...
By Matthew Davis
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Michigan started the streak of three consecutive national champions from the Big Ten, but College Football analyst Paul Finebaum of ESPN has a hard take on the Wolverines this year.
Finebaum believes the Wolverines are done being a national power for now, and he brought up the past sign-stealing scandal that marred the 2023 championship. The NCAA fined Michigan but didn’t vacate the national title.
Time and Michigan’s recent basketball prowess have dwarfed memories of the Wolverines’ gridiron title season. Michigan is also on its third football coach in four years.
Read More on NCAA
“I’m well aware Michigan won the national championship in basketball,” Finebaum said during The Paul Finebaum Show on June 26. “Not that that’s really a big issue here, but I don’t really take Michigan that seriously in football right now. And maybe, maybe that will change under Kyle Whittingham, but it’s hard — just hard to get much emotion.”
...
Whittingham takes over after the off-field legal issues with former head coach Sherrone Moore, which led to his termination this year. Michigan went 9-4 last season with a highly touted quarterback in Bryce Underwood, but the Wolverines also play in a conference that’s loaded with recent College Football Playoff teams in Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon and Penn State.
“Once (Jim) Harbaugh left, it felt like that program just flatlined,” Finebaum said. “They’re just not that relevant. And I’m sorry. I can’t get upset about Michigan. They cheated and stole a national championship three years ago.”
Harbaugh coached that Wolverines championship team before he left for the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. Michigan came back to earth after that 15-0 season with an 8-5 record in 2024 under Moore.
While Michigan ranks in the top 12 in the 247 Sports and ESPN recruiting rankings, the Wolverines have shown clear signs of rebuilding over the past two years. The Athletic placed Michigan at No. 16 in its preseason poll on June 2, a sign that the Wolverines could have a hard time making the CFP in 2026.
Whether or not that means Michigan is no longer relevant or a national power is another question. The Wolverines get an early test on Sept. 12 against Oklahoma to prove is Finebaum is correct on his assessment.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines