Michigan has been in hot water the past few years. In 2023, the football program was exposed for participating in an illegal sign-stealing scheme. This year, the school fired head coach Sherrone Moore after he was charged with felony third-degree home invasion and two misdemeanors.

Now, the school is thoroughly investigating its entire football program for any other signs of misconduct. Nonetheless, the program is seemingly heading in a new direction after hiring Kyle Whittingham to be its next head coach.

Whittingham is a well-respected figure in the college football community and was Utah‘s head coach from 2005-25. During his introductory press conference on Sunday, Whittingham revealed whether he hesitated to join the Wolverines due to the controversy surrounding Michigan.

“I didn’t have any hesitation. There’s some issues, missteps that are being taken care of, but the key is the players are solid,” Whittingham said. “The players here are rock-solid. None of those issues, none of those things that we’re dealing with involve the players. And to their credit, they just kept grinding and kept after it.

“I’m so impressed with that because there was a lot of distractions and a lot of adversity, I guess you can say. But, I got no doubt that everything’s going to be handled properly. We’ll see. I’m not knowledgeable enough and privy enough to exactly what’s going on in the details, but I’ve got full confidence that we’ll come out of this just fine.”

Michigan doesn’t have a talent problem. The team posted a 9-3 record in the regular season, including a 7-2 mark in conference play. The Wolverines are expected to return several key players as well, most notably quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Underwood is a freshman this season, but started in all 12 of Michigan’s regular-season games. While Underwood didn’t regularly dominate opponents, he showed promising flashes and will be pivotal to Michigan’s future success.

Kyle Whittingham isn’t allowing any administrative measures to affect his relationships with Michigan’s players. After all, he knows those relationships will be the key to a successful first year in Ann Arbor.

“My culture is going to be with the players. What I’m concerned with is the players,” Whittingham said. “I certainly know the general gist of what transpired, in this series of, I guess we’ll call them unfortunate events, but not really fazing me.

“The players are a great group of kids. They’re hungry. They got a lot of want-to in them and that’s where my focus is. I focus on coaching the team, and everything else be handled in due time and in due process.”

Highlights from the press conference Sunday to introduce Kyle Whittingham as Michigan’s new head football coach:

➤On how someone from the outside will reset the culture: “My culture is going to be with the players.” Whittingham said he knows the “gist” of what transpired in the investigation and firing of former head coach Sherrone Moore, but says his focus is on the players and hopes the university and program will handle the rest.

➤On his conversation with starting quarterback Bryce Underwood: “Quarterbacks have to have that ‘it’ factor, and he has that ‘it’ factor.” Believes that Underwood has potential and can’t wait to work with him.

CLEMSON — From time to time, we have heard Dabo Swinney say, “the proof is in the pudding.”

During Clemson’s run from 2015-’20 in the College Football Playoff, there was plenty of proof of Clemson having an elite football program. The argument was strong — 79 wins, 6 ACC Championships, 6 College Football Playoff appearances, 4 National Championship Game appearances and 2 National Championships.

However, the same argument can now be made that the Clemson Football program is no longer an elite program. And like Swinney says, “the proof is in the pudding.”

Since 2021, the Clemson Football Program has 47 wins, 2 ACC Championships and 1 CFP appearance and that is it.

Now, it is probably not fair to expect the Tigers to play for a national championship in each of the last five years like it did from 2015-’19. However, it is fair to expect the program to compete for one, and right now that is not really happening. And Dabo Swinney knows it.

You could see the look of despair on his face following Saturday’s embarrassing performance to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl. A game in which the Tigers did not look like a competent football team.

There was miscommunication. There was questionable play calling on both sides of the ball. There was a lack of execution. There were a lot of things that went wrong.

It was a disaster.

And yes, Clemson was playing without a lot of players, but so was Penn State, and the Nittany Lions were coached by an interim head coach, plus a staff full of coaches who were leaving for other programs after the game. And Penn State looked way more competent as a football team and program.

Do you want to know why Penn State dominated the Tigers in the second half of Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y.? It had better depth than Clemson.

Why is that true?

Because Penn State, despite their struggles this season, has invested more in trying to build its roster through the transfer portal and NIL, way more than Clemson has at least.

And, as Swinney says, “the proof is in the pudding.”

When comparing the Clemson program in the pre-NIL-and-transfer-portal era to the current era, there is no comparison. The Tigers won 91.5 percent of their games in the previous five-year stretch. In the last five years since the transfer-portal and NIL took over college athletics, Clemson has won 70.1 percent of its games.

However, in the previous five-year stretch, when playing the top programs in college football, the Tigers were 14-4 (.778). In the last five seasons, they are 1-8 (.125), and that is the most telling part of all of this.

