Dave Portnoy needed only a few seconds to go from relief to complete confidence in Michigan.
The Barstool Sports founder erupted after Bryce Underwood connected with J.J. Buchanan on a game-winning Hail Mary to give Michigan a stunning 13-12 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday night. The Wolverines needed officials to restore one second to the clock before Underwood delivered the winning throw, producing one of the most controversial finishes of the opening weekend.
Portnoy did not seem particularly interested in debating how Michigan got there.
“You can’t beat this team,” Portnoy screamed in a video posted to X. “Bryce Underwood has the ‘it’ [expletive] factor. Everybody on [expletive] Twitter was going [expletive] crazy. Put the dirt on us. Put the dirt on us. Not so fast, you [expletive].”
Portnoy continued celebrating the Hail Mary while repeatedly yelling that Michigan had won, with every profanity censored here in accordance with Heavy standards.
Dave Portnoy Quickly Turns Attention to Oklahoma
Then came perhaps the most revealing part of Portnoy’s celebration.
His attention quickly shifted toward Oklahoma, Michigan’s next opponent. Portnoy made it clear he wanted the Wolverines’ next game immediately, displaying a remarkable level of confidence considering how close Michigan came to suffering one of the biggest upsets of Week 1.
That contrast is what makes the reaction so entertaining.
Michigan entered Saturday as a 27-point favorite over Western Michigan, according to ClutchPoints, yet trailed until the final play. Underwood struggled for significant stretches before delivering when the Wolverines needed him most.
Portnoy saw that final throw as evidence of something bigger.
Underwood may not have produced the dominant season-opening performance Michigan envisioned, but the quarterback showed enough poise to make the play that ultimately mattered. For Portnoy, that was apparently enough to forget everything that happened during the previous 59 minutes.
Oklahoma Will Give Michigan a Much Different Test
Michigan will not have long to enjoy the escape.
Oklahoma visits Michigan Stadium on Sept. 12 after opening its season with a 51-0 victory over UTEP. The Sooners made the College Football Playoff last season and should provide a considerably more difficult test than Western Michigan did.
That makes Portnoy’s willingness to immediately call for Oklahoma either incredible confidence or classic postgame adrenaline.
Probably a little of both.
Michigan unquestionably has issues to clean up after turning the ball over three times and needing a last-second miracle against Western Michigan. Portnoy’s celebration did not erase those problems.
It did capture exactly how quickly one play can change the feeling surrounding a football team.
Moments earlier, Michigan appeared headed toward a humiliating opening-night loss.
One Underwood Hail Mary later, Portnoy was ready for Oklahoma.
Dave Portnoy Sends Defiant Oklahoma Message After Michigan’s Wild Escape