For Michigan, this spring is about alignment—bringing together a new staff, developing elite talent, and preparing for a season where expectations never seem to dip.

Kyle Whittingham’s First Spring in Ann Arbor

Spring practice marks the first opportunity for head coach Kyle Whittingham to fully implement his vision with the Wolverines. While Whittingham’s reputation has long been built on toughness, discipline, and fundamentally sound football, spring ball is where those traits begin to take shape on the field.

For players, the early weeks of spring can be an adjustment. New terminology, new practice tempo, and new expectations are all part of the process when a coaching staff changes. But Whittingham’s approach has historically emphasized physicality and accountability—two things that tend to resonate quickly with veteran players.

The Wolverines built their identity in recent years on a strong running game and a physical defense. Under Whittingham, those pillars are expected to remain intact. What will be interesting to watch this spring is how Michigan blends its traditional style with the ideas of a new offensive staff.

Bryce Underwood’s Critical Second Spring

While coaching transitions often dominate the headlines, the development of quarterback Bryce Underwood may be the most important storyline of the entire spring.

Underwood arrived in Ann Arbor with enormous expectations as arguably the most highly touted quarterback recruit in program history. His freshman season provided flashes of why he was so coveted: elite arm talent, athleticism, and the confidence to make difficult throws.

But the biggest jump for many quarterbacks comes between their first and second seasons in a program.

This second spring will allow Underwood to take on a much different role than he had a year ago. Instead of learning the basics of college football and adjusting to the speed of the game, he now has a year of experience in the system, a full offseason in the weight program, and a clearer understanding of what it takes to lead a Big Ten program.

Spring practices will give him valuable reps with the first-team offense, time to build chemistry with receivers, and an opportunity to take command in the huddle. Coaches often talk about quarterbacks “owning” the offense, and this is the stage of development where that typically begins.

If Underwood takes the expected leap, Michigan’s offensive ceiling rises significantly.

Jason Beck Brings a New Offensive Direction

Helping guide that development will be new offensive coordinator Jason Beck, whose arrival adds another intriguing element to Michigan’s spring.

Every coordinator brings his own philosophy, and spring practice is where the initial framework of that system begins to take shape. For Beck, the challenge will be balancing innovation with what has historically worked for Michigan.

The Wolverines have long leaned on physical offensive line play and a productive rushing attack. But with a quarterback like Underwood, there is also the opportunity to expand the passing game and create more explosive plays.

Spring practice will likely be filled with experimentation. Coaches will test formations, evaluate personnel groupings, and determine which players best fit specific roles in Beck’s system. It’s also the time when younger players can emerge and force their way into the rotation.

While the playbook won’t be fully revealed until the fall, these early practices often hint at how an offense will evolve.

Position Battles and Emerging Talent

Beyond the quarterback and coaching storylines, spring football always brings competition across the roster.

Depth chart battles are common during this period, especially at positions where Michigan lost veteran leadership. Offensive line combinations will be tested, young receivers will try to earn trust, and defensive players will look to prove they belong in the two-deep rotation.

For younger players, spring practice is often the first real opportunity to show they can contribute. With 15 practices and a spring game at the end of the schedule, coaches get an extended look at players in live situations.

It’s also a time when the coaching staff begins identifying future leaders within the locker room.

Building Toward the Fall

Spring football rarely provides definitive answers, but it often reveals the direction of a program.

For Michigan, the 2026 spring period represents a fresh chapter. A respected head coach is establishing his culture. A highly talented quarterback is entering a crucial stage of development. And a new offensive coordinator is laying the foundation for what the Wolverines hope will be a dynamic attack.

By the time the spring game arrives, fans may not know exactly what the finished product will look like in the fall. But they should have a much clearer sense of the identity Michigan is trying to build.

And in a program where expectations remain as high as ever, that identity will matter just as much as the results that follow.

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Indiana, the reigning national champion, sits at the center of the storm. The Hoosiers’ rise under Curt Cignetti from plucky spoiler to full‑fledged powerhouse has already rewritten the conference hierarchy, and the league wasted no time testing their staying power. Their midseason stretch—Ohio State at home, Michigan on the road, USC in Bloomington, and Washington in Seattle—reads like a referendum on whether last year’s magic was a coronation or a prelude. The Oct. 17 rematch with Ohio State, a reprise of the 2025 Big Ten Championship, may be the most anticipated game in the conference this fall. Bloomington has become a fortress, but the Buckeyes arrive with a roster built to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs.

