Michigan left Week 1 with a win, but the tape gave fans plenty to chew on afterward. The final score will cover up some of the mess, yet the performance against Western Michigan was shaky enough to raise real questions heading into Week 2.
Start with Bryce Underwood, because that was the most frustrating part of the night. Even with the drama of the controversial final play, it looked a lot like the version of Underwood Michigan saw in 2025.
He rarely pushed the ball downfield, and when he did, the throws often sailed into double or triple coverage. He looked reluctant to run, held the ball too long, and kept locking onto his first read.
By the end, he had a two-turnover performance and finished with fewer than 200 passing yards. I’m not on the Tommy Carr train - or should I say, car? - just yet.
Not even close. But a year into what was supposed to be a messianic deliverance of Michigan to the promised land of the College Football Playoff for Underwood, it’s hard not to be a little concerned.
The problems up front made everything worse. Michigan’s offensive line got pushed around, and the pocket kept shrinking around Underwood before plays could develop.
That fed directly into his worst habits and also shut down the ground game. The expectation was that the line would be a work in progress in 2026, but that doesn’t make Saturday night any easier to stomach.
There’s at least curiosity about whether things change once former five-star Andrew Babalola gets on the field, but there wasn’t much to like in this opener.
The tight ends didn’t offer much of a safety valve either. Michigan has leaned on Colston Loveland and Marlin Klein in recent years, but that same comfort blanket wasn’t there against Western Michigan. Jalen Hoffman had a quiet, underwhelming night and was used mostly as a blocker, and even that didn’t stand out as especially effective.
Then there was the run game, which should have been one of the Wolverines’ best answers. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter were supposed to give Michigan one of the better 1-2 punches in the Big Ten, but they combined for just 16 carries and 59 yards.
The line clearly played a role in that, and Hiter’s profile as a freshman who leans on speed and vision made a breakout unlikely in this setting. Marshall, though, was the bigger concern because he struggled to break through contact or consistently use his strength.
Michigan’s defense had its own issue with the run. Western Michigan finished with 46 carries for 159 yards, which on paper doesn’t look disastrous, but the Broncos were able to use the run to keep drives alive and drain the clock.
That showed up most clearly on a 20-play drive that ate nearly 14 minutes from the third quarter into the fourth. Even with some standout defensive moments, the Wolverines didn’t have an answer when Western Michigan decided to pound the ball and play keep-away.
Special teams didn’t help clean things up. It was a rough night for the return units, and Andrew Marsh looked uncomfortable fielding punts. Michigan kept getting pinned deep and was forced to operate from long fields far too often.
It all added up to an ugly opener, win or not. Michigan escaped, but there’s plenty on this team that needs to be sorted out fast.
In Other News...
Bryce Underwood Already Has Michigan Fans Debating One Big Concern
Bryce Underwood gave Michigan enough to escape Western Michigan, but his debut-style performance also left plenty for fans to chew on afterward. The sophomore quarterback completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception, then added 47 rushing yards and another score as the Wolverines squeezed out a 13-12 win, a game that showed both the promise and the rough edges in his skill set.
Underwoods opening touchdown helped set the tone, yet his accuracy and decision-making were uneven from there, which is why the overall evaluation landed at a D. For Michigan, the result mattered more than the style points in the moment, but a quarterback showing flashes while also fighting consistency is exactly the kind of early-season concern that can linger as the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Found The Edge Threat Fans Have Been Waiting For
Michigan needed disruption somewhere in a tight 13-12 win over Western Michigan, and Dominic Nichols provided plenty of it. The Michigan defender piled up nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, then emerged as the highest-graded defender on the team according to Pro Football Focus, a strong sign that his impact went beyond the box score.
Kyle Whittingham also had positive remarks for Nichols afterward, adding another layer to what already looks like an encouraging afternoon for Michigan's front. For a defense still looking for a reliable edge threat, Nichols' showing stood out as the kind of performance that can change a rotation and maybe hint at a bigger role ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Sparks An Officiating Debate Fans Wont Ignore
The finish to Michigans 13-12 win over Western Michigan left plenty of room for debate, and not just because of the score. A controversial officiating sequence at the end of the game centered on a disputed second on the clock, and the result was the kind of ending that sends both fan bases straight to the replay. A source familiar with replay protocols pointed to multiple deviations from NCAA rules, along with a notable gap between the official game clock and the broadcast clock.
For Michigan, the win will count in the standings, but the discussion around it reaches beyond one afternoon in Kalamazoo. The episode has fed broader concerns about fairness and the uneven resources in college football, especially in a sport where the Big Ten and SEC have so much control over the College Football Playoff landscape. Even with the result in the books, the larger question lingers: how many games are decided by the players, and how many by the systems meant to oversee them? [Read more 🡒]