Underwood or Carr? Michigan Brings an Open Quarterback Job and a 5-4 Record to Oregon

Michigan heads west this weekend with a 5-4 record, a fired offensive coordinator and a quarterback job that its own head coach has thrown back open. Waiting in Eugene is an Oregon team that has taken its own lumps but still sees a path to the postseason. The money talk between the coaches made headlines earlier this week. Saturday will be about football, and Michigan badly needs some ^[1][3][5].

A Quarterback Job Up for Grabs

Kyle Whittingham said Monday that freshman Tommy Carr and sophomore Bryce Underwood would battle in practice this week for the starting job, Field Level Media reported ^[1]. That was a sharp turn from a week earlier, when Whittingham said Carr would remain the starter for the foreseeable future ^[1]. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported that the starting spot was undecided again, and ClutchPoints noted Whittingham planned to take several days before choosing ^[2].

Both young passers have struggled. Carr has started three games since replacing Underwood at halftime of a 21-18 win over Penn State on Oct. 17, and he has thrown for 641 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions this season ^[1]. In last week's loss to Michigan State, he completed 14 of 26 passes for 138 yards with two interceptions ^[1].

Underwood, who threw for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a freshman, has completed 58.1 percent of his passes this year for 924 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions ^[1]. Fox News' OutKick described his season as ranging from disappointing to worse ^[3].

The problem runs deeper than one position. Michigan ranks 126th out of 138 major college teams in scoring offense at 19.6 points per game, while its defense ranks 14th, allowing 16.2 points per game ^[1]. That is a defense good enough to win most Saturdays, paired with an offense that keeps letting it down.

Turmoil in Ann Arbor

The low point came on Nov. 7, when Michigan State beat the Wolverines 15-6 ^[1][3]. Field Level Media reported it was Michigan's first loss without allowing a touchdown since 1985 ^[1]. Whittingham fired offensive coordinator Jason Beck the next day, and Jim Harding took over as interim offensive coordinator ^[1][2]. OutKick reported that Beck's buyout is $10 million ^[3].

Michigan's season has swung wildly. The Wolverines beat Oklahoma and rallied past Western Michigan 13-12, but they have also lost to Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan State ^[3][4]. They sit at 2-4 in the Big Ten ^[1].

There is also noise around the locker room. Newsweek reported that draft analyst Tony Pauline said in a video on X that he had been told many players feel disrespected by the coaching staff, a claim that came secondhand with no named players on the record ^[4]. Newsweek also reported that tight end Zack Marshall apologized after leaked messages criticizing Beck surfaced ^[4].

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Credit Marshall for owning it. Young men make mistakes, and the ones who stand up and apologize are usually the ones a team can build around. A losing season tests a program's character far more than a winning one does, and how this group handles the next three weeks will say a lot about the culture Whittingham is trying to build.

Oregon's Own Questions

The Ducks are not without problems. Oregon has lost to UCLA and Illinois, and OutKick wrote that Oklahoma State thoroughly handled the Ducks as well ^[3]. Starting quarterback Dante Moore got hurt against USC, leaving backup Dylan Raiola as the next man up, according to OutKick ^[3]. Oregon also owns wins over Northwestern and Ohio State, the latter in Columbus ^[3].

Fox News noted the Ducks have sputtered at times but remain in the thick of the playoff race, especially if they win out ^[5]. OutKick added that Oregon is still clinging to hopes of reaching the Big Ten title game ^[3].

The coaches themselves kept things classy. After Whittingham pointed to Oregon's deep NIL resources earlier in the week, Oregon coach Dan Lanning answered with praise ^[3].

"Coach Whittingham is an unbelievable coach. He's a Hall of Fame coach," Lanning said ^[3].

What's at Stake

For Michigan, the math is simple and unforgiving. After Oregon, the Wolverines host UCLA on Nov. 21 and finish with Ohio State on Nov. 28, and Newsweek noted they could end the season 5-7 and miss a bowl game entirely ^[4]. One more win would get them to six.

For Oregon, a home win keeps its postseason hopes breathing ^[3][5]. For both programs, Saturday is a reminder that talent and money only go so far. Games are still won by the team that protects the football, executes on third down and stays together when the outside noise gets loud. Whichever quarterback trots out for Michigan, he will carry a heavy load into one of college football's toughest road environments.