Everyone Is Blaming Bryce Underwood. But maybe the Michigan Coaching Staff is the Bigger Problem

So, you’re still shaking your head since Bryce Underwood threw the fourth down pass away to basically end the game against Minnesota?

Well, you’re not alone.

That play – the ball sailing totally uncatchable and out of bounds – sums up the entire Michigan football season so far in one painful snapshot.

But it’s not the first time.

Underwood threw the first Hail Mary attempt against Western Michigan completely out of the back of the end zone to end the game until he received a controversial second chance.

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham admitted after the game, he told Underwood to throw the second one somewhere in the end zone so it might be catchable.

Yep, shake your head some more.

Well, you know the rest of the story as it captivated the news on college football’s opening weekend and then sailed straight into Monday talk shows.

It sounds comical that Whittingham had to give those obvious directions, but by doing so, he put his quarterback in position to win the game.

And as lame as it sounds, isn’t that the biggest part of coaching? Putting your personnel in a position to be successful.

But in between the Hail Mary passes and the Minnesota fourth down pass, it hasn’t been happening. The Michigan offensive coaching staff seems to be putting players in position to fail.

The Michigan program is built – and always has been – to run the football straight through the heart of the defense, not east and west and eventually smothered behind the line of scrimmage.

But that’s what’s been happening. Which may explain why Michigan’s huge offensive line has played so poorly. They’re being told to run laterally instead of blasting open holes for, not one, but two very talented running backs in Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter.

The Wolverines traditionally have thrown the ball downfield to a long list of great tight ends and utilized others as flexible H-back blockers that can release and become valuable targets. Not now, they are simply offensive linemen turned into jumbo tight ends – aka rhinos – and the result has been pretty much useless.

The misuse of personnel, that granted was recruited by a completely different and former coaching staff, is taking Team 147 and its season straight down the tubes.

Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck need to scrap their offensive game plan and philosophy used in Utah and put their current players – and their respective skill sets – into positions to be successful.

Maybe if a tight end was racing downfield as a third or fourth option on fourth down with the clock ticking down, Underwood – we hope – would throw the ball inbounds toward him.