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Michigan football O-line is the biggest concern coming out of Oklahoma loss

There are a few issues to be concerned about for Michigan football fresh off the loss to Oklahoma, but the offensive line is chief among them.
ByChris Peterson|
Michigan offensive lineman Greg Crippen (51), center, and offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi (58) get ready for a snap against New Mexico during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Michigan offensive lineman Greg Crippen (51), center, and offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi (58) get ready for a snap against New Mexico during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are a few legitimate concerns about the Michigan football team, following its 24-13 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday.

The running game didn't produce like Michigan fans expected. Neither did the defense, or freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood.

The defense also wasn't great, although it didn't help that the offense couldn't sustain a drive. One reason for that, outside of the play-calling, which was too conservative, was the poor play of the offensive line.

Greg Crippen, the starting center for Michigan football, was graded out poorly against Oklahoma, but he said on Tuesday that he was "confident" that the offensive line would get where it needed to be.

That's all well and good. But I'm skeptical.

To be fair, the offensive line should improve. It did last season. The run blocking against Ohio State and Alabama was better than it was earlier in the season. Yet, some of the film coming out of the Oklahoma game doesn't look good for the offensive line.

Many have criticized the recruiting and the development. It should be noted that Crippen, Giovanni El-Hadi, Nathan Efobi, Evan Link, and Andrew Sprague were all four-star recruits. Most teams would love that have that kind of recruited talented on the offensive line.

The addition of Bryce Underwood as the starting quarterback has drastically raised the ceiling of this team this season. But much of the upside and belief -- such as people betting the over on season win totals, was tied to the belief that the offensive line would be improved.

So far, it's not. Running into stacked boxes didn't help. Unleashing Underwood on early downs, and more frequently, could make their jobs easier, assuming they can protect Bryce in pass protection.

So far, Underwood has exceeded my expectations. I was hopeful he could be just game-manager good this season. It appears he can be a difference maker instead, but if the offensive line doesn't hold up its end of the bargain, his impact, especially against elite teams, will be limited.

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