5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Updated: Dec. 30, 2025, 10:24 a.m.
- Published: Dec. 30, 2025, 10:17 a.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. — A chaotic period of December is group to travel to a adjacent Wednesday, erstwhile Michigan shot yet takes nan section to play a game.
Since its past game, a 27-9 nonaccomplishment to Ohio State, nan schoolhouse fired caput coach Sherrone Moore for engaging successful an inappropriate narration pinch a staffer, launched a probe of nan diversion department, and hired 66-year-old seasoned coach Kyle Whittingham.
As you tin imagine, distractions person tally rampant for everyone, players and coaches alike, arsenic uncertainty remains. Which explains why interim coach Biff Poggi has downplayed expectations heading into Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas (3 p.m., ABC).
“A triumph would beryllium icing connected nan cake,” Poggi said Tuesday during a news convention previewing nan game. “The existent triumph for america has been nan measurement these kids person handled adversity. The measurement they’ve travel to believe each day. The measurement they person conscionable had to isolate themselves from nan onslaught of extracurricular noise.
“We’re coming to win, but we consciousness for illustration we’ve sewage a batch of bully things that person happened these past 3 weeks astatine nan University of Michigan.”
Poggi was tasked pinch steering nan vessel arsenic Michigan spent nan past mates of weeks searching for a caller coach. He said his attraction was little connected believe and much connected being a sounding board, providing assurance and clarity for players stuck successful limbo. Practices person been shorter and livelier.
Three players person opted retired to commencement preparing for nan NFL draft, while Poggi expects nan number of Michigan players to beryllium retired Wednesday’s crippled to beryllium person to 12 to 15 owed to injuries. Max Bredeson, Justice Haynes, Davis Warren and Rod Moore stay sidelined and unavailable, while starting correct tackle Andrew Sprague and reserve protect backmost Mason Curtis were successful thoroughfare apparel each week astatine practice.
“Look, it’s nan Citrus Bowl and you’re playing against nan University of Texas, nan preseason No. 1 squad successful nan state who, successful my opinion, should person gotten 1 of those (playoff) bids,” Poggi said. “Our kids are looking guardant to playing, and if you can’t get excited to play against Texas, past you mightiness beryllium successful nan incorrect sport.”
Michigan went 9-3 this twelvemonth and missed retired connected nan 12-team playoff itself, pinch regular-season losses to Oklahoma, Southern Cal and Ohio State, each by comfortable margins. The Wolverines besides won immoderate nail-biters against Purdue and Northwestern, overcoming self-inflicted mistakes to enactment successful nan title until nan last week.
But a nonaccomplishment to nan Buckeyes sent Michigan into a tailspin, pinch its caput coach fired a mates of weeks later, jailed connected charges of third-degree location invasion, stalking and breaking and entering. Players and unit became collateral damage, mounting nan shape for a period of turmoil.
On Wednesday, nan Wolverines return nan section astatine Camping World Stadium 1 past clip nether nan existent regime. Change is coming and everyone knows it. The Citrus Bowl will springiness nan squad 1 past changeable of normalcy, a truth not mislaid connected Poggi.
“It’s astir nan players,” Poggi said. “It’s because of nan player. A triumph would beryllium great. We’re going to effort our best, I tin guarantee you that. We’re going to play hard.
“But I don’t deliberation what these kids person done nan past 3 weeks tin beryllium overlooked successful immoderate respect.”
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Aaron McMann is nan main hit writer covering nan University of Michigan shot programme for MLive Media Group, wherever he's worked since 2014. He went from covering precocious schoolhouse sports successful nan Flint area to a...
