No. 13 Texas will take on No. 18 Michigan, who will be led by interim head coach Biff Poggi for the third time this season.
Michigan fired head football coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday due to an alleged inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Hours later, it was reported that Moore was detained by police and transferred to Washtenaw County Jail. Moore remains in custody and is expected to appear in court on Friday for arraignment over an alleged assault Wednesday evening.
Now, Michigan's attention turns to preparing for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 31, where the Wolverines will be led by interim head coach Biff Poggi.
Poggi is no stranger to the Maize and Blue. His son was a fullback for the program in the mid-2000s, and he was an analyst for the team in 2016. In the prior coaching administration under Jim Harbaugh, Poggi was the associate head coach as Harbaugh's top consigliere.
Prior to that, Poggi, 66, made a name for himself by winning 13 state championships in a 19-year span with the Gilman School in Baltimore.
In 2023-24, Poggi was the head coach of the Charlotte 49ers, where he went 6-16 overall. He rejoined the Wolverines ahead of this season as associate head coach while Moore began his second season replacing Harbaugh, who bolted to the NFL after Michigan's controversial national title run in 2023.
Earlier in 2025, Poggi served as the interim head coach for two games as more fallout of the sign-stealing scandal penalized Moore, who was the offensive coordinator at the time.
Poggi coached against Central Michigan and at Nebraska while Moore was suspended. The Wolverines won both games 63-3 and 30-27, respectively, to move to 3-1 on the early season. The Wolverines finished the year 9-3 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play, matching the record of the Longhorns in the SEC.
“He’s the man for the job to do that in a really tough situation,” said memorable former Michigan tight end Jake Butt after those two games. “Poggi is a trusted leader.”
READ MORE: Texas vs. Michigan: Longhorns Look to Expose Wolverines in High-Stakes Citrus Bowl Clash
How did he do in his two interim games? Well, it wasn't the toughest competition, but its worth recollecting as Poggi now dusts off his play sheet and begins preparing for Steve Sarkisian and Texas.
Michigan rebounded from a Week 2 loss to out-gain Central Michigan 381-79 on the ground in the blowout win. The Wolverines finished with 616 total yards as freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood - the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle and a statement signing for Moore's young tenure as head coach - accounted for 352 of them (235 passing and 117 rushing) and three total touchdowns.
Underwood rushed for the most yards by a Michigan quarterback in a game since 2013.
Against Nebraska to open conference play, the Wolverines were put more to the test as they were tied with the Cornhuskers 17-17 at halftime. Underwood struggled through the air, completing just 12 of 22 passes for 105 yards for the game.
He and the Wolverines found success again, however, on the round as Underwood totaled 69 yards rushing (7.6 per carry) and a touchdown. Michigan ran for 286 yards, showcasing the clear offensive strength with Poggi at the helm.
Michigan averaged 213 rush yards a game this season, but exceeded that total in the two games Poggi was the interim head coach. That trend could continue as they face an out-of-conference team in Texas who is not familiar with U-M's scheme.
Poggi commended Underwood's ability to extend plays with his legs, which will likely be a major factor in the matchup with Texas and star pass rusher Colin Simmons.
"I've got a labrador retriever that could coach that guy," Poggi said of his quarterback after the CMU game. "I mean, he's unbelievable."
Underwood posted 2,229 passing yards and 323 rushing yards during the regular season. The ground game, charged by lead running back Jordan Marshall's 932 yards and 6.2 yards-per-carry average will be the toughest challenge for this Longhorns defense, which will be without star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. after he announced his plan to enroll into the NFL Draft.
READ MORE: Colin Simmons Leads 8 Longhorns Earning All-SEC Honors