As Michigan prepares to host Indiana in Big Ten play on Saturday, Oct. 24, Kyle Whittingham and the Wolverines find themselves weighing their options at quarterback.
Do the Wolverines go back to a struggling Bryce Underwood, or do they stick with true freshman Tommy Carr, who came off the bench in the second half and led Michigan to a win last week against Penn State?
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on the situation during the latest episode of his "NONSTOP" podcast with Joey Galloway, saying he is not concerned about boosters influencing the decision. Instead, Herbstreit said he'd base his decision on film evaluation and determining
which quarterback gives the best chance to win a game.
"I don’t care what the preconceived (notion was), what we’re doing in spring ball. Now it’s reality," Herbstreit said. "If I think Tommy Carr can give me a better chance, I’m looking at it through the eyes and the lens of a coach trying to win games. I don’t know if these guys are, but me personally, that’s how I’m looking at it."
Herbstreit noted that if Whittingham elects to go with Carr – which national reports point to – and it backfires, it could be a costly decision for the first-year coach. But it is one that he believes is worth the risk.
"I know by doing that (and) if it doesn’t work out, you probably get fired. Or you play a guy who’s struggling that I’m paying all this money to and we get the same old, same old and lose. Or I try something else that might spark the team," Herbstreit said.
"It’s worth the risk to me."
Carr, the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, completed 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards in the second half against the Nittany Lions. He also had a 12-yard rushing touchdown as he led the Wolverines to a 21-18 win that snapped a two-game skid.
Underwood, the former No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, is 72-of-124 passing for 924 yards with five touchdowns this season. He has thrown six interceptions in six games, while fumbling the ball a pair of times.
Through the first seven weeks of the season, the Wolverines' offense ranks 17th in the Big Ten in scoring at 22.7 points per game.
Michigan and Indiana are set for a noon ET kickoff at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 24.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kirk Herbstriet on Michigan's QB conundrum: Tommy Carr 'worth the risk'
