Kirk Herbstreit’s Saturday pick on ESPN’s “College GameDay” ended up looking a lot less like a throwaway prediction and a lot more like a warning sign for Michigan.
Herbstreit was the only member of the panel to back Minnesota over the Wolverines, a call that stood out at the time. It stood out even more after Michigan went on to lose 20-14 on Saturday. Given Herbstreit’s connection to the program - his son, Chase Herbstreit, is a quarterback for Michigan - the pick now feels like it carried extra weight.
After the game, Michigan’s own words only added to the concern. Whittingham said the staff would have to take a hard look at everything before drawing conclusions.
“We’ll look at everything. I don’t want to sit here and make a decision without watching this tape.
But we’ve had some good individual performances so far this year, and stretches in certain games,” he said postgame. “And looking at the positives, the defense has played well the entire season.
There’s been a lot of good things going on in defense, but it gets to the point where they just can’t hold up anymore. And unfortunately that reached that point in the second half today.”
He didn’t stop there, either. Whittingham sounded genuinely unsettled by where things stand.
“I’m still trying to figure it out. I’ve been in this profession 40-plus years, and this is maybe the biggest challenge I’ve had.
And we will get it figured out, I promise you that. I’m not sure what the timeline is, but I promise you we’ll get it figured out at some juncture,” he added.
“But right now we have a lot of answers that we’ve got to come up with, because we’ve got so many deficiencies.”
In Other News...
Jordan Marshalls Frustration Says Everything About Michigan Right Now
Jordan Marshalls postgame frustration after Michigans loss to Minnesota said plenty about where the Wolverines are right now. The running back didnt sugarcoat the mess on the field, pointing to the mistakes and the lack of cohesion that have made this stretch so hard to watch, and he made it clear the team cant afford to keep drifting through games without sharper execution or better accountability.
Marshall also framed the upcoming bye week as a chance for the roster to look inward and tighten things up. He said the players need to own their part, get more connected and play with more purpose, while also expressing trust that the coaching staff can make the necessary adjustments. For a Michigan team searching for answers, that blend of frustration and faith may be the clearest sign of how much work still remains. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Offense Has A Bigger Problem Than Fans Wanted To Admit
Michigans 20-14 loss to Minnesota dropped the Wolverines to 3-2 and reopened a conversation the program would rather avoid this early in the season. The defense did enough to keep the game within reach, but the issues on the other side of the ball were harder to ignore, especially with head coach Kyle Whittinghams timeout management and offensive coordinator Jason Becks scheme drawing scrutiny as the night wore on.
Bryce Underwoods performance only sharpened the concern, with two interceptions and a few missed opportunities leaving Michigan stuck without enough answers when it mattered most. For a team trying to steady itself after another frustrating result, the bigger problem looks less like one bad evening and more like an offense that has yet to find a reliable identity. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have A Painful New Question After Minnesota Loss
Michigans latest stumble against Minnesota only sharpened the frustration around a season that has already started to feel heavier than it should. The Wolverines dropped to 0-2 in Big Ten play, and the reasons were hard to miss: turnovers, shaky offensive line play and a passing game that never found any rhythm. Bryce Underwoods line, 10 completions on 21 attempts for 101 yards and two interceptions, reflected how little margin the offense had to work with.
Kyle Whittinghams early run in Ann Arbor is already inviting hard questions about coaching and play calling, because the issues are showing up in more than one phase. Michigan fans can live with a bad afternoon now and then, but the concern is that this loss looked less like a one-off and more like a continuation of the same problems. The bigger issue now is whether the staff can fix them quickly enough to keep the season from slipping further. [Read more 🡒]