If Michigan football makes the College Football Playoff next season, there's one major reason it will happen: A jump in the play of Bryce Underwood.
Some other things need to happen. The offensive line needs to keep getting better. The defense will need to stay at playing a relatively high level under new defensive coordinator Jay Hill, but more than anything, Michigan needs Bryce Underwood to become a star.
Michigan's fate is in the hands of Bryce Underwood
Last season, Underwood had some great moments. He was honestly better than some people are giving him credit for. One thing to remember about Michigan football with Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore is that they didn't really play-action much near the end-zone. They just rammed the ball in as many times as possible, which is one reason the TD passes were lower for Bryce last season.
Underwood had 17 total touchdowns in 13 games last season. He averaged 216 yards per game. There were ups and downs, but that's expected with a freshman quarterback. It's even more understandable when we found out that Michigan football didn't have a dedicated quarterbacks coach for Underwood, something he will have this season.
Koy Detmer Jr. will be the QB coach. Jason Beck is the new offensive coordinator, and he spoke on the "In The Trenches" podcast about the jump Underwood can make next season.
“When I watched the film, man, he’s a big, athletic, impressive player. He has a big arm, and has a nice presence about him,” Beck said on the podcast. “To play at this level as a freshman — a true freshman — is really hard. That is really challenging for anybody. First year starting for a guy to the second year starting, guys take a jump — just from the experience, just from being through the ups and downs, the game slowing down. Just the improvement, you make a jump from your first year as a starter to year two. Now, not many kids are starting as a freshman, so that even kind of adds to it a little more.
Michigan has a challenging schedule. Yet some are still projecting the Wolverines to make the College Football Playoff. For that to happen, Underwood needs to make a big leap in year two.
Under the new coaching staff, that seems entirely possible.