The Michigan Wolverines are already juggling plenty with Sherrone Moore out. That’s when interim head coach Biff Poggi served some more panic, claiming that they’ll have to navigate the Citrus Bowl without more than two dozen key players sitting out. Already three Wolverines players have opted out. 

“We will play hard,” shared Poggi on the December 23rd episode of The Stampede podcast. “I don’t know how many we’ll come with, quite frankly. Thinking, honestly, there could be 25 guys who possibly not come back.”

Texas looks to close the book on a rollercoaster 2025 with a New Year’s Eve Citrus Bowl clash against Michigan. And Poggi’s latest update already puts the Wolverines fans on the edge. 

Many players who are draft-bound choose to sit out to avoid injury. One bad hit in a bowl game can cost millions, so agents often advise players to protect their stock. That might be one reason for Poggi to estimate the number to 25. 

Secondly, for many players, bowl games outside the CFP no longer carry the same meaning they once did.

No other context was released around the conversation. We only know about the three players who have opted out of the Citrus Bowl. As per CBS Sports’ reports, the trio is the defensive end Derrick Moore, linebacker Jaishawn Barham, and offensive guard Giovanni El-Hadi. 

Senior defensive end Moore made it official Saturday, December 20, announcing he is taking his talents to the NFL Draft. Linebacker Barham also looks draft-bound after a strong season. On the other hand, El-Hadi is expected to scrap for a roster spot as a late Day 3 pick, or potentially make the climb as an undrafted free agent.

That means Poggi will be without his top pass-rusher. Moore sits 14th nationally with 10 sacks and has been a key piece of a Michigan run defense. It ranks 14th in the country, giving up just 101.7 yards per game.

Entering the final week of the regular season, Michigan sat one spot ahead of Texas in the CFP rankings, then the wheels came off. A 27-9 loss to top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes sent the Wolverines tumbling out of the playoff picture.

Michigan’s losses came against heavy hitters, playoff-bound Ohio State and Oklahoma Sooners, plus No. 16 USC Trojans. But the offense never showed up. In every defeat, the Wolverines failed to crack the 14-point mark.

Even with Texas set to be without defensive standouts Anthony Hill Jr., Michael Taaffe, and a handful of defensive backs, Poggi and co.’s depth issues loom larger. With Moore and Barham sidelined, the door swings wide open for Texas quarterback Arch Manning to cook again, just another chapter in what became a late-season routine for the Horns.

“It’s been five years of a malfunctioning organization,” Poggi did not run away from accepting the problems that have been plaguing the Ann Arbor camp, from Jim Harbaugh to Moore. “Let’s call it what it is: It’s happened every year.”

Looks like he is confident about his talent to whitewash the image of the program. That’s when Poggi fights for his case as the Wolverines continue with their head coaching search. 

Biff Poggi’s pitch for the Michigan Wolverines job

Even as Michigan floors it in the search for its next head coach, there’s already a familiar face in Ann Arbor ready to grab the keys. 

“I know what the hell I’m doing,” Poggi shared why he should be upgraded from interim to full-time. “This place is magical, and the program means a lot to me. It’s one of the things I want to fix before I go smoke myself to death with cigars. I want to fix this program.”

A Baltimore native, Poggi made his name dominating the prep ranks. Firstly, he built a powerhouse at Gilman from 1996 to 2015 before joining Harbaugh as an analyst in 2016. Later on, he returned to high school football to lead St. Frances Academy from 2017 to 2020.

Top Stories

LIV Golf CEO Breaks Silence as Brooks Koepka Exits Before Contract Expiry

PGA Tour Drops Cryptic Brooks Koepka Statement as He Exits LIV Golf After 3 Years

Steelers Confirm $45M Punishment for DK Metcalf After NFL Suspended WR for 2-Games

NFL Suspends Chargers’ Denzel Perryman for Two Games Over Cowboys Incident

Clark Hunt Admits Being Pressured to Leave Arrowhead After Chiefs Offered $2.4B Proposal

$106.5M Blue Jays Star’s Future Turns Rocky as Ross Atkins Told to Hijack Red Sox’s Gold Glove Target

Poggi was then called back after the rough pandemic year. He helped reset the culture, lock in the locker room, and fuel a three-year Big Ten title run that peaked with the 2023 CFP crown. That’s what made Michigan booster Taylor Lewan root for him. 

“My thought is stick with Biff Poggi for 2026,” said Lewan on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. 

The path is clearing for Biff Poggi. Jeff Brohm has shut down the head coaching position buzz in Michigan after Kenny Dillingham and Kalen DeBoer. With the head coaching search underway, Biff Poggi faces the immediate test of keeping the Wolverines locked in for the Citrus Bowl amid heavy losses.