What is Going on with Michigan Football?

Next week I'm going to do an NBA countdown much like my NFL countdown. So that means this week will be filled with mainly pop culture stuff, except for today. I'm going to talk about sports today because my son and I just returned home from his first live viewing experience of a Michigan Wolverines football game.

I've been to many games in my lifetime. He had only ever been to a University of Missouri college football game before this weekend. Over the years he has become a Michigan Wolverines fan, the timing worked out perfectly and we have family in Minnesota, so it was a win all around. And then we went to the game.

I have issues with what we all watched on Saturday. Look, I'm never optimistic going into Michigan games. I always expect the worst, so if it does happen, I don't feel as disappointed as I would if I were optimistic. I cannot sit still when I watch them play, they frustrate me to no end and it is becoming harder and harder for me to feel like this when the game is on. But I figured it being my son's first live game that they would bring it. Something in me just said, okay, he's here and he is going to see this team show out.

The offense had other ideas I suppose. The defense this season has been very, very good. They have played their hearts out. I know that the Iowa game they had some massive brain farts, but outside of that, this defense is constantly put in terrible situations, and they usually come out of it with little to no repercussions. The defense is playing up to expectations and I have had a blast watching them perform all season long. They're doing their part. But this offense is abysmal. They just don't seem to have it.

In their three wins this year they needed a phantom second added to the game clock, they scored 17 points against an Oklahoma team that is as bad as this Michigan team and they waited until the second half before they trounced UTEP. I thought that maybe they had something figured out last week during the Iowa game. That was the best I have seen Bryce Underwood play in his career. The o line protected him. The run game was as effective as they had been all year. Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchannan were productive. Sure, they had some miscues and screwed some stuff up in the red zone, but the offense looked better than I had seen it look in almost two years. And then we had to watch it all implode this past Saturday. I will give credit to Minnesota's defense. They played a great game. They wanted it way more than Michigan, and they showed up and showed out. But the play calling and execution were horrendous by Michigan's offense.

I liked the Jason Beck hire when it happened in the offseason, but he needs to realize that Michigan is a Big 10 team, not a Big 12 team. The guys they have at running back are downhill runners, not sideline to sideline guys. They like to batter and bruise opponents, not finesse them. Bryce Underwood may be the only offensive player who can run to the outside to gain yardage, but he looks timid and scared back there right now. Beck has got to tailor his offense to his players, not tailor the players to his offense. He needs to adjust until Michigan recruits the type of offensive athletes he wants to coach. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter want to hit you, not run away from you. The o line has been dreadful, which is very uncommon for Michigan. They looked confused on protections. They are not fast enough to zone block and outside run block. The play action game takes so long, and these o lineman are struggling to keep up with that protection. Sure, they have some injured guys, but this is Michigan. They have three and four star guys ready to step up and step in. This o line has to improve drastically. I don't really have many qualms about the wideouts and tight ends. I wish they used the tight ends more, but that is neither here nor there. Buchannan and Marsh have been productive. Marsh needs to stop muffing punts, but when he is running routes, he looks great. Buchannan has been a revelation to me. That kid's a star. He and Marsh should be one of the better wideout duos in the country.

And then we have Bryce Underwood. I was all in on this kid. I thought Michigan had finally gotten their star QB. I thought he was going to be Michigan's version of Cam Newton. I couldn't wait to watch this kid put on the winged helmet and dominate. He has not lived up to the hype unfortunately. He was put in an impossible situation last season. Sherrone Moore was too busy trying to hook up with randoms, he had no QB coach and he wasn't going to be held accountable. Michigan was paying him lots of money and he was going to be the starter no matter what. Then all the offseason stuff happened with Moore, and Michigan brought in Kyle Whittingham. He is no nonsense and he was going to make it work with Underwood. He got him a coach. He has made him work. He has been holding him accountable. He and Beck were going to let him use his legs. But it feels like for every step Underwood takes forward, the very next week he takes three steps back. He looks confused and scared on Saturday. Minnesota pressured him all game, and he fell apart. His first interception was thrown into double coverage, but it was on him because he looked at no one other than Buchannan. If he had just looked up, he did have time on this particular play, Andrew Marsh was streaking downfield with no Gopher within 10 yards of him. It would have been an easy touchdown. On his second pick, he was rushed, he never moved in the pocket and his arm was hit, causing the ball to flutter in the air. Michigan still had a chance to win with under a minute in the fourth quarter and two timeouts, and Underwood decided on fourth down to sail a ball over Buchannan's head when he had two guys wide open in the middle of the field for an easy first down. He also kept trying to push the ball to Marsh on the sideline into double and sometimes triple coverage. I get that he is only 19, but this is his second season as the full time starter, and he continues to revert to the mistakes he was making as a freshman. I understand that he was so much better than everyone else in high school, but that quite frankly isn't the case anymore. He needs some massive changes made to his game.

I have been sitting on this feeling ever since we left the stadium Saturday afternoon. I think there need to be some changes. I don't want them to fire anyone or start Tommy Carr just yet. But Underwood needs to be put under a massive microscope. He should start their next game, in two weeks, against Penn State. But if he starts to melt and wither, Michigan shouldn't hesitate to just see what they have in Tommy Carr. I also want to see the backs run a more bruising style. I'm over this finesse nonsense. I am a fan of Jordan Marshall because he runs dudes over. I want to see Savion Hiter get loose and bust some big runs. I want to see this o line play mean and hungry and pissed off. I want to see some fire from Kyle Whittingham. I adored this hire when it happened, but he does look like he has one foot out the door already. He looks like he'd rather be on a beach right now than coaching football. I want to see some angst and energy from Michigan. I want to see passion and I want them to look like they care. This season is on the brink. The playoff is out of the question. Hell, I don't know that they even get to bowl eligibility with this schedule. And if that is the case, some massive stuff will change. But maybe that would be best for all parties. If Underwood doesn't develop further, maybe it is best if they both move on from one another. Maybe Jason Beck needs to be looked at under the same microscope as Underwood. Maybe this o line needs a massive overhaul. Maybe Kyle Whittingham needs to be on the hot seat already. Something has to give.

I'm interested to see how they come out of the bye week this week, into their game in two weeks. That will tell me a lot. But right now it is frustrating to watch such a talented roster give you nothing offensively to get excited about. Time will tell. But, always and forever my fandom will never waver. Go Blue. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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