Whittingham's Michigan Era Opens vs. Western Michigan — SkimNews
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- Kyle Whittingham takes over Michigan's program after guiding Utah to 21 winning records in 22 seasons, opening Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET against in-state foe Western Michigan at Michigan Stadium.
- Lance Moore enters his third season leading Western Michigan, which comes in as the defending MAC champion.
- Michigan is a 27.5-point favorite over Western Michigan with a 49.5-point over/under and has never lost in eight all-time meetings between the teams.
- The SportsLine Projection Model, upgraded for 2026 to better factor in the transfer portal, simulated the game 10,000 times and projects the Under at 52%, with 48 combined points.
- Michigan QB Bryce Underwood threw 11 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions last season, when Michigan ranked 11th in Big Ten scoring offense.
- Western Michigan scored just 6 total points across two games against Big Ten opponents last season.
Why it matters: Whittingham inherits a Michigan offense that finished 11th in Big Ten scoring last year and a QB (Underwood) who threw 11 TDs against 9 INTs — explaining why the model still projects just 48 combined points despite a 27.5-point spread in the opener.
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