find answers to what ails the Wolverines on offense.
With all the empty promises that have taken place thus far, it's a little hard to take Whittingham at his word at the moment.
The other person mentioned here is the other face of the program, quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Underwood was dubbed the savior of the program after flipping his commitment from LSU to Michigan late in the 2024 season.
Underwood struggled last season, but a lot of that was passed off as playing for an inferior coach without a designated quarterback coach on the staff.
Underwood has, in theory, a better coach on staff. He has a quarterback coach. He still has a lot of bad habits. He still makes a lot of mistakes. He's still too easily rattled.
There is plenty of talent that is evident with Underwood. He still does things that not a lot of people can do with his right arm.
He's not consistent enough at the moment. He has thrown five touchdown passes to just four interceptions.
Jason Beck has used his legs more, but he averages just 3.7 yards-per-carry. He's only truly looked dynamic as a runner on a 38-yard touchdown against Oklahoma that opened the scoring. Outside of that, it's been pretty ho-hum in the run game for the true sophomore.
No, Michigan should not bench him for true freshman Tommy Carr . That sets Carr up to fail, and frankly would be throwing in the towel too soon on a player who was the top recruit in the country for a reason.
They do, however, need Whittingham and Underwood to figure each other out. Both of their futures depend on it.
Jason Beck is not the sole source of the problems that plague Michigan's offense. His offensive line is not as good as it was supposed to be. The run game has been inconsistent, which more on that in a minute.
The passing game is limited, which could be due to limitations from its quarterback and the weapons that are around him. The tight ends have brought virtually nothing to the offense as blockers or receivers.
Michigan offensive coordinator Jason Beck looks on before the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
There is still talent on this roster, and one of the most damning things about Beck is how often Whittingham seems to question him strategically.
That came to a head during Whittingham's radio availability on Monday.
"Okay, so that I would say, first of all, we came out of the gates pretty good running the football," Whittingham said. "We had a couple of real nice runs, and then second half we came out and did the same thing, some downhill stuff, and that popped, five, six, seven, eight yards, and again, schematically, no changes from what they did."
Then came the money part of the quote.
"We just weren't executing as well down the stretch as we needed to, and we just have to be, and we've said this for weeks and weeks, we're more of a downhill team, and I think we got away from that just a little bit, but if we can just continue to be a downhill team, let the offensive line just roll off the ball, that's where we're going to have our most success run in the football."
Whittingham said they're a downhill team . Beck insists on running his team sideways. That's not Jordan Marshall's skill set. That's not Savion Hiter's skill set. His backs are downhill runners. His linemen are maulers who were recruited and molded by Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore.
Ultimately, Michigan's offense is ranked 122nd in the country. When that happens, the top men on the totem pole get the most blame.
Beck, Underwood, and Whittingham all have to get this ship turned in the right direction.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/michigan as Michigan Football Winners and Losers Through Five Weeks of the Regular Season .
