Michigan's rebuild under a brand-new head coach gets an early test against the one team that always seems to make things ugly.
Bush’s Picks
IOWAMICH
IOWAMICH
OverUnder
Best BetMichigan
Michigan's talent gap at quarterback is significant with Underwood entering year two as a starter against a Hawkeyes team still sorting out its QB competition in real time. Iowa's defense keeps this from being a laugher, but backing the Hawkeyes to win outright means betting a shaky offense finds a way against a defense that just got an infusion of transfer talent. Take Michigan here even amid the coaching transition.
Iowa
+Defense projected top 15-20 nationally despite losses
+Ferentz stability, 28th season running the program
+New OC Tim Lester could spark stagnant offense
−QB battle between Brown and Hecklinski unresolved
−Lost several defensive starters up front, safety
−Offense has underwhelmed for years under Ferentz
Michigan
+Bryce Underwood returns as unquestioned sophomore starter
+Whittingham brought wave of Utah transfer talent
+Top-15 recruiting class headlined by two 5-stars
−First year under brand-new head coach Whittingham
−Lost RB Justice Haynes, other pieces to portal
−Program still dealing with Moore firing fallout
The last time these two shared a field, Michigan blanked Iowa 26-0 in the Big Ten Championship on the way to a national title, and the Hawkeyes' offense looked every bit as broken as it usually does against good defenses. Fast forward to this Friday, September 25, and Michigan is an entirely different program on the sideline even if the roster's centerpiece is the same. Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, returns as QB1 for his sophomore year, except now he's playing for Kyle Whittingham instead of the coach who recruited him.
Whittingham took over after Sherrone Moore was fired for cause in December, and he didn't come alone. He brought a wave of former Utah players with him, restocking a roster that also lost pieces like running back Justice Haynes to the portal. That's a lot of new faces meshing with a five-star quarterback in year one, and how quickly that group gels will say a lot about whether Michigan is a finished product or still under construction in late September.
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IOWA Iowa
MICH Michigan
Iowa's side of this is the more familiar story. Kirk Ferentz is entering his 28th season, still the most stable program in the conference even as his staff shuffles around him, with Tim Lester stepping in to try to jumpstart an offense that's underwhelmed for years. The bigger question in Iowa City has been who's actually taking snaps, with Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski reportedly splitting reps evenly through spring ball and no depth chart set. Whoever wins that job walks into Michigan Stadium against a defense that just got a talent transfusion of its own.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Sep 19?vs Northern Iowa—
Sep 12?vs Iowa State—
Sep 5?vs Northern Illinois—
Michigan Wolverines
Sep 19?vs UTEP—
Sep 12?vs Oklahoma—
Sep 5?vs Western Michigan—
Recent form.
The Hawkeyes' calling card is still defense, and reports out of Iowa City suggest that unit stays in the top 15-20 nationally even after losing key pieces up front and at safety, with DB Zach Lutmer tabbed as the breakout name to know. That's the version of Iowa that keeps every game close no matter who they're playing or how bad the offense looks. Michigan's counter is Underwood himself, a quarterback talented enough to create points against a defense that's historically allergic to giving them up.
Iowa Hawkeyes
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Michigan Wolverines
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
This is exactly the kind of game Iowa has made a habit of turning into a slog. New coach, new system, new faces on both sides of the ball in Ann Arbor, and Ferentz sending a defense that can still hang with anybody in the league. If Michigan's transition is further along than expected, this could be a statement outing for Underwood. If it isn't, Iowa's happy to make it ugly and grind out four quarters.
