A viral video involving Bryce Underwood and a few other Michigan players involved in locker room misconduct is already torching their reputation before the next season even starts. The alleged hotboxing claims raised a subtle smirk on OSU faithful Bobby Carpenter, who weighed in on the controversy to take a pointed shot at their longtime rival.

While discussing Bryce Underwood’s locker room controversy, Carpenter took pride in OSU’s recruiting and raised questions on the Wolverines’ CFP caliber.

“I take a lot of pride in Ohio State and the fact that I think we bring in very quality young men,” he said on the February 23 episode of the Bobby Carpenter Show. “You’re not going to bat a thousand. There are going to be some guys that come in and make mistakes. You’re young, number one; I get that. But you try to bring in the good people, and generally, good people do the right thing more often than not.

I’m not sitting here going to vilify these guys, but I don’t see this team being a college football playoff team. I don’t care if it’s in season, off season, or in the locker room, that just doesn’t seem like something that is conducive for a team that’s going to win big games.”

While some claim that smoking is now legal, Carpenter claimed that this isn’t the place or time for that. “It’s a locker room; this isn’t a club. People are like, “It’s legal now.” I’m like, “Well, that’s not the point!” Like, just ’cause something’s legal, there’s a time… My mom always said, “There’s a time and a place for everything.” That’s neither the time nor the place.”

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While Bobby Carpenter’s shot questioning Michigan’s winning caliber looks bland and is seen as an outburst of their rivalry, it came after the Wolverines’ rough 2025 season. Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit of Michigan, carried big hopes but ultimately fell short with uneven performances throughout the season. The signal caller threw for 2,428 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions and completed 60.3% of his passes. This isn’t the production expected from the elite recruit.

This resulted in a lackluster Wolverines’ offense, which ranked No. 58 in total offense and 105th in passing offense. The lack of production also ended their winning streak over Ohio State. Though it was Underwood’s freshman year, and there wasn’t any support from the receiving end, the leaked footage became fuel for the OSU legend to question their discipline and take a calculated swipe.

However, this could backfire against the OSU alum if the Wolverines were able to bounce back stronger and get into the CFP picture. If you take a close look, the Wolverines, even with all their ups and downs, they were just one win away from reaching the CFP picture, finishing 9-3 in the regular season. Now, with Kyle Whittingham at the helm, the man whom former OSU HC Urban Meyer praised as the best coach selected in the coaching carousel, the production is expected to have a massive boost. Since Bryce Underwood will now have a dedicated QB coach in place, we need to wait and watch how it unfolds this upcoming season.

Bobby Carpenter isn’t the only OSU faithful to take a shot at Michigan, the Buckeyes’ recruiting coordinator Zack Smith also spilled some beans over the controversy early on.

OSU’s Zach Smith on Michigan’s hotbox controversy

As soon as Michigan’s leaked video went viral across the internet, Zach Smith reacted to the controversy through a social media post. Smith remembered the time when the Buckeyes’ strict regulation changed after a 2014 controversy.

“Every college football team ever had a BUNCH of players smoke weed,” Smith wrote on X. “Shit… half of our team was HIGH AS F— when they came into the Woody for a team meeting about us making the playoffs in 2014. It’s not a thing. But EXCLUSIVE VIDEO!!! Who gives a f—?”

During Smith’s era from 2012 to 2018, Ohio State’s athletic department maintained a strict drug-testing policy where marijuana was a completely banned substance. However, the officials had not publicly spilled the information at the time. OSU had also suspended many players for alleged usage of marijuana.

However, it was legalized in the state of Ohio from November 2023 for adults. But the Buckeyes prohibit the possession and use of marijuana on university-owned, operated, or leased property, complying with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.