The Michigan quarterback situation is suddenly the main storyline heading into Saturday’s trip to Autzen Stadium.
No. 16 Oregon is back home after its 41-28 win over No.
20 Ohio State, but the Ducks are preparing for a Wolverines team that looks anything but settled. Michigan is coming off a stunning 15-6 loss at home to Michigan State, and the offense has been in rough shape all season in Kyle Whittingham’s first year at the helm.
That slide cost offensive coordinator Jason Beck his job, and now the Wolverines are trying to sort out who will actually be behind center against Oregon.
Tommy Carr has been named the starter, but there have been conflicting reports, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, that Bryce Underwood could also see the field. So Oregon may have to get ready for both.
Carr’s path to this point has been uneven. He took over after Underwood was benched in Michigan’s 21-18 home win over Penn State on Oct. 17, then delivered mixed results before hitting a wall against the Spartans.
In that loss, Carr went 14 of 26 for 138 yards with two interceptions and was sacked five times. He’ll also be working with new offensive play-calling Saturday, which gives Michigan at least one more variable to hope can spark the unit.
Underwood entered the season carrying massive expectations, and his resume still reflects that promise. The sophomore arrived in Ann Arbor as a former five-star prospect from Belleville, Michigan, after originally being committed to LSU before Michigan flipped him in November of 2024.
In the 2025 recruiting class, he was ranked the No. 1 overall recruit nationally, per 247Sports. So far in his Michigan career, Underwood has thrown for 3,352 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
His season numbers this year show why the Wolverines made the switch. Underwood has totaled 924 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions, and turnovers were a major factor in his benching against Penn State. That issue has followed him throughout the season, and if he gets snaps against Oregon, ball security will be the first thing under the microscope.
Carr’s own turnover problems are part of the same conversation. He already threw an interception in Michigan’s 13-6 overtime loss to No. 9 Indiana on Oct. 24, and the two picks against Michigan State only added to the uncertainty around the position.
There’s also a family angle with Carr that stands out. He is the grandson of former Michigan Hall-of-Fame coach Lloyd Carr, who led the Wolverines to a national championship in 1997.
He’s also the younger brother of Notre Dame starter CJ Carr, who helped the Fighting Irish pull off an upset of then No. 1 Miami and is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this season.
For Oregon’s defense, the mission is simple: create havoc and force mistakes. The Ducks’ unit will try to build on what it did against Ohio State and make life miserable for whichever Michigan quarterback gets the call.
Oregon enters the game as a 10.5-point favorite, per DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium, with the game airing on FS1.
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Michigan Just Got Another Reason To Worry About Oregons Passing Game
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Now the timing matters even more with Michigan up next. Oregon is already juggling injuries and adjusting its offense under analyst Jay Johnson, so McClellans role figures to carry real weight as the Ducks keep shaping their passing game for a stretch that could test both depth and flexibility. [Read more 🡒]