Michigan football underachieved in many ways in the past two seasons, but given some of what was going on behind the scenes, it can also reasonably be said that the players outperformed some of the coaching they had been receiving.
Well, a new era has come with Kyle Whittingham leading the charge. But even with his track record at Utah, that doesn’t mean people aren’t questioning him before he’s even coached a game in Ann Arbor.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford shared what he loves about Michigan football at this juncture in the offseason and what he hates, and his love is Whittingham taking over the program, while his hate is the fact that there is some question about Bryce Underwood leading the charge at quarterback over true freshman Tommy Carr.
Love: The Wolverines landed a gem in Kyle Whittingham, who offers immediate support and stabilityHate: Michigan has so much invested in Bryce Underwood that the program doesn’t need a quarterback controversy involving freshman phenom Tommy Carr
Underwood is Michigan’s starter and appears to fit Jason Beck’s offensive philosophy well. That said, the Wolverines host Oklahoma in Week 2, and the Sooners’ stout defense will present an early challenge. Carr’s efficiency during spring practice naturally created buzz, but Underwood needs to perform at a high level immediately if Michigan wants to contend for the playoff.
The Wolverines have plenty of depth along both lines of scrimmage, and portal additions — including former Utah standout John Henry Daley — should provide an immediate boost.
It’s somewhat unclear if his ‘hate’ is more related to (and admittedly small cadre of) fans calling for Carr over Underwood, or just that Carr looked better in the spring game over Underwood. Even though the latter may be true, there are reasons why — such as the quarterback not being tackle eligible or even that Underwood wasn’t expected to play until the day before, and hadn’t prepared as such.
And given everything that happened in Ann Arbor, particularly late last season, that Whittingham ended up leading the program should provide a substantial boost that many outside the region aren’t likely anticipating.
Summer conditioning is set to begin next week with eyes on fall camp, which will begin in August.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Why Michigan football doesn’t face a quarterback dilemma
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
