Dave Portnoy has unofficially crowned himself the spokesperson of Michigan football. For example, on his debut at Ohio State’s stadium, he boldly sang Michigan’s fight song, “Hail to the Victors,” in the heart of enemy territory. But when it came to Michigan’s tough loss to Oklahoma, Portnoy’s enthusiasm took a hard hit. After Michigan fell 24-13 at Norman, he openly criticized the offensive scheme and questioned the coaching decisions.

And especially targeting Sherrone Moore. Portnoy argued loudly that fresh QB Bryce Underwood wasn’t being used enough, even though the freshman was under heavy pressure and couldn’t find his rhythm. But during the Oklahoma game, Underwood’s frustrations boiled over on the sidelines. And guess what? The moment grabbed everyone’s attention. Late in the second quarter, after a stalled Michigan drive, Underwood and running back Justice Haynes got into a heated exchange that almost turned physical. Portnoy didn’t take long to double down on the drama.

 “I did like that,” Portnoy said about Underwood’s fight on the Wake Up Barstool show. “But let the kid play. What’s the point of putting him in there if you’re not going to let him play?” Alright, let’s set the scene. It started as a miscommunication on a third-and-2 play turned into a meltdown on the bench. Underwood chased Haynes and grabbed the back of his jersey while words flew back and forth. Teammates, including injured tight end Marlin Klein, had to step in and separate the two before things escalated.

This sideline scuffle became emblematic of the tension within a team struggling to find its footing. But that is kind of expected from a bunch of teenagers playing a game like football. But Portnoy points out a different scenario altogether. He took it as a sign that Bryce Underwood—despite being the highest-paid freshman QB ever with a reported $3 million-a-year NIL deal—was frustrated with the stagnant offense and poor team chemistry, which puts a hit on the Wolverines’ coaching staff.“You don’t think I could call a better game than Chip Lindsay? How hard is it to be, hey, power right, power left?” Portnoy said.

“It was the same. And they never throw the ball more than five yards. And even I didn’t even see traditional screen passes when you know they’re rushing. Like, there was this worst called game. You didn’t even give them a chance. You didn’t even give the kid a chance.” Chip Lindsey’s conservative approach was glaring. The Wolverines repeatedly ran predictable power plays right up the middle or off to the left. And even when Oklahoma was stacking the box with defenders ready to stop the run. Coaches left Underwood to drop back in tough third-and-long situations against a brutal Brent Venables defense that sent exotic blitzes and pressure packages.

Underwood completed only 9 of 24 passes for 142 yards, a disappointing stat partly rooted in his lack of freedom to stretch the field. On the other hand, defenders bottled up Underwood’s brawling partner, Haynes, holding him to just 36 yards on 12 carries. Portnoy argued that the coaches’ attempts to “protect” a young QB by leaning heavily on the run actually backfired, forcing Underwood into predictable passing scenarios where defenses could tee off on him.

Fire Sherrone Moore or free Bryce Underwood?

Dave Portnoy’s love for Michigan football runs deep. But his passion for Bryce Underwood exceeds that. Thus, he didn’t waste any time after Michigan’s tough loss to Oklahoma to send a very clear message. “I’m about 2 seconds away from texting Jolin and telling her to call Sherrone right now and tell him he’s gone if we don’t let the kid throw the football,” Portnoy writes on X. Portnoy basically threatened to use every string he’s got to get Moore fired if the offensive playcalling didn’t change. Portnoy has been publicly hyping Underwood as “the single best freshman ever in college football.”

So when the Wolverines’ offense struggled to find any rhythm against Oklahoma’s aggressive defense, and Underwood looked shackled, Portnoy wasn’t sitting quietly on the sidelines. It was obvious Michigan’s approach was way too cautious. The run game was barely moving, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry, and Oklahoma was stuffing the Wolverines’ ground attack easily. This forced Underwood into predictable, frustrating situations where he was under pressure.

Underwood’s stat line read bland. Only 5 completions on 10 attempts for 76 yards at halftime. His lack of freedom on the offense was glaring. To Portnoy, Moore, and OC Chip Lindsey were doing their star quarterback a disservice by being so timid. Even in the chaos of the game, Underwood flashed moments of brilliance, including a beautiful 38-yard pass to Donaven McCulley and some slick sidearm throws. Those glimpses of talent only sharpened Portnoy’s impatience with the playcalling and Moore’s leadership.