Urban Meyer spent the second half of Michigan's loss at Minnesota on the Wolverines' sideline, and he came away searching for difference-makers. The FOX Sports "Big Noon Kickoff" host said on "The Triple Option" podcast that Bryce Underwood is the only first-round athlete on the Michigan Wolverines, who dropped to 3-2 and 0-2 in the Big Ten with the 20-14 defeat. Meyer gave receivers JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh credit as good players before explaining why the cupboard looked thin to him.
"I don't see first-rounders out there bouncing around there like you're used to seeing with the Wolverines. Or even second-rounders," Meyer said. "Maybe I'm missing something, but we've watched them closely now, and the only first-round athlete on the field is Bryce Underwood." Co-host Rob Stone countered that Underwood, the top overall recruit in the 2024 class, may not grade as a first-round quarterback after his struggles and could profile as a long-term receiver project.
"No, no, no, no, that's why I said athlete," he said. Mark Ingram, who played running back at Alabama and rounds out the show, said Michigan's defense is paying the price. "Now the defense is playing tough, but they're also playing 100 snaps a game because the offense is going three-and-out," Ingram said.
Michigan ranks 17th in the Big Ten in total offense at 315.8 yards per game and in scoring at 23 points per game. Only Michigan State, 2-3 and 0-2, sits lower. Ohio State leads the conference with 514.4 yards per game.
Underwood is 14th in the league with 218.6 total yards per game. Buchanan, seventh with 446 receiving yards, is the only Wolverine among the conference's top 20 in receiving or rushing. Meyer called the program "a train wreck right now" but didn't pin it all on his quarterback.
"But that sideline, I just didn't feel the dudes anywhere," he said. Head coach Kyle Whittingham now has the Week 6 bye to find answers, with Michigan still chasing its first Big Ten win and Meyer seeing no fast fix.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
