Kyle Whittingham has reached the point where nothing is off the table.

Michigan’s 20-14 loss to Minnesota on Saturday was not simply another frustrating afternoon. It was the Wolverines’ second consecutive defeat, dropped them to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, and produced an offensive performance bad enough that Whittingham openly acknowledged changes could be coming during the bye week.

“We might have to make some tough decisions here. We’ll see,” Whittingham said after the loss. “But, you know, right now to this point through this portion of the season, it’s unacceptable. The results are unacceptable right now.”

The numbers make that assessment difficult to argue.

Michigan Offense Hits Rock Bottom

Michigan managed just 180 total yards, including 101 through the air and 79 on the ground. The Wolverines finished with 11 first downs, went 3-for-10 on third down and possessed the football for only 22:24 in a game Minnesota won 20-14 to reclaim the Little Brown Jug.

Bryce Underwood finished 10-of-21 for 101 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, producing a 36.1 QBR. Michigan averaged only 2.8 yards per rushing attempt, and the offense failed to score a single point in the second half.

That represents a dramatic reversal from one week ago. Underwood threw for a career-high 276 yards as Michigan generated 429 total yards in its heartbreaking loss to Iowa, but even that performance exposed Michigan’s inability to finish games.

Saturday was different.

This time, the offense barely functioned.

“We’re certainly going to analyze every single possibility,” Whittingham said. “You’re right, it’s been completely ineffective most of the time. Not 100% of the time. But we still are so far away from where we need to be on that side of the ball.”

Whittingham Says ‘Everything’s in Play’

Whittingham was asked specifically what he meant when he referenced “tough decisions.”

“Who the guys are that give us the best chance to win,” Whittingham said.

When a follow-up question asked whether that meant the changes would be limited to players rather than coaches, Whittingham widened the scope.

“Coaches are always being evaluated. Everything’s in play. Everything’s in play,” Whittingham said. “What you don’t want to do is panic. Like I said, we’re 3-2. And so there’s been a few positive things. But we’ve got seven games left, and we’ve got this opportunity to right the ship as much as we can.”

That does not mean Whittingham announced a coaching change or indicated offensive coordinator Jason Beck is about to lose play-calling duties. It does mean Michigan’s head coach publicly refused to exclude coaching from the evaluation that will take place during the bye.

And Beck’s offense will unquestionably be at the center of it.

Jason Beck, Bryce Underwood Among Questions to Answer

Whittingham defended Beck’s résumé while making clear that Michigan’s current offensive production cannot continue.

“I’ll sit down with the entire offense and get everybody’s input and everybody’s perspective,” Whittingham said. “And there’s nobody more frustrated than Coach Beck. I mean, his track record is outstanding. He’s an offensive coordinator. And so we might have to make some tough decisions here. We’ll see.”

Quarterback will naturally be part of the conversation after Underwood’s difficult afternoon. When Whittingham was asked whether he considered turning to Tommy Carr against Minnesota, he said Michigan continually evaluates which players give it the best opportunity to win but ultimately determined Underwood remained its best option Saturday.

The problems extend well beyond the quarterback.

Michigan’s offensive line entered Saturday already dealing with significant personnel issues, including starting tackle Andrew Sprague being among the eight Wolverines ruled out against Minnesota. Whittingham said Michigan must now determine whether its protection problems resulted from breakdowns up front, coverage sacks, Underwood holding the football too long or some combination of those factors.

Defense Could Only Do So Much

Perhaps the most damning part of Saturday’s performance is that Michigan’s defense repeatedly gave the Wolverines opportunities to win.

Smith Snowden intercepted Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey, while Nathaniel Staehling returned another interception 79 yards for a touchdown. Michigan’s defense held Minnesota to 262 total yards and only 20 points despite the Wolverines turning the football over three times.

Michigan actually led 14-7 at halftime.

Then the Wolverines produced zero second-half points while Minnesota scored 13 unanswered. Michigan’s defense eventually broke after spending nearly 38 minutes on the field, something Whittingham acknowledged afterward.

“The defense has played well the entire season,” Whittingham said. “There’s been a lot of good things going on in defense, but it gets to the point where they just can’t hold up anymore.”

Michigan had entered Minnesota as a road favorite despite the Iowa loss, with the Wolverines originally opening as 8.5-point favorites. Instead, Minnesota beat Michigan for the first time since 2014 and defeated the Wolverines in Minneapolis for the first time since 1977.

Michigan’s Bye Week Just Became Critical

Michigan now has two weeks before Penn State arrives at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 17. The timing could hardly be better for a team whose head coach openly admits he is still trying to determine exactly what he has.

Whittingham called the situation perhaps the biggest challenge of his more than 40 years in coaching. He also made a promise that Michigan will eventually find answers, even if he could not provide a timeline for when that will happen.

There is urgency behind those words.

Michigan is 3-2. There are seven games remaining. Nothing about this season is mathematically lost, and Whittingham made clear that panic would accomplish nothing.

But 180 yards of offense changes the conversation.

Michigan has two weeks to figure out what needs to change. Based on Whittingham’s comments Saturday, everything is officially on the table.

Source: Yahoo Sports