Michigan’s season keeps sliding into uglier territory, and the latest loss only sharpened the contrast with what Utah has done without Kyle Whittingham.
The Wolverines are 4-3 after what was probably one of their worst performances of the year. Against reigning champion Indiana, Michigan at least had a path to a major upset, helped by a strong showing from the defense.
But the offense let it all slip away again. Behind freshman quarterback Tommy Carr, this was supposed to be the week Michigan finally found something workable on that side of the ball.
Instead, the Wolverines managed only six points against a very good Indiana defense and came away empty on four trips inside the red zone.
That ugly result has fed the growing sense that Michigan is a mess under Kyle Whittingham, especially when stacked against Utah’s rise. The Utes are now sitting at the top of the Big 12 standings and are one of the few undefeated teams left. Former NFL quarterback and Big 12 star Robert Griffin III drew the comparison directly, and the gap between the two programs has become hard to ignore.
“All the players and coaches who stayed at Utah and didn’t go to Michigan are sitting at 7-0, 1st in the Big 12 and will be a Top 5 team in the country with the CFP within its grasp while Michigan is sitting at 4-3 with no idea who their QB is or what direction they are going.”
Michigan’s record looks even worse when you zoom in on how the losses have played out. Each defeat has come with the offense still having a chance to close the door or win the game outright.
That leaves the Wolverines not just beaten, but frustratingly close to being undefeated. At some point, the issue starts looking less like bad luck and more like coaching.
Whittingham is not carrying all of the blame, particularly when it comes to offensive choices that fall to coordinator Jason Beck. Still, Whittingham has said he has the authority to override any coaching decision, and he has not done so when Beck has made a call.
That matters because Michigan is not supposed to be a program defined by long, messy stretches like this. Since Jim Harbaugh left after winning a national championship, the Wolverines have struggled to find their footing. Athletic director Warde Manuel hired Whittingham hoping he could bring Utah’s culture to Ann Arbor.
So far, that has not turned into wins. With Manuel set to leave at the end of the calendar year, Michigan will soon have a new decision-maker in place. That change could bring more changes with it, and Whittingham could be among the first names reviewed.
For now, it is only his first season at Michigan. But the results have not been encouraging, the recruiting has been quiet all season, and the fit looks shaky. One season may be all this run lasts.
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 🡒]