The first game of the Kyle Whittingham era was a disaster for Michigan.
It might go down as one of the worst wins in program history. Even if Western Michigan goes on to win the MAC championship, fans won't feel any better about the outcome, even though it was the correct one, according to the officials.
Michigan didn't deserve to win based on how it played. Former five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood was terrible. He started strong, completing his first five passes for 61 yards, but after that, he looked like he couldn't make a read, whether it was passing or running.
Last season, Underwood struggled against Oklahoma, completing just 37 percent of his passes. Brent Venables, one of the best defensive head coaches in the sport, has to be licking his chops. Vegas also really likes the Sooners heading into the Week 2 matchup between the Big Ten and SEC.
It was going to be a top-25 game. Michigan might not be ranked now. As far as the odds go, they have been trending in the Sooners' direction all day. This morning, the line was -4.5 in favor of Oklahoma. Now, it's -6.5, making OU more than a touchdown favorite to win in the Big House.
The over/under is 43.5. The moneyline is -245 for the Sooners and +198 for Michigan.
Oklahoma is a strong favorite to beat Michigan
As for the Wolverines, it's hard to have any confidence that Michigan will be able to move the ball after scoring just 13 points against Western Michigan. U-M went three-and-out four times. The longest drive outside of the two scoring drives lasted seven plays, covering 29 yards.
It was shockingly bad. Underwood's head was spinning last season against the Sooners. Who knows what will happen next Saturday, but Michigan football has to be able to run the ball, or it will get ugly.
That could mean running the ball with Underwood 20 times. If he can hang onto the ball, it might be the best thing he does. Maybe the passing game will awaken, but it's hard to see Underwood improving overnight if he didn't improve over an entire offseason.
Maybe the Hail Mary will boost his confidence. Maybe he will start looking like a different quarterback, or maybe the new scheme has been more diffuclt for him to learn than we thought.
Regardless, it feels like the Sooners could be an even bigger favorite by kickoff next Saturday.
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