Michigan football hits the road in Week 2 to face No. 18 Oklahoma. The expectations of Bryce Underwood are high, and the hype train is building. The expectations may be warranted as legendary head coach Nick Saban spoke about Underwood on the Pat McAfee Show.
The discussion was initially focused on the defensive coordinators of Oklahoma and Michigan. Brent Venables serves as both the head coach and defensive coordinator for the Sooners and is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the game. The same goes for Wink Martindale of Michigan. The discussion changed to quarterbacks against these two solid defensive coaches.
Saban called Underwood “very talented” and noted that the offense for Michigan looked completely different with Underwood under center. The rest of the cast agreed, the Michigan offense has changed due to the talent of their freshman quarterback.
He is not the only former national championship-winning coach to have praise for the young talent. “My God, I mean, that’s a junior in college, and he’s really not. His physical presence is Cam Newton-ish. His size, his athleticism — I mean, spectacular,” said Urban Meyer during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
The Michigan offense is different in 2025
Saban was very clear that the Michigan offense was much better than the 2024 version. Underwood was great in his first game. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown. He did not use his legs much in Week 1, with the game in hand, but that could be coming.
Regardless, his 251 yards passing would have been the most of any quarterback in a game in 2024. The most passing yards in a game for a Michigan quarterback that year was in Week 2 against Texas, when Davis Warren went 22 of 33 for 204 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Michigan quarterbacks eclipsed 200 yards passing twice in 2024, both times throwing interceptions. That is something Underwood did not do.
The last Wolverine quarterback to throw for over 250 yards in a game was in November of 2023 against Purdue. That man was J.J. McCarthy, and he won a National Title that year. If Bryce Underwood is as talented as Saban thinks he is, maybe another title is coming for the Maize and Blue.
