The spotlight in Michigan’s bye week ought to be on Jason Beck, not Bryce Underwood.
Underwood has to own his share of the mess, because his play hasn’t been good enough. But the way Beck is running the offense has made life harder than it needs to be for the quarterback, and that’s where the real gut check begins.
Michigan keeps leaning on the Rhino package, and it’s becoming a problem. It needs to go, or at the very least, it needs a counter.
Right now, defenses are attacking the Wolverines’ offensive line because they know there’s a player on the field who can’t run a route. That’s a gift to the defense and a headache for everyone else.
A spread look would make more sense. At least then the defense would have to respect four wide receivers, and the offensive line would have a clearer picture of who it’s supposed to block.
Beck is putting too much on that front. When the line knows its assignments, it’s been solid enough - Michigan got a decent push against Oklahoma and Iowa.
The problem is that too often, the structure around it is muddy.
Underwood has taken plenty of heat, and some of it is fair. But the second interception against Minnesota came on a strange call, a split-zone RPO, as best as can be guessed.
The tight end was supposed to block the defensive end, and Michigan was crashing hard on those edge players toward the quarterback. The outcome was easy to see coming, or it should have been for Beck.
That’s the core issue: he doesn’t seem to anticipate what defenses are doing, or adjust to it. Michigan’s biggest problem isn’t just execution. It’s that the offensive coordinator appears more committed to making his system work than to simply helping the Wolverines move the ball.
The third-down Jordan Marshall wildcat was another example. Beck passed up a straightforward first down and ended up losing yards, which turned into a punt. It was a self-inflicted mistake, plain and simple.
The fix starts with getting back to basics. Michigan has to make life easier for Underwood early in games.
He looked comfortable against Oklahoma and Iowa. He did not look that way against Western Michigan.
The bigger picture around the program sounds tense, too. Jake Butt, a Big Ten analyst, put it bluntly: “No way in hell should this team be 100th in rushing in the FBS.”
That rushing struggle connects to everything else. The quarterback has lost confidence.
The offensive line doesn’t seem confident in what it’s doing. And there are players openly questioning the coaching staff, including the Zach Marshall texts.
Not all of that lands on Beck alone, but most of it does. And if Marshall was right about Beck telling Underwood where to throw the ball, that only makes the situation look worse.
Underwood has flaws, but he’s also going to get better. He already has.
Iowa was his best game. Minnesota was his worst.
The truth is probably somewhere in between, and that still leaves room for him to become the quarterback he was against Iowa on a weekly basis.
What he needs is help, not a quick hook. Benching him would create more problems than it solves.
Urban Meyer said Underwood is Michigan’s only first-round athlete. That’s not the kind of player you give up on lightly.
As Jake Butt put it on Oct. 8, 2026: “Been thinking more and more about where Michigan is at.
Certainly feels like a pressure cooker and a fork in the road. Can point fingers and throw in the towel or every player and coach can say “I haven’t been good enough.
I will do whatever it takes to be better.” Which is what…”
And if Whittingham said tough conversations need to happen this week, the most important ones should be aimed at the offensive coordinator.
In Other News...
Michigan Finally Has A Passing Game Bright Spot Fans Can Believe In
For a Michigan passing game that has spent plenty of time searching for a reliable spark, JJ Buchanan has given Bryce Underwood a clear place to go early and often. The sophomore wide receiver, a transfer from Utah, has quickly become the Wolverines most productive receiver, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns through the first five games while piling up a record-setting debut and multiple 100-yard outings.
That kind of start was enough to put Buchanan on the midseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to one of college footballs top receivers. For Michigan, the bigger takeaway is less about the award buzz and more about the fact that the offense finally has a pass-catcher who is shaping defenses and changing how the Wolverines can attack on a week-to-week basis. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Butt Just Said What Michigan Fans Fear About This Offense
Jake Butt did not hold back when he looked at Michigans offense on Big Ten Network, and his criticism landed because it hit on the same unease plenty of fans have been feeling. The former Wolverine and current analyst said the unit still lacks a real identity, pointing to confusion in the blocking schemes and a broader sense that the coaching staff has not settled on how it wants to use its players. He also praised former offensive coordinator Chip Lindseys approach from last season, a reminder that the current struggles are not just about execution but about direction.
The quarterback discussion is now part of the conversation, too, with Butt questioning Bryce Underwoods decision-making and suggesting Tommy Carr might be the better option. For a Michigan offense trying to find traction, that kind of public assessment only sharpens the pressure on the staff to define what this group is supposed to be. Butts bottom line was clear enough: if the Wolverines want to get moving, they need to lean back into their downhill running game and stop searching for answers in a system that has not yet given them one. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Bye Week Puts Kyle Whittingham's Toughest QB Call Front And Center
Michigan is at its bye week, which makes this a natural pause to take stock of the quarterback situation and the choices sitting in front of Kyle Whittingham. Bryce Underwood has been the starter and a team captain, but his play has come with the kind of uneven stretches that force a coaching staff to look hard at every option. Behind him, Tommy Carr has given the Wolverines a glimpse of promise in limited action, enough to keep the conversation alive without settling it.
For Whittingham, the hard part is not just evaluating performance, but weighing what a change would mean for the room, the offense and the stretch run ahead. Michigan has not announced any decision, and the bye week only adds to the scrutiny because there is time to think but no game to hide behind. The next move at quarterback is still open, and for a team trying to steady itself, that uncertainty hangs over everything. [Read more 🡒]