Coach Kyle Whittingham's Michigan Wolverines won their first Big Ten home game of 2026, 21-18 over Penn State as backup QB Tommy Carr impressed at the Big House. Starting quarterback Bryce Underwood threw two interceptions and led his team to zero points before the halftime switch to Carr, which came on the heels of Whittingham's stark comments about his uneven play.
After the game, CBS Sports' Richard Johnson broke down what Carr's takeover meant for Underwood's future in a maize-and-blue helmet.
“If Tommy Carr continues to play at-or-near this level for the rest of the season…Then we're gonna have probably the most high profile team separation I think as far as the transfer portal is concerned when we get to the end of the season,” Johnson said, comparing Underwood to Trinidad Chambliss' situation at Ole Miss.
“Cuz if it's Tommy Carr's job, why am I hanging out here if I'm Bryce Underwood? I'm gonna go to greener pastures, so I don't know if we've seen a divorce, if that's what it comes to at this level of, a player who's as compensated as well as Bryce Underwood is, had sort of the weight of the world on his shoulders coming in as the number one recruit in the country.
Article Continues Below“It just hasn't worked, hasn't really clicked. At least for a week, it's Tommy Carr's job, we'll see how they handle it moving forward.”
Underwood and offensive coordinator Jason Beck's offense was roundly criticized heading into the Penn State game, and looked even worse before Carr was inserted as the starting quarterback. Underwood isn't solely to blame, but his future looks in serious question with Michigan set to take on Indiana in Week 8.