Bryce Underwood entered the Oklahoma game with questions swirling around his job security. Following Michigan’s shaky outing against WMU, Kyle Whittingham had warned that players are never immune to competition. Underwood responded with a turnaround performance against the Sooners, and his head coach has now made his stance crystal clear.

“I was asked if the answer is infinitely and it’s in stone. Whose job is ever etched in stone? So that was my answer. I never brought it up or alluded to that. Are you guys—I mean, you guys are all guaranteed jobs? I don’t know,” said Kyle Whittingham.

After a struggling performance against WMU sparked quarterback-switch rumors, Bryce Underwood showed his worth against Oklahoma. He completed 9 of 17 passes for 111 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, while adding 87 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He also had one fumble, though it was not lost.

Week 1 felt like a distant memory as Bryce Underwood flipped the script against Oklahoma. Michigan offensive coordinator Jason Beck got his QB to make the necessary adjustments after the WMU game, and it showed early on the ground. Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan for a 36-yard gain before keeping the ball on a speed option and racing 38 yards for the longest touchdown run of his career.

The rest of the game was a bit quieter; however, Underwood played smart and stayed composed. He recovered his only fumble, avoided costly mistakes, and took what the defense gave him through screens, checkdowns, and read options. After last week’s struggle, this was a major morale boost performance from Underwood that ended the quarterback debate.

“I don’t know anyone in football that does. So, I don’t agree that I opened that can of worms. Bryce is our quarterback,” Kyle Whittingham emphatically squashes the manufactured stories about Bryce Underwood’s job security.

The controversy over his potentially being benched arose after the opening game, when the head coach emphasized that Underwood’s job security “is not infinite” and that, at some point, they would have to run corners. When the QB was asked about those comments ahead of the Oklahoma game, he shrugged them off.

“There were comments about that? That’s cool. I didn’t see that. It’s cool,” said Underwood ahead of the Oklahoma game.

While Underwood has certainly saved his QB spot for now, Michigan still demands proper gameplay from him, considering that they are paying him nearly $12 million through an NIL deal. When asked about the game against Oklahoma, Whittingham emphasized that it was a must-win game for them.

“The game plan was to win the game, so that’s what we did,” said Underwood. Never the most loquacious quarterback, Underwood stuck to brief, matter-of-fact responses in his postgame remarks. “So, I would say we accomplished our game plan.”

The Michigan defense was the real story of the game. The Wolverines held a ranked opponent to just 10 points and forced multiple turnovers, including an interception that the offense converted into a touchdown. John Mateer never looked comfortable, as Michigan limited his options and prevented him from using his legs.

And despite the win, Kyle Whittingham’s offense remains a work in progress. Jason Beck still needs to figure out the passing game. Heading into the season, the Michigan WR room was being talked about for its depth. However, it has yet to produce anything meaningful. In Week 3, the Wolverines are set to face UTEP in a non-conference matchup.