Ohio State and Ryan Day, for their part, face a schedule that feels almost punitive. A November showdown with Oregon looms as a potential top‑five clash, the kind of game that can swing a first‑round bye in the expanded playoff. The Ducks and Dan Lanning, who have embraced their Big Ten identity with a mix of swagger and steel, face their own gantlet: at USC, at Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington all in the same season. It’s the kind of lineup that tests not just talent, but depth, conditioning, and the ability to survive the cumulative weight of elite competition.

Michigan, meanwhile, enters a new era under new head coach Kyle Whittingham with a schedule that offers both opportunity and peril. A November trip to Autzen Stadium—where the Wolverines haven’t won in more than half a century—could define their season. And, of course, “THE GAME” remains the league’s gravitational center. No matter how the standings look by late November, Michigan‑Ohio State will once again carry playoff implications, coaching‑staff scrutiny, and the emotional heft of a rivalry that refuses to soften.

Elsewhere, the league’s newcomers continue to shape the landscape. USC and Lincoln Riley, temporarily (at least that is the hope) without the annual Notre Dame anchor, must navigate a cross‑country slate that includes October trips to Happy Valley and Madison. Washington’s late‑season date with Indiana could carry unexpected weight. Illinois and Bret Bielema, quietly building momentum, hosts Oregon, Nebraska, and Iowa in a stretch that could determine whether the Illini are ready to step into the league’s second tier.

And then there’s Penn State, the beneficiary of a favorable rotation that avoids Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon altogether. In a league where survival often feels like success, the Nittany Lions may find themselves in the enviable position of controlling their own destiny. Even without those 2025 playoff participants, new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell will have his share of challenges in October, when USC visits on October 10th and the Nittany Lions travel to Ann Arbor on October 17th.

What makes the 2026 schedule so compelling is not just the star power, but the stakes. The Big Ten has produced three straight national champions, and the path to a fourth winds through stadiums packed with playoff hopefuls, Heisman candidates, and coaching staffs under pressure to deliver. Every Saturday feels oversized. Every loss feels heavier. Every win feels like a step toward something monumental.

In a conference defined by tradition but reshaped by expansion, the 2026 season promises clarity. By Thanksgiving, we’ll know which programs have adapted to the new order—and which are still clinging to the old one. The schedule offers no hiding places. Only collision points. Only truth.

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The rivalry has seen plenty of twists. This one feels genealogical.

Meyer elevated Day quickly during his Ohio State tenure, trusting him with the offense and, eventually, the program itself. Day modernized the Buckeyes without abandoning the core tenets he absorbed under Meyer: tempo, precision, and relentless roster building. His teams have remained national contenders, and his lone meeting with Whittingham — the 2022 Rose Bowl — produced a 48–45 thriller.

Whittingham’s path is longer and more surprising. He spent two seasons as Meyer’s defensive coordinator at Utah, helping build the undefeated 2004 team that launched Meyer into national prominence. When Meyer left for Florida, he recommended Whittingham as his successor — a decision that shaped Utah football for two decades. Whittingham delivered championships, top‑25 finishes, and a reputation for toughness that Meyer himself repeatedly praised.

Now he arrives at Michigan, charged with stabilizing a program in transition. And he’ll do it using many of the same principles that once powered Meyer’s 7–0 run against the Wolverines.

That’s the irony: Michigan, long tormented by Meyer’s Ohio State teams, is now turning to one of Meyer’s protégés to rebuild. Ohio State, meanwhile, continues under another branch of the same tree.

Day and Whittingham share a mentor, but not a style. Day is an offensive technician; Whittingham is a defensive craftsman. Their philosophies diverge, but their roots intertwine — and that shared lineage adds a new layer to a rivalry already rich with history.

When they meet as head coaches of Ohio State and Michigan, it won’t just be another edition of The Game. It will be a collision of two branches of Urban Meyer’s legacy, shaping the rivalry he once dominated.

In a sport defined by tradition, this is a twist even Meyer might not have scripted.

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Barnes took over for injured Cameron Rising, who’s dealt with a knee injury that’s kept him sidelined since last season’s Rose Bowl. Head coach Kyle Whittingham decided to shut down Rising for the remainder of the season, and that has allowed Barnes a chance to play his own way. 

“I just think the way just he’s operating now, he never was not confident but he seems very sure of himself and very confident in what he’s doing,” Whittingham said. “Really taking charge, just running the team like a quarterback should run it. That ‘it factor’ of being a leader on the field is really starting to manifest for him. And obviously, getting the full allotment of the No. 1 reps now that we know the situation helped him last week as well. So a combination of those things.” 

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Barnes first started the season against Florida and went 12-of-18 for 159 passing yards and a touchdown. It was enough of a performance to set the tone going forward. 

