ORLANDO, Fla. — After all the preseason excitement, all of the hype around freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and the talk of how the No. 18 Michigan football team could make strides in Sherrone Moore’s second year, the Wolverines are ending their season with a matchup against No. 13 Texas in the Citrus Bowl.
Expectations were high, but nine wins and three losses later, Michigan ultimately beat the teams it was expected to and didn’t manage much more.
What wasn’t included in preseason predictions was former coach Sherrone Moore’s scandalous dismissal from the program, which kickstarted a turbulent December that included the Wolverines promoting coordinators to elevated positions for Wednesday’s game, shortening practices and hiring Utah’s Kyle Whittingham as head coach. Whittingham has already pledged to upheave most of the coaching staff, so Michigan’s game versus the Longhorns will mark the end of the careers for many offensive and defensive coordinators and assistants.
For the final game of what could still be considered the ‘Sherrone Moore era’ of Michigan football, as his fingerprints still mark the program through certain staff hires and recruits, here’s what to watch for:
Can Bryce Underwood and Arch Manning end the season on a high note?
Forever ago, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was the incoming No. 1 overall recruit and Texas quarterback Arch Manning — also a No. 1 overall recruit back in 2023 — was the preseason Heisman favorite. The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is not the destination either hoped for.
But for all the gargantuan individual expectations Underwood’s reported NIL package and Manning’s name created — that both fell short of as first-year starters — they have a final opportunity to showcase a season’s worth of development.
“Arch Manning, first of all, really, what that young man is, the way he’s carried himself (under a) pretty intense spotlight is just amazing,” Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi said Tuesday. “And credit his family, to Steve, the coaching staff. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s everything they say he is.”
Manning experienced growing pains to begin the year. But since the Longhorns’ Red River Rivalry win, Manning has found his stride, throwing 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions across the final seven games.
Already having announced his return to Texas, Manning has a final opportunity Wednesday to prove that a year of his development has positioned the Longhorns well for 2026. And against the Wolverines’ secondary, that proved fallible to Ohio State, Manning and his young receiving corps can see how they stack up.
“We’re talking about Arch, Arch is in year three. Bryce is a true freshman,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said. “And so a credit to them, and to go win nine games as a true freshman quarterback. And I get it, there’s going to be some adversity along the way, throughout a season as a true freshman quarterback. But the stick-to-it-ness for him, obviously very gifted, very talented young man.”
The young Underwood struggled most in big games and, in particular, in the finale against Ohio State. But before that outing, Underwood appeared to be hitting his stride with 200-yard games against Northwestern and Maryland. Against Texas, Underwood can demonstrate that his last performance was just a fluke against the nation’s best defense.
The game more than likely won’t come down to just the performances of Underwood and Manning. But their multi-million dollar deals to play quarterback for two of the sport’s biggest brands — and their underwhelming seasons — make them the focus of the game nonetheless.
Will Michigan be able to take advantage of Texas’ opt-outs?
Entering the Citrus Bowl, Texas already has a clear soft spot. It isn’t necessarily found in the X’s and O’s, but rather the lack thereof. In comparison to Michigan, which has just three confirmed starters opting out of the bowl game, the Longhorns are losing several key players, creating significant holes in both their starting offensive and defensive personnel.
Texas has felt the impact immediately, having to adjust practices to accommodate its depleted roster.
“We’ve had to adjust kind of our practice format because of the numbers being down,” Sarkisian said Tuesday. “… One thing that we’ve done (has) been a little bit more servicing of each other, from offense to defense, defense to offense, as opposed to (the) scout team. It’s been great for me because it’s allowed me to see the whole team all practice long, as opposed to being separate offense and defense and doing things simultaneously.”
While this altered practice format has allowed Sarkisian to scout out which youngsters on his roster can step up to mend the gaps, it doesn’t change the fact that the Longhorns’ key powerhouses from the season will be absent.
