Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood spent a whole week with head coach Kyle Whittingham publicly questioning his starting job. A whole week stewing over an uneven performance against Western Michigan that had everyone wondering if he was even “the guy.” And then Saturday, against No. 11 Oklahoma, Underwood answered the call, leading the Wolverines to a gritty 17-10 win.
Underwood Showed Poise When The Stakes Were Highest
Man, did Bryce Underwood ever step up when his team needed him! After that shaky Week 1 outing against Western Michigan, the pressure was ON. His own coach, Kyle Whittingham, was out there openly discussing his status as the starter. Talk about feeling the heat! But Underwood, the second-year QB, came out Saturday against No. 11 Oklahoma and looked like a completely different guy. He wasn’t perfect, no, he even put the ball on the floor, but his poise was undeniable. He was elite running the ball in the open field, picked up 87 yards on the ground and a rushing score, and threw for 111 yards, which was serviceable. Whittingham couldn’t hide his pride after the game, telling FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft, “That was a great response by Bryce. I thought he played an excellent game.”
Despite the Win, Championship Dreams Are Already Fading for Michigan (And Oklahoma)
Look, a win is a win, especially against a ranked opponent like No. 11 Oklahoma. But if we’re being real, this 17-10 “Big Noon Saturday” slugfest pretty much screamed that neither Michigan nor Oklahoma are making any noise in the College Football Playoff. These big non-conference games are supposed to show you who’s a contender and who’s just… well, not. And after 60 minutes, it’s clear: both these teams have some deep, ingrained weaknesses. You can’t count on either quarterback to beat a high-level defense. You can’t count on either defense to consistently take the ball away. And honestly, neither squad has that one player who can just take over a game when everything else is falling apart. The floor feels low, and the ceiling? Not high enough for a title run.
And on the Oklahoma side? Quarterback John Mateer was still a mixed bag. All that offseason talk about him improving as a passer, changing his arm angle and footwork after thumb surgery 11 months ago? Not really showing up consistently. He’s got a history, losing to Texas 11 months ago and throwing a truly egregious pick-six in the 2025 College Football Playoff just nine months back. Not exactly inspiring confidence.
So, Michigan got the hard-fought win, and Whittingham was “very proud” of how his team responded. Bryce Underwood showed grit and made plays when it mattered. But the cold, hard truth from this early-season test is that there are still “a lot of things to clean up,” as Whittingham put it. For both these squads, the road ahead looks tough if they’re aiming for anything beyond just being “literally everybody else” in college football.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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