ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In Saturday’s iteration of The Game, it will be true freshman vs. redshirt freshman at quarterback, as Michigan football signal caller Bryce Underwood will face off against Ohio State passer Julian Sayin.
Sayin has at least had one season to get acclimated to the rivalry, though he has yet to play in it. For Underwood, this is his first time being a part of it on one of the teams, but he was in Ann Arbor the last time the Wolverines and Buckeyes faced off as a recruit in 2023.
For Underwood, the season has been a bit of a work in progress. He started out hot, but as mistakes piled up across the offense, he started to regress to some degree. This past week’s game against Maryland showcased a composed, confident Underwood, perhaps peaking at the right time before The Game.
As far as Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore sees it, there doesn’t have to be much extra preparation for Underwood to face Ohio State. Because he already knows the stakes, he understands the rivalry. The next part is for him to go out and be a part of it.
“He’s well educated on the rivalry. He knows everything about it,” Moore said. “I’ve seen it from afar, and we’ve talked about this game for a very long time — whether it be spring ball, whether it be training camp, whether it be the summer. So everybody knows what this game’s all about. They all understand it. So it’ll be about going through the routine and just doing the things that he’s done at this point to get him prepared for the game.”
With that understanding, Underwood isn’t just waiting for game day. He’s doing everything in his power to prepare. That isn’t unusual to hear about the true freshman, that he’s constantly in Schembecher Hall readying himself for the next game, but it sounds like he’s taking it up a notch now that it’s rivalry week.
Moore doesn’t worry about Underwood’s composure because Underwood puts himself in a position to be composed with his constant preparation, as well as having a humble spirit.
“Just how he’s grown so fast,” Moore said. “I mean, he was here at 11:45 last night watching (film with) Donoven McCulley and the guys, and he’s so intentional with everything. Then again, he was in here this morning with Coach Lindsey watching the game, and he wants to be so good, and he works his tail off, and he’s so humble about it, and so great with his teammates. He roots for his teammates and is so close with his teammates. And to me, that’s such an awesome piece when in this world today, he could be by himself very easily and not think about the team at any point. To have a balanced attack like we have on offense right now, and for him to be just so humble and so grateful to be a part of it, is an awesome thing to see. “
Michigan and Ohio State are set to face off at 12:14 p.m. EST in Ann Arbor, with The Game set to be broadcast on Fox.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Freshman Bryce Underwood embraces preparation for debut in The Game
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
