ORLANDO, FL − For Michigan football, one of the strangest months in recent memory has now bumped up against its bowl game, which is generally supposed to be a fun event. Sometimes, it’s the crowning achievement of a season; others, it’s just one final chance to take some momentum into the offseason.

Michigan (9-3) has arrived in Orlando and will begin practice on Saturday, Dec. 27, for its Citrus Bowl matchup with Texas (9-3), a game between two blue-blood programs that few in the Michigan circle are actually focused on.

The team is led by interim coach Biff Poggi after Sherrone Moore was fired earlier this month for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a staffer and subsequently arrested for breaking into her house and threatening to kill himself in the ending to a disappointing two years at the helm.

Grading the hire: Kyle Whittingham an upgrade for Michigan, just not a home run

It all forced the Wolverines to conduct a tough coaching search at an awkward time, one that eventually led to the hiring of longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who spent Friday in Las Vegas telling his Utes he won’t coach their bowl game. Instead, he was heading down to the Sunshine State to begin making relationships and working on roster retention with his new group.

He signed a five-year deal reportedly worth $8.2 million annually with 75% of his contract guaranteed.

Fitting with the bizarre timeline of it all, Whittingham is expected to be formally introduced at a news conference at a hotel ballroom in Orlando, instead of the typical pomp and circumstance at Michigan’s facilities.

It’s obviously a situation Michigan never wanted to be in. Just like the Citrus Bowl, a nice end-of-season landing spot, but not the College Football Playoff. Texas opened the 2025 season as the No. 1 team in the nation, while Michigan needed to just knock off Ohio State in the final game to be considered. Instead, each side now seeks a 10th win to make their final record look more respectable.

For U-M, it would be the program’s fourth 10-win season in five years, a feat not achieved since the days of Bo Schembechler.

Michigan wasn’t expecting a ton of opt-outs for this game. Poggi said Monday the three expected were edges Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham (both of whom have already declared for the NFL draft) and offensive lineman and captain Gio El-Hadi (who is also likely to declare soon).

On a Texas-based podcast called “The Stampede,” shortly before Christmas, however, Poggi said he wouldn’t be surprised if that changed by this weekend.

“I have to tell you with what’s going on with those here now, we sent them home for Christmas yesterday and, you know, I think there’s a really good chance that we’re going to have many more opt-outs for the game, unfortunately,” Poggi said. “Because we’re in such a state of flux. … (players may feel like) ‘Why do I want to, you know, play in that game?’ And so I can see some of that happening too. And I would tell you on the 26th, we’re probably going to have a significantly different roster than we had yesterday when we sent them home.”

Exactly who has made the trip will become clear Saturday, when the media gets to speak with a handful of team-selected players and observe the first 15 minutes of practice at West Orange High School, just a few miles west of Orlando.

Co-offensive coordinator Steve Casula will call plays after Chip Lindsey left to take the same job at Missouri earlier this month. But for many coaches, this could be the final time they coach at Michigan. It all depends on who Whittingham selects for his new staff.

So with one eye on the future, Michigan is doing its best to stay in the present. There are bowl activities, such as kids day at the Fun Spot America theme park on the schedule, as well as a handful of practices, news conferences and a pep rally the day before the game.

Michigan had a bit more stability Saturday than it did 48 hours ago, now knowing who will usher U-M into the 2026 season. But the 2025 season feels like it’s headed to a strange and anticlimactic conclusion.

Justice Haynes not with Michigan for first Citrus Bowl practice

All signs point to star running back Justice Haynes not playing for the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl against Texas in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (3 p.m., ABC).

As the Wolverines started their first bowl practice in Winter Garden, Florida, Haynes was not with the team, though a program spokesperson told the Free Press he’s expected to fly down and join the team later. He has not 100% been ruled out, but the likelihood of him suiting up appears low.

He’s eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft after three years in college, and considering he’s coming off surgery, the downside appears to severely outweigh the upside of playing in the Citrus Bowl.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

After Kyle Whittingham stepped down as Utah’s coach two weeks ago, it was only a matter of time until Morgan Scalley’s first game as the Utes’ new head coach.

Scalley’s head coaching debut was supposed to be Sept. 3, 2026, when Utah opens next season at home against Idaho, but after Whittingham accepted the head coaching job at Michigan, that date has been moved up.

Scalley will be leading the Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve when they take on Nebraska.

“I’m fired up. I’m excited. I mean, there’s going to be learning on the go. At the same time, I have complete trust in our coaching staff and our players. They’re locked in. They’re dialed in,” Scalley said on Friday night in Las Vegas.

