After watching an offense that one analyst suggested looked like it was from "1927" in the loss to Oklahoma, it was hard to know what to expect from Michigan football on Saturday against Central Michigan.
Sherrone Moore may not have been on the sidelines, but what we saw on the field, the unleashing of Bryce Underwood, was his idea, according to interim head coach Biff Poggi.
Poggi, once the right-hand man of Jim Harbaugh, now the right-hand man of Moore, and formerly the head coach of Charlotte, was the right man for the interim head-coaching job. He called Bryce Underwood, "Batman," and said that the buttoned-down approach we saw against Oklahoma would be a thing of the past.
Saturday's result was one game against a Central Michigan team that won four games a season ago. Michigan football did what it was supposed to do in the 63-3 win, and here are five things we learned.
Bryce Underwood is Michigan's best player
There was never really a doubt about this. The issue was clearly with the staff putting the handcuffs on Underwood.
They were taken off on Saturday, and it was a sight to see. The five-star quarterback looked like a five-star. Whether it was one of his 20-yard runs, or the last touchdown run, which was 18, where he juked out a few defenders on his way to the end zone -- or the touchdown pass to Semaj Morgan, Underwood was doing it all.
The freshman finished with three touchdowns, two of them rushing. With Max Bredeson leading the way, Underwood scored his first rushing touchdown to put Michigan football ahead of 21-0.
There was one mistake -- the deep ball down the field. But Michigan fans will live with those, and the coaches should, too, because the "wow" factor is real.
Underwood accounted for 349 total yards. He rushed for 114 yards and was the first quarterback since Devin Gardner to have a 100-yard game on the ground.
Things will be more challenging for Underwood against Nebraska. Yet, it was clear that he's the Wolverines best player. It's time to lean into it, like Michigan did Saturday.