The Michigan Wolverines escaped defeat in controversial fashion back in Week 1 against Western Michigan. But the luck has seemingly run out following a 20-14 loss to Minnesota on Saturday.
Bryce Underwood finished with 101 passing yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions as Michigan fell to 3-2 on the season. The team has now lost back-to-back games and the remaining schedule does not get much easier.
Will the Wolverines win the necessary six games to qualify for a bowl game?
The Road Ahead for Michigan
Michigan needs three wins over the final seven games to reach six wins on the season. The next three opponents are, in order: versus Penn State, versus Indiana, at Rutgers. No game is automatic for this Wolverines squad, but the team should easily defeat Rutgers. That would mark one win.
The Indiana game may be a scheduled loss, while the game against Penn State is a toss-up given the Nittany Lions are on a similar trajectory as the Wolverines.
That stretch is followed by a home game against Michigan State, which Michigan should be favored in.
Yet the final three games of the season are where the wheels can fall off for the Wolverines. This stretch features a road game at Oregon, a home game versus UCLA, and finally a road game at Ohio State. An 0-3 mark is realistic, especially if Underwood is benched and Michigan starts to focus on 2027 way earlier than expected.
This is all a shocking discussion to have surrounding this team, which should count its blessings after taking home the win in Week 1. Michigan could easily be 2-3 right now if not for an added second on the clock against WMU.
The best-case scenario in the remaining seven games hovers around 4-3 or 5-2. The worst-case scenario seems to be 2-5, barring a total collapse and a 1-6 or 0-7 finish.
Bryce Underwood Continues to Struggle
Michigan stands no chance on offense if Underwood continues to play at such a lowly level. Through five games, his play appears to be the norm for him this season.
He barely eclipsed the 100-yard mark against Minnesota and did not make up for it on the ground, finishing with 20 rushing yards on 10 carries. This is not what the program had in mind when signing him to a lucrative NIL deal.
His confidence is clearly not there and this latest loss may only make things worse. That makes the game against Penn State a crucial one for the future of the season and the program. Another bad outing by Underwood, assuming he starts, may mean his tenure comes to an abrupt end as Michigan simply focuses on reaching a bowl game in 2026.
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