The Michigan football bye week came at both the best time and the worst time. It's the best time because the Wolverines can take some time to figure out how to fix the ills of the offense after two straight losses. It's the worst time because now the maize and blue are the center of attention for two full weeks across the college football world given how awful the offense has been.
Much of the discourse this week has centered on quarterback Bryce Underwood and what the Wolverines intend on doing with him. But according to one prominent former quarterback and current analyst, it's not about if Underwood should start, it's more about what the Wolverines should do with him.
Former Heisman Trophy winner and current Fox Sports analyst Robert Griffin
III opined on his podcast that the worst thing that the Wolverines could do is to sit Underwood in favor of Tommy Carr or Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi.
"Benching Bryce Underwood would be Michigan's biggest mistake," Griffin said. "If Michigan wants to throw away their season, I've got the perfect plan. Bench Bryce Underwood.
"OK, seriously, because apparently, the solution to failing your quarterback is to punish your quarterback for being failed. I am not defending bad quarterback play. Bryce Underwood has not played great this season. I'm asking, why is the quarterback playing so badly? Michigan reportedly committed around $12 million dollars over four years in NIL money to secure Bryce Underwood. You didn't make that investment because Bryce Underwood was a finished product. You made it because of his ability and where you thought he could go. Arm talent, vertical passing ability, the ability to attack the entire field with his arm first and then his legs second. And then Michigan decided to hire Kyle Whittingham, who is a tremendous football coach. I am not taking that away from him. But a coach whose identity has always been defense, physicality, running the football, and complementary football. All right, there is nothing wrong with that philosophy. Unless you take your most valuable offensive asset and try to force him into a system that doesn't maximize what he does best."
Michigan needs to STOP TRYING TO TURN BRYCE UNDERWOOD INTO DEVON DAMPIER and build the offense around Bryce’s skill set.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 7, 2026
Dampier is a special player and Utah is lucky to have him.
He’s a totally different player than Bryce. The coaching and play calling have to reflect that. pic.twitter.com/4DWi50B4F4
So, what should the Wolverines do? Griffin has a simple solution: stop trying to replicate what the offense at Utah was doing last year and start utilizing Underwood's strengths.
"Well, they have to stop trying to make Bryce Underwood (into) Devon Dampier," Griffin said. "Listen to me, Devon Dampier ran for 1,166 rushing yards, 19 rushing touchdowns, and averaged seven and a half yards a carry in 2024 at New Mexico with offensive coordinator Jason Beck. All right, that's not a quarterback who can run. That's a quarterback whose legs are a foundational piece of your offense. Bryce Underwood is not Devon Dampier. Bryce can move. Bryce can use his legs. He can create with them. But his superpower has always been his arm. Build the offense around that. Move the launch point because it creates throwing windows, not because you're trying to manufacture quarterback carries. Use play action. Give him defined vertical reads. Create deep over opportunities. Attack outside the numbers. Use RPOs that punish loaded boxes. Let him throw himself in the rhythm. And most importantly, let Bryce Underwood become the best version of Bryce Underwood.
"If you wanted Devon Dampier, you should have brought him with you from Utah. Michigan doesn't need a quarterback. Doesn't need a new quarterback. It needs to figure out the quarterback that it already has. And this is why they reached out to me years ago. Was it two years ago? Two years ago. To be Bryce Underwood's quarterback coach. That's right. Michigan offered me a job to be Bryce Underwood's quarterback coach. And I turned it down because I love what I'm doing here with you and calling games and having a good time. But at the same time, he needs to be developed. And he's not being developed right now. They're trying to force a round peg into a square hole. And they've got to do a better job of supporting him and what he does well. You got a bye a week to figure it out. But benching your quarterback is not the answer."
Michigan still has another week to figure out how to cure its ills. Next Saturday, the Wolverines will host Penn State, another 3-2 team that has struggled mightily this season.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Robert Griffin III warns Michigan against benching Bryce Underwood
