There have been massive questions for the Michigan Wolverines after stealing (some would say actually) their Week 1 sport in opposition to Western Michigan.
There have been questions as to how good this workforce really is below first-year coach Kyle Whittingham after needing a Hail Mary to beat an unranked workforce at house.
There have been questions as to how it could reply in Week 2 in opposition to the No. 11-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
And there have been questions in regards to the job safety for beginning quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Their 17-10 upset win over Oklahoma on Saturday could have began to reply a few of these questions. However the Underwood query stays a big situation, and it’s price asking if the best way he has performed by two weeks is a sustainable recipe for achievement this season.
Michigan upsets Oklahoma, however massive questions on Bryce Underwood stay
The necessary factor within the brief time period for Michigan is that that is an early signature win not just for the season, however for the Whittingham period.
Given the best way the Wolverines performed per week in the past, there was nearly no person giving them an opportunity on this sport, and to their credit score, they found out a option to get it performed.
It simply wasn’t essentially fairly.
Particularly when it got here to the quarterback play.
Underwood has been going through stress for his lack of progress, and Whittingham was already going through questions coming into this sport relating to how a lot time he would give his quarterback to determine it out.
He didn’t actually give an enormous vote of confidence.
Underwood did make some massive performs along with his legs on Saturday, together with a 38-yard landing within the first half, and completed the day with a team-leading 87 yards speeding on 18 makes an attempt.
However when it got here to the passing sport? There was simply nothing there. He accomplished simply 9-of-17 passes for under 111 yards, and even worse, he didn’t appear to have the belief of the teaching employees in any massive second. Michigan spent just about the entire second half and fourth quarter simply operating the ball, even in conditions on third-and-medium (or brief) the place a primary down may have put the sport away. They simply had completely little interest in placing the ball in Underwood’s fingers.
That may work in some particular person video games.
It won’t work over a full season and within the Large Ten, the place a number of the finest groups within the nation play. Sooner or later, Underwood goes to must make some performs along with his arm. Michigan would not appear to belief that he can (or will).