The most notable area of impact will be Texas’ run game. Albeit not the Longhorns’ strength this season, they’re losing significant power on the ground with running backs Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter opting out and entering the transfer portal. Wisner led the team in rushing yards this season with 643 yards on 131 attempts, while Baxter ranked third on the roster with 203 yards on 54 attempts.
However, that’s not the only offensive area where Texas is losing personnel. In terms of the passing game, Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. is also opting out and entering the transfer portal. Moore ranked second on their roster in receiving yards this season with 38 receptions for 532 yards. While Texas still has many receivers that can step up to the plate, the Wolverines are retaining key secondary players like defensive backs Brandyn Hillman, TJ Metcalf and Jyaire Hill, who could capitalize on that lapse.
Looking at the other side of the ball, the Longhorns are losing some of their top defensive personnel in defensive back Michael Taffe and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr, who opted out and declared for the NFL draft. Taffe and Hill totaled 70 and 69 tackles, respectively, signifying their integral roles in Texas’ defensive scheme.
Michigan’s robust defense has been its foundation all season long and could capitalize on the notable offensive players missing for the Longhorns. Conversely, while the Wolverines’ offensive attack hasn’t always been balanced, Texas’ drained defense might present them with an opportunity.
At the end of the day, with key personnel absent, the Longhorns’ roster has significant gaps with soft spots to be found in those filling in. Whether or not Michigan will be able to use its relatively complete roster to its advantage, exploiting that vulnerability, is the question.
Will young players step up for Michigan?
Entering the ReliaQuest Bowl last season, Michigan had a number of opt-outs on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines needed some of their younger players to step up in their absence to compete against an Alabama team that was the first team out of the College Football Playoff. This season, Michigan finds itself in an somewhat similar situation for the Citrus Bowl against Texas, where the Wolverines are the underdog against a strong SEC team.
Last season, then-freshman running back Jordan Marshall stepped out of the shadows of former running backs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards to rush for a 100-yard MVP performance in Michigan’s win over the Crimson Tide.
So for the Wolverines, amid the chaos, it’s still about finding that same breakout performance from a young player — whether it be an unsung hero or a step in the right direction for next season.
“We have all the confidence in the world,” junior tight end Zack Marshall said Monday. “We’re ready to play because we got guys that are ready to step up. It doesn’t matter if we have 10 guys or 100, 105, we’re ready to play when leather hits the foot.”
Albeit there are fewer opt-outs this season compared to a season ago, the edge room is missing two key starters in Moore and Barham. But the depth at the position doesn’t have Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale worried — in fact, he’s excited to see which rotation player will step up.
“There’s other young guys that we’re going to get to see live action, and I’m looking forward to it, but the edges, … it’s a fun group to watch,” Martindale said Sunday.
Edge rushers junior Cameron Brandt and sophomore Dominic Nichols are two players who have seen their fair share of snaps in the regular season. But now they will have a more highlighted role and could step up in a big way, the same way the defensive line did in last season’s ReliaQuest Bowl.
Michigan’s offense is already filled with youth. Looking at players like freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh or junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal, who have stepped up in big ways throughout the season, the Citrus Bowl provides that stage to take a strong stride into the offseason.
“That’s the only goal, number one is to win the game,” Casula said Sunday. “Having a young unit and a young team, having these extra, I think by the time we play there will be almost 15, practices have been critical. We’ve been really mindful and thoughtful about time on task and feel really good about where we’re at.”
Looking for another Jordan-esque performance on both sides of the ball, Michigan, as an underdog, will likely rely on its youth — whether in a bigger role or the same role — to come away with another upset in a bowl game against a strong SEC team.
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Poggi remarked Tuesday morning that a win would be the icing on the cake for this program, which in his eyes has only grown more connected over these past few weeks. For Michigan to wake up feeling the Cheeziest against Texas, look for a strong performance from Underwood or even a breakout performance from an unexpected Wolverine. Michigan and the Longhorns are anticipating varying levels of participation, but neither team is taking this game lightly.
Last season, the undermanned Wolverines upset an SEC opponent in a New Year’s Eve bowl game. This season, against the Longhorns, Michigan is hoping for a similar result.