I can keep going. Clemson was 38-3 (.927) in ACC play from 2016-’20, and in the last five seasons, 29-11 (.723) which includes two 4-4 campaigns and two consecutive losses to Duke. If Duke had lost to Clemson in men’s basketball in consecutive games, I can promise you Jon Scheyer would be on the hot seat in Durham.

Guess what? After Saturday’s disappointing loss, which wrapped up an extremely disappointing season, the seat that Dabo Swinney has sat on for so long at Clemson is hot. If he does not get things turned around soon, it’s going to be too hot for him to sit on.

The highest-valued player in college sports officially announced his plans to delay a professional career and return to school for the 2026 season. This decision secures the most vital position on the field for the Texas Longhorns as they prepare for the Citrus Bowl and look toward a future conference title run.

Holding a massive $5.3 million valuation and the top spot in the On3 NIL 100, the redshirt sophomore faced intense speculation regarding the NFL Draft. Many analysts projected him as a potential early selection despite a season that began with mixed results. However, the signal-caller opted to prioritize further development at the collegiate level over immediate professional opportunities.

His return ensures continuity for an offense that found its rhythm late in the year. By bypassing the draft, the program retains a leader who guided the team to nine wins and a victory over a bitter in-state rival to close the regular season. The choice reflects a desire to complete unfinished business before making the leap to the next level.

Texas Longhorns QB discusses development and future in Austin

Arch Manning addressed the media ahead of the postseason matchup against the Michigan Wolverines, clarifying why he chose to stay in Austin. The decision comes after a season where he completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards. Manning emphasized that his growth on the field was the primary factor in postponing his NFL entry.

“I felt like I developed a lot this year, especially towards the back half, and I want to keep it going… There’s no reason to leave,” Manning said. “I feel like I got a lot more football left to play, and I’m excited to still be a part of this team.”

The quarterback’s performance improved significantly following early setbacks against the Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators. He finished the regular season with 24 passing touchdowns and added eight scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability was on display during the regular-season finale, where he accounted for two touchdowns to help defeat the then-undefeated Texas A&M Aggies.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian supported the move. He noted the mental and physical maturity Manning demonstrated during his first full year as the starter. The return of the team captain fortifies a roster that will face a nine-game SEC schedule in 2026, including a highly anticipated rematch with Ohio State in September.

Manning and his teammates are currently focused on their upcoming opponent in Orlando. A victory would secure a 10-win season and generate significant momentum heading into the offseason. The Longhorns will face the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

Read more on College Football HQ

College football bowl season isn’t what it was a decade ago. In the modern age of the sport, most of the significance and attention sits on the 12-team College Football Playoff.

That hasn’t stopped the postseason from delivering plenty of exciting moments and some very competitive games. Look no further than Saturday’s slate. Five of the eight matchups came down to a single possession.

One of the comebacks of the year fell just short in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. North Texas prevailed over San Diego State, 49-47, but not without plenty of drama. Trailing 49-20 entering the fourth quarter, the Aztecs went on a 27-7 run, including a punt return for a touchdown.

San Diego State’s final score came with just one second remaining, allowing North Texas to run out the clock on the ensuing onside kick. The result moved the Mean Green to 12-2, the best record in program history, and more wins than in their last two years combined.

Coming out of the game, North Texas is having a hard time celebrating after taking a few transfer portal hits. The school previously lost its head coach, Eric Morris, to Oklahoma State.

Breakout Running Back Moving On To Transfer Portal

On Saturday evening, redshirt freshman running back Ashton Gray announced his decision to transfer after two seasons at North Texas, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Gray came out of nowhere to play a big role in the New Mexico Bowl. He saw increased playing time with Makenzie McGill and Kiefer Sibley unavailable. Gray finished the game with a career-high 16 carries for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, while adding one reception for nine yards.

The Arkansas native scored twice in the first half, including a 51-yard scamper early in the second quarter that put North Texas up 28-13. His first touchdown gave the Mean Green a 14-7 advantage that they would never relinquish despite San Diego State’s late rally.

Gray entered the game with 42 carries for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season. That just goes to show how impressive his final outing of the fall truly was.

Including the bowl game, Gray totaled 40 carries for 283 yards and 4 touchdowns in his last four appearances.

Gray signed with North Texas as a three-star prospect in the 2024 class. He redshirted during his first season with the program. Gray was recruited by former head coach Eric Morris and could potentially fit in at Oklahoma State.

The 6-foot-0, 208-pound running back will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Gray was the Little Rock Touchdown Club State Player of the Year and an all-state selection during his senior season at Marion High School in 2023.

North Texas has multiple starters expected to enter the portal, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins.

Read more on College Football HQ

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