He followed with a subliminal performance at Baylor, throwing an interception and completing just 31.6% of his passes. 

But after not playing against Weber State and getting back in the groove of things against Cal — he threw for 128 yards in the win against the Golden Bears — Barnes is taking the reins of starting quarterback well. 

“Big step forward. He seems to get better each week,” Whittingham said. “He completed over 60% of his balls (last week). He did have the one pick-six and I know he would’ve wanted it back but did a very nice job of running the offense and taking care of the ball except for the one play. And he just seems to continue to grow and develop which is a good thing that obviously is a big positive for us.” 

Barnes threw for a career-high 235 yards and three touchdowns last week against USC. It helped the Utes pick up a quality win on the road, and among Barnes’ few blemishes included a pick-six. 

Utah has dealt with a number of injuries to its current roster. Tight end Brant Kuithe had surgery to repair a torn right ACL and meniscus a year after catching three touchdowns and into his captaincy this season. 

Whittingham said players like Rising and Kuithe can and will remain with the team and travel, and he wishes them well as they recover from injury. 

“We certainly wish they could have been with us. I mean, they’re really good players,” Whittingham said. “They’re two guys that really add to what we’re doing and two of the best players in the Pac 12. But the uncertainty, I don’t want to say it was distraction, but things are settled now and more of a settled feeling and knowing exactly going forward that they’re not going to be available helps us operate and plan in a little different way.” 

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The Utes will be the center of the college football world this week in their ranked matchup with No. 8 Oregon. 

Whittingham said he’ll “have a heavier load in some things” when it comes to game planning. He has his starting quarterback in Barnes behind him, and now the Utes will look to continue their winning ways against a high-powered Ducks offense that leads the Pac-12 in scoring offense. 

“We try to keep the players in as normal of a routine and not break that,” Whittingham said. “There’s going to be a guy or two that’s going to have a little bit extra on his plate but it’s great for the team as far as knowing that, ‘Hey, we’re the center of the college football universe this week,’ I guess. And it’s a very it’s a positive thing for them and a reward of sorts, I guess you could say. For the community, it’s awesome. The university, I mean, bring exposure to our brand and just the university community in general. So I think it’s a win all across the board.” 

The post Barnes ‘really taking charge,’ demonstrating ‘it factor’ as Utah QB  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 8 Oregon will meet No. 13 Utah on the road, and the Ducks are looking to build on their 38-24 win over Washington State which served as a bounce-back measure after falling in a top-10 bout with Washington. 

PODCAST: Do we have any more clarity after some major week eight decisions?

There are also 12 ranked teams that will play on the road in addition to Oregon, and the group includes No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State. No. 2 Michigan is on a bye. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas 

The top team in the Big 12 Conference will hit the road and challenge one team looking to play spoiler to their undefeated season. 

A 7-0 Oklahoma squad is set for its third road game of the season against the Jayhawks, who are doing a bit of searching after losing their second of three outings last week. 

The Sooners avoided upset last week against UCF, defeating the Knights 31-29 after trailing 23-17 in the fourth quarter. 

This week, they’ll face the No. 7 total offense in the Big 12 that averages 443.1 yards per game. Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean has taken over under center for Jalon Daniels, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and Bean passed for 410 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions last week at Oklahoma State. 

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is impressed with how dynamic Kansas’ offense can be, and he expects a number of ways the Jayhawks will attack Oklahoma’s defense, which is the No. 1 scoring defense in the Big 12 holding opposition to 16.1 points per game. 

“There’s a lot going on from an eye candy standpoint,” Venables said. “One of the most explosive offenses, explosive runs and explosive passes in all of college football. And so again, we’ve got to do a great job of playing with discipline and gap integrity and then staying on top of everything, leveraging routes in the back end, so that they don’t have this great balance, and that’s the challenge of all of that.” 

No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah 

This week’s premier matchup focuses on the Pac-12 and the stipulations behind the Oregon-Utah matchup. 

Both teams enter with one loss in conference play already. They’re chasing Washington and USC in the standings, and both Oregon and Utah have proven worthy threats to the Pac-12 crown. 

Oregon has the top scoring offense in the Pac-12 and leads in rushing offense behind an average of 226.9 yards per game. Receiver Troy Franklin is second in the conference with 109.7 receiving yards per game. 

The Ducks defense is stout, too. They hold opponents to 312.6 yards per game. 

“There is no weakness. They’re a complete team,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “Big game in the conference picture. They’re a one-loss team as are we, so both our backs are to the wall and it should be a hopefully a great football game.” 

