During Michigan's matchup against Penn State on Saturday, it was reported by Jenny Dell during the game that quarterback Bryce Underwood took time during the bye week to go to California to spend time working with his personal QB coach. Later in the second half, Underwood was benched.
Now, this obviously caused a lot of theories to go around about why Underwood wasn't practicing with the team, and how he was able to just jet off to California during the bye week. Whittingham came out in his Monday presser and cleared a lot up regarding the issue.
Whittingham said that Underwood did travel to California, but he did so during the three days the Wolverines had off, and it was far from a vacation. Whittingham said Underwood was "working his tail off," which isn't surprising, but while he may not have missed practices, he missed a different opportunity.
Kyle Whittingham says Bryce Underwood went to California in the three days the Wolverines didn’t have practice, and didn’t miss a team practice. “And it wasn’t a vacation, he was working his tail off.”
— Zach Shaw (@_ZachShaw) October 19, 2026
It's good that Underwood didn't miss practice; however, he missed an opportunity to spend time with his team outside of practices and the confines of the facilities, which is key when trying to break out of slumps. Sure, Underwood might have worked hard out in California, but it clearly didn't show when he took the field against Penn State.
Bryce Underwood could be losing the locker room at Michigan
The Michigan players aren't going to come out and say they are glad Underwood got benched in favor of Tommy Carr, but actions speak louder than words. The first half against Penn State was sluggish, and the entire Michigan team struggled, even the defense at times.
When Carr came in at the start of the second half, it was like the Wolverines were playing with new life on both sides of the ball. Michigan's defense caused three turnovers, and all three led to scores for the offense, an offense that was facilitated well by Carr.
Whittingham said after the game that Michigan just needed a spark and that Carr gave the Wolverines just that.
Now, I am not sitting here and saying that if Underwood had stayed in Ann Arbor those three days the team had off, he wouldn't have been benched, or he would have played better. However, building the relationship within the team both on and off the field is crucial, and Underwood missed an opportunity to do that.
Whittingham said in his Monday presser that there is a plan in place for the quarterback, but the Wolverines won't show their hand to Indiana by naming the starter. Let's face it, the starter has to be Carr; at this point, it is his job to lose, but unless he completely crumbles under the pressure on Saturday, Underwood might have to get comfortable on the bench.
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