“You see in that first team meeting guys that are intent on finishing this season off the right way. Eleven wins, we’ve only had that three times in University of Utah football history and we want to make that four.”

Prior to news breaking Friday that Whittingham was taking the Michigan job, there were only three opt-outs among the two-deep on the Utes’ depth chart — offensive tackle Spencer Fano, offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and defensive end Logan Fano, all of whom have declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.

On Friday, Scalley said he did not expect the roster for the Las Vegas Bowl to change.

“No, and again, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the players have known that this has been coming,” Scalley said.

While Utah senior center Jaren Kump won’t be coached by Scalley next year, he is motivated to get Utah’s new leader his first win on New Year’s Eve.

“I’m really happy for Coach Whitt, honestly, and I’m really happy for him to have this opportunity, but I’m also excited to be coached by Morgan Scalley and I’m going to tell our team ‘Let’s go get Coach Scalley’s first win on Wednesday,’” Kump said.

In the wake of Whittingham leaving for Michigan, Scalley expressed gratitude for the former Utah coach.

“Well, you never want to be the guy that follows the guy and unfortunately that’s me, but he got me into the profession. He got me to switch from offense to defense as a player. I’ve been with him since 2001,” Scalley said.

“So I’m just grateful for everything he’s done for me personally everything he’s done for the program, and the biggest thing that I’ve learned from him is it’s all about the players and in this profession, you can’t let your ego get in the way and he never did that and I’m so grateful for his legacy, what he’s taught me and for his mentorship along the way.”

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Whittingham informed Utah’s team in Las Vegas that he planned to take the Michigan job before flying to Orlando — where Michigan will play in the Citrus Bowl versus Texas — to meet with his new team.

“What I do know is that I guess it was his initial intent to truly retire, but then he did express that if there were certain opportunities that came up, that he would think about those, and he expressed that one of those opportunities did come up,” Kump said.

“But initially it was his intention to retire and to just be done with coaching, unless there was some opportunities that arose, and he expressed that one of those opportunities arose, so he put some thought into it and considered it with his family and did what is, I believe, a great decision for him.”

Scalley is at work trying to assemble his staff while preparing his team for the bowl. Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Friday that Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck and BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill are targets for Whittingham’s coaching staff at Michigan.

However, Scalley says that everyone is focused on getting Utah that 11th win. Beck and others Utah’s staff were on the team flight to Las Vegas.

“A lot of it is understanding it’s all about the players,” Scalley said. “We’ve got an unbelievable staff that’s handled this thing the right way and their intent as well is to get that 11th win for our players, so it’s been a pretty seamless transition and because of how the administration and how coach Whittingham has handled the whole thing.”

The Michigan Wolverines are expected to hire former Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham. Here is why it is good news for the Georgia Bulldogs.

The college football head coaching carousel took another turn earlier this week, as reports have begun to surface that the Michigan Wolverines were expected to hire former Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham following the firing of Sherrone Moore.

Moore’s firing earlier this month created an urgent head coaching search in Ann Arbor that saw a litany of names being listed as possible candidates. However, it appears the search is now concluded.

Although Michigan is a Big Ten school that does not overlap with many SEC programs, the news of Whittingham’s hiring is an excellent sign for the Georgia Bulldogs for a handful of separate reasons. One of which involves their own coaching staff.

Among the many names listed as possible candidates for the head coaching vacancy was Bulldogs defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, who has served under Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart for nearly a decade.

Kyle Whittingham’s Hiring and What it Mean’s for Georgia Football

Schumann has been widely touted by many as one of the nation’s best defensive coordinators and has frequently been listed as a strong candidate for multiple head coaching vacancies. However, he has remained in Athens, despite the speculations.

While there is still a chance that Schumann could take another position elsewhere, the hiring of Kyle Whittingham significantly increases the likelihood that the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator will be in Athens for the 2026 season.

The increased likelihood of retaining Glenn Schumann is arguably the biggest news for Georgia. Whittingham’s hiring could also have an impact on future Bulldog rosters. Especially within this year’s class.

In the wake of Michigan’s hiring, Wolverines wide receiver Brady Marchese has officially requested a release of his letter of intent. Marchese was a longtime member of the Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class, but ultimately decided to sign with Michigan on national signing day.

While this does not guarantee Marchese will be joining Georgia’s class, the Bulldogs’ previous connections with the recruit are an excellent opportunity for Kirby Smart and his staff to circle around and nab the 4-star wide receiver.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Thursday, January 1st, as they take on the Ole Miss Rebels in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be made available on ESPN.