The time has come for Sherrone Moore to own up to his part of the deal. The HC will step back for Week 3 and Week 4, transferring the cap to another figure. After months of speculation about who Moore’s replacement will be, we finally have an interim name. However, Michigan’s self-imposed punishment is throwing the Wolverines into more uncertainty. Opponents and onlookers alike can sense the vulnerability, and the question lingers: Is this when Michigan finally slips?

Sherrone Moore has named assistant HC Biff Poggi to take over for him for the next two weeks. He will still be the acting head coach until 12:01 am Saturday. But after that, the HC has yet to figure out a plan to see the game action. “Sherrone Moore says he has no idea how he will watch the game on Saturday,” insider Brice Marich reported. It’s not just about being able to watch the game. Remember, Michigan enters Week 3 after a tough Oklahoma loss – a game that was once in Michigan’s control.

The NCAA is ordering Moore to “have no contact or communication with football coaching staff members or student-athletes during the suspension period.” That directly implies that he won’t be able to be in the vicinity of the team during practices or games. The NCAA report also mentions that from 12:01 am Saturday to next Saturday, 11:59 pm, “Moore may not participate in any coaching activities.” Watching the game prima facie seems to be out of the question.

The ban also means Moore will not be in play in any way for Michigan’s first conference play against Nebraska. Though the Huskers’ schedule is one of the easiest in the Big 10, Michigan is the projected winner here. However, with no Moore to guide the Wolverines, Matt Rhule will try his best to swing this one towards himself. Rhule, in his past 16 clashes against ranked teams, has never won a game. But this time, he’ll face a Bill Poggi-led Michigan, which doesn’t have a stellar college football HC experience. Here’s how the new acting HC’s resume looks.

A look at Biff Poggi’s record in football coaching

Poggi was made second-in-command this season, but he also held the position from 2021 to 22 under Jim Harbaugh. He has only one head coaching stint so far, at Charlotte, where he stumbled to a 6-16 record. When Sherrone Moore’s punishment was finalized, Poggi was in the conversation surrounding his replacement. The other choices were Chip Lindsey or Wink Martindale. But Poggi has been with Michigan longer than the other two (since 2016, as a GA).

Even though he has lacklustre numbers to show for college football head coaching, his high school football numbers say otherwise. Poggi was a football HC for Gillman High for 19 years and is one of the school’s winningest coaches. He had a 135-43 record and also hauled in 13 national championships. On his next stop at St. Frances, Poggi produced a 26-game winning streak. He’s made a big jump now, to Michigan, where he will now be the leader of a CFB blue-blood for two games. But Poggi has also climbed up the ranks pretty quickly, as Bleacher Report called him Harbaugh’s right-hand man.

This was the year Sherrone Moore proved himself as the true leader of Michigan football, after sputtering through last season. Unfortunately, neither the scandal nor the season has let up on the HC. If the Wolverines fall against Central Michigan, under Poggi’s lead, the shadow over ‘The team up North’s’ season could grow even darker.