Michigan’s rocky season has put Kyle Whittingham in the spotlight, and not for the reasons the program wanted when fall camp wrapped up.
There was real optimism coming out of camp. The feeling around the Wolverines was that the roster had talent, the quarterback would make a leap, and the offense would benefit from the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football. Pair that with a defense that usually lives up to its reputation, and Michigan had its sights set on a run at the Big Ten title.
That vision has come apart quickly. Michigan barely survived Western Michigan in the opener, needing an extra second to avoid defeat.
The Wolverines followed that with wins over Oklahoma and UTEP to get through non-conference play unbeaten, but the momentum vanished once Big Ten play began. Back-to-back losses to Iowa and Minnesota have dragged the season off course, and last week brought another turn when Bryce Underwood was benched in favor of Tommy Carr.
CBS Sports took notice in its Big Ten team grades, and Michigan did not come out well. Austin Nivison handed the Wolverines a D-Plus and wrote:
“By just about every possible metric, Michigan's offense is meaningfully worse than it was last year, Nivison said. “That's saying something because the Wolverines weren't exactly lighting it up last fall.
Bryce Underwood has regressed, and Kyle Whittingham finally benched him in last week's win over Penn State. Freshman quarterback Tommy Carr gave the offense a spark it had been looking for, and hopefully that's a sign of things to come because the defense is too good to waste.
If Whittingham can't get the offense fixed, Michigan will be scrapping to reach a bowl, and there's a possibility he could be one-and-done.”
That last line is the one that cuts deepest: the idea that Whittingham could be one-and-done in Ann Arbor.
It’s a serious question only if the season gets truly ugly. Michigan hired Whittingham because it wanted a proven winner with experience, especially after the failed run with Sherrone Moore, who had no head coaching experience and, according to the source, proved to be a disaster for multiple reasons. In choosing Whittingham, Michigan went against the current trend in college football, where many programs are chasing younger, more energetic hires.
Whittingham’s age was already the biggest knock on him as a candidate, and he had even flirted with retirement late in his Utah tenure.
Still, firing him after one season would take a collapse beyond ordinary disappointment. A bowl game probably would not be enough to trigger that kind of move, and even six or seven wins would make a change hard to imagine. The line for a real shakeup would likely be a five-win season, especially if it comes with losses in both rivalry games.
A home loss to Michigan State would be especially hard to stomach given the state of that program. And if the season ends with a blowout loss to Ohio State, Whittingham’s early-season remark that he does not hate the Buckeyes could also sit badly.
If Michigan finishes with four or five wins and those rivalry losses pile up, then the scenario Nivison floated starts to feel real: Whittingham could be pushed out after one season, and the Wolverines would be back in the market for a full coaching search.
In Other News...
Michigan Fans Wont Believe The Flag That Helped Indiana Score
A controversial roughing-the-passer flag on Michigan freshman Tariq Boney quickly became one of the biggest talking points in the early stages of the No. 6 Indiana matchup, after contact with quarterback Josh Hoover drew a penalty that gave Indiana 15 yards and a fresh set of downs. The call helped keep the drive alive and played a part in Indiana jumping out to an early lead, adding another layer to a game already under a bright spotlight.
Fox analyst Joel Klatt did not hide his frustration with the decision, calling out the officiating live as the sequence unfolded. For Michigan, it was the kind of penalty that can change the tone of a game in a hurry, and it comes amid broader debate over similar calls in recent weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Wasted A Dominant Defensive Effort With One Infuriating Problem
Michigans defense did its part in the loss to Indiana, holding up well enough to keep the game within reach and give the Wolverines every chance to leave with a win. The trouble was on the other side of the ball, where the offense never found enough consistency to match that effort and a 13-6 defeat settled in as a wasted opportunity in a game Michigan had managed to keep under control.
Jason Becks play-calling will take the harshest scrutiny, especially the third-and-goal play-action decision that ended in a sack and erased a scoring chance the Wolverines badly needed. Tommy Carr had moments of promise with a few key completions, but his mixed night also included two turnovers, leaving Michigan stuck between a defense that showed up and an offense that never quite did enough to reward it. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Red Zone Frustration Just Put Jason Beck Under Fire
Michigans 13-6 loss to No. 6 Indiana was the kind of game that leaves an offense searching for answers, especially after moving the ball enough to finish with 224 total yards but not nearly enough to turn those possessions into points. The Wolverines had trouble running the ball, struggled to protect possession and got only a little help from a kicking game that included two missed attempts by Trey Butkowski, turning a winnable afternoon into another reminder of how thin the margin can be.
For Kyle Whittingham, the frustration also landed on the coaching decisions, with the Michigan coach taking responsibility for a questionable call from offensive coordinator Jason Beck that hurt the flow of the game. It added to a performance that never found the right rhythm in the red zone, and now the challenge is to clean up the offense quickly before the next stretch of games puts even more pressure on every drive. [Read more 🡒]