Michigan’s offense has hit a point where the conversation is no longer just about production. It’s about cost.
Through nine weeks, the Wolverines sit with the third-worst offense among Power Four teams, with only Minnesota and Michigan State trailing them. That’s a brutal place to be for a program that brought in Jason Beck to fix the unit, especially with Beck standing as the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football.
The results haven’t matched the paycheck. Michigan’s offense has been worse than it was in 2025, and the run game has fallen to a level the program hasn’t seen in recent memory. That has pushed fans and alumni toward the same question: why not move on now?
The answer, at least for the moment, may be simple - the buyout is massive.
A recent Detroit Free Press report said Michigan could owe Beck as much as $9 million if it fires him without cause. Beck is set to make $2.8 million this season, then $3.05 million in 2027-28 before reaching $3.3 million in 2028-29. His contract also includes language requiring him to seek another job, with Michigan responsible for covering the gap between what he would have made in Ann Arbor and what he earns elsewhere.
John U. Bacon, the award-winning author and longtime Michigan insider, raised that issue on Sunday morning in a post on X.
"Likewise, for those who say Michigan should fire OC Jason Beck (and I agree), it's probably not that simple. UM would owe him $3M/yr for 3 more years - another insane buyout, unchecked by UM's vacuum of leadership - and his staff similar terms.
Does UM want to pay that? Donors?," Bacon wrote.
Bacon also said the donors he has spoken with are not eager to cover the bill.
"For the record, the major donors I've talked to told me they're not paying for this buy-out. Someone might, or UM might, but it's not as easy as many fans think;" said Bacon.
That leaves Michigan stuck between what it wants to do and what it can realistically afford to do. The expectation in Ann Arbor is still that the program should compete at a high level, but that hasn’t happened this season. Beck is under fire, and Kyle Whittingham is too, though Bacon’s comments suggest it may be more realistic for Whittingham to get another year than for Beck to be pushed out immediately.
If the next four games go badly for the offense, though, that could change quickly. At that point, someone may find the money to make a different move.
The same financial reality hangs over Bryce Underwood, too. Michigan reportedly gave him $12 million to come to the program, but right now it’s the Tommy Carr show, with Underwood learning from the sideline.
Bacon also addressed the possibility of Underwood leaving.
"For those who say UM QB Underwood should just transfer, it's probably not that simple," Bacon wrote. "If he leaves, he almost certainly will forfeit his $3M/yr NIL deal.
Who else would pay him that? Better to be a starter somewhere else for a fraction of that, or a $3M back-up who might get in?"
Carr has earned a real shot to keep the job. Against Rutgers, he threw for 266 yards and added 54 rushing yards, and he helped lead Michigan to the win. If he keeps the job without giving it away, he will be Michigan’s starting quarterback in 2027.
That leaves Underwood in a difficult spot. It’s hard to imagine the No. 1 player in the 2025 recruiting class wanting to sit forever, but money complicates everything.
Underwood also has bigger goals, and the NFL is one of them. If Ann Arbor isn’t the path to get there, he may have to find it somewhere else.
In Other News...
Bryce Underwood Could Force A Tough Michigan Decision Soon
Bryce Underwoods path at Michigan has already taken an unexpected turn, with the former five-star quarterback recruit getting benched in favor of Tommy Carr after struggling against Penn State. For a program that has spent so much time building around quarterback stability, the situation has quickly become one of the more intriguing personnel questions on the roster, especially with Underwood still carrying the kind of athletic profile that can tempt a staff to find another way to use him.
Michigan has not made any official decision about a position change, and no approach has been set in stone, but the idea is clearly on the table as the Wolverines sort through their quarterback situation. Underwoods future role now feels like one of those early-season decisions that can shape more than just depth-chart order, because if the staff decides his best path is somewhere other than quarterback, it would say plenty about where things stand behind center. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Escaped Rutgers But The Real Frustrations Arent Going Away
Michigan got what it needed against Rutgers, but not in the cleanest way. The Wolverines squeezed out a 28-21 win after letting a late-game lead slip away long enough to make things uncomfortable, even with Tommy Carr turning in a strong night through the air and on the ground. His 266 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns gave Michigan enough punch to survive, but the overall feel of the game was less about control than escape.
For a program that still has bigger ambitions in the 2026 season, the concerns did not disappear with the final whistle. The defense had stretches where Rutgers found room to answer, including the fourth-quarter tie that briefly changed the tone of the night, and the offense again left questions about consistency and coaching direction. A win is a win, but this one did little to quiet the frustration around how Michigan is being put together week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Still Have One Big Question About This Team
Michigans football profile has drawn a mixed bag of reaction lately, with praise from some corners and sharp criticism from others. Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall singled out offensive coordinator Jason Beck for the work being done on that side of the ball, while former Michigan players and analysts have pushed back on Kyle Whittinghams coaching style and the way he has handled his public comments.
Greg Schiano added another layer to the conversation by calling Michigans defense elite and pointing to several of its key players as the reason for that reputation. For fans, the contrast is what makes the bigger question linger: if the defense is playing at that level and the offense is drawing positive notice, why does the overall picture around the program still feel so unsettled? [Read more 🡒]