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Whittingham said he’s long been impressed with the way Oregon quarterback Bo Nix plays, particularly with “the way he just leads and competes every week.” 

“He’s a tremendous player,” Whittingham said. “But the thing I like about him most is his competitiveness and his leadership, and I saw that at Auburn. I saw him play one game at Auburn. I was watching an SEC game a couple of, what was it, three years ago I guess now in the ’21 season, and saw this guy. I thought, ‘Who is that guy? He’s just making plays and just an absolute field general of the team and it was him and so I’ve had a strong opinion of how good he is for several years.” 

No. 20 Duke at No. 18 Louisville 

In a matchup between two teams looking to bounce back from losses, there are plenty of Atlantic Coast Conference championship implications between Duke and Louisville this week. 

North Carolina suffered its first loss of the season last week to unranked Virginia, and the Tar Heels currently are tied for second in the ACC with Louisville. Duke sits tied for fourth place. 

Louisville boasts the No. 4 scoring offense in the ACC behind an average of 34.1 points per game, while Duke holds the top scoring defense in the conference holding opponents to 13.9 points per game. 

The Blue Devils are searching for a win amid their quarterback dealing with injury. Riley Leonard suffered a shoulder injury against Notre Dame in September, and he played last week against the Seminoles going 7-for-16 with 69 pass yards and an interception. 

READ: Big Board: Week 9

Duke is also looking to get back in the win column after losing its second game in its past three contests. Head coach Mike Elko said he’s not concerned with the way the Blue Devils have handled themselves in defeat. 

“The one thing I don’t question about this group is response,” Elko said. “We’re wired in a really good way right now in that locker room because those kids understand that they’ve got a very small window to represent Duke football and they want to try to take advantage of it as best they can, so I’m not worried about our response. I’m more worried about can we stop this Louisville offense and can we make enough plays on our side to win the football game.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 9  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

That number is two fewer than last week, as North Carolina and Penn State both dropped their first games of the season. 

PODCAST: Do we have any more clarity after some major week eight decisions?

The lone 8-0 team is No. 2 Michigan, and the Wolverines have held their spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll each week this season. Michigan is No. 1 in scoring defense in the NCAA holding opponents to 5.88 points per game. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 8 to Week 9. 

Tony Elliott, Virginia 

The Cavaliers added a notch under their belt with a 31-27 defeat of the then-No. 10 Tar Heels. 

It served as a milestone victory under second-year head coach Tony Elliott, who previously served as the offensive coordinator at Clemson. He’s no stranger to a big game. 

So after receiver Malik Washington hauled in the go-ahead touchdown and James Jackson intercepted North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, Elliott and Virginia enjoyed plenty of celebration after the game. 

“It’s awesome,” Elliott said. “For me, it’s really just the sounds, the smiles, the smell, just everything about it being present in the moment, and that’s what you coach for is an opportunity to see your guys celebrate victory and more so just a confirmation of all the work that they put in. The belief that they that they had for 60 minutes, just the hard days that they’ve been through to all culminate to experience that joy in the locker room. So it’s an experience that’s hard to describe but that’s why you coach to see these young men experience joy like that.” 

Greg Schiano, Rutgers 

The Scarlet Knights are going bowling. 

Head coach Greg Schiano and Rutgers clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014 after beating Indiana on the road 31-14. The Scarlet Knights were a COVID replacement team in the Gator Bowl in 2020. 

Schiano was seen in the locker room postgame delivering a long-awaited message to the Scarlet Knights team. 

“Nothing matters to us. We just stay on that spot, right? This is a big, big step for the program. There’s no doubt about it guys, right? It’s been a while this program’s been bowl eligible. What did I say?” Schiano said. “So that feels good. I can’t tell you how proud I am of the way you guys fought through eight straight weeks, the eighth week being on the road after an emotional win. All the things that coaches lose sleep over. You son of a guns. You battled together. Let’s have a little celebration on this plate ride home.” 

Kyle Whittingham, Utah 

Utah has had USC’s number over the past two seasons. 

The Utes earned another victory over the Trojans on Saturday, their fourth-consecutive dating back to the 2020 season. 

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The Trojans had their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams under center for them this time around, and Utah was without starting quarterback Cam Rising who has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to injury. 

Utah backup Bryson Barnes did his best to outduel Williams, throwing for 235 yards, three touchdowns and an interception to Williams’ 256 yards and 70.6% completion. 

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham affirmed belief in Barnes after the game. 

“They got a Heisman Trophy-winner at quarterback and so they’re going to make some things and that’s just the way it is, but we got ourselves a pig farmer at quarterback so we’re proud of that guy too and they love him,” Whittingham said. 

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