Joel Anderson questions Kyle Whittingham challenging Bryce Underwood through the media

Beneath the surface of Michigan’s controversial and miraculous Week 1 win were worrying signs around their highly paid sophomore quarterback, Bryce Underwood.

Once the dust cleared from the seemingly referee-aided victory, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham quickly turned his attention to Underwood’s future. Whittingham told reporters in Ann Arbor that Underwood’s grasp on the starting job was “not infinite,” which then appeared to catch the sophomore off guard.

Asked to respond, Underwood simply said, “That’s cool.”

It was an early test for Whittingham in Year 1 at Michigan, and a sign of how he could handle his public comments about the team as he attempts to get the program back on track. But The Ringer’s Joel Anderson, in an episode of Ringer Tailgate this week, questioned Whittingham’s forceful approach given his track record with quarterbacks.

“That is not cool. That kid is still on your team,” Anderson said. “Don’t communicate something through the media that you haven’t yet communicated to him.”

Anderson noted that while Underwood surely needs to develop for Michigan to reach its potential as a team, the young quarterback has no more reason to trust Whittingham than the coach has to trust him.

“He’s never, in 20 years of being a head coach, had a quarterback even drafted. Never,” Anderson said.

“So if I’m Bryce Underwood, I could look at him and be like, ‘How the hell do I know that you know anything about developing a professional quarterback? You’ve never done it before.’ Bryce Underwood could also be like, ‘ Man, you know what? I might want to move on as well. I’m sure that, I’m certain that has passed through his and his camp’s heads.”

For most of the history of college football, whatever leverage a player may have had was shrouded in mystery. A star’s power grab played out behind the scenes. If he was being paid or had the support of a key booster, NCAA restrictions kept it secret.

Now, the extent of Michigan’s efforts to sign Underwood is out in the open. Underwood’s salary is public knowledge, and everyone understands that he could leave in the portal at any time — including at a moment’s notice if Whittingham were to bench him.

That means analysts like Anderson can actually craft an argument on the player’s behalf, and provide balance to what has become the most fascinating quarterback controversy of the early season. Underwood certainly underwhelmed in Week 1, but it is anyone’s guess whether Michigan would be better with him or his backup at the helm. If nothing else, Anderson is acknowledging that uncertainty rather than defaulting to the coach’s point of view.