Just when it seemed college football had enough officiating drama for one week, another controversy entered the picture. After questionable calls dominated discussions across multiple games last weekend, the spotlight has now shifted to Michigan and Bryce Underwood.

The Wolverines’ showdown with Penn State took a fiery turn as a major on-field scuffle threatened to overshadow the game itself. When Penn State was clinging to a 3-0 lead late in the second quarter, tensions boiled over during Michigan’s fourth offensive drive.

The sequence began when Bryce Underwood overthrew a short pass before Penn State cornerback Daryus Dixson broke up his next attempt. A false start pushed the Wolverines back, and Underwood managed only a short gain on the following play before Dixson brought him down near the Nittany Lions’ sideline.

The tackle appeared to be a hard, open-field hit. However, what followed was far less composed, as the play quickly escalated into a heated faceoff. Players from both sides exchanged words before shoving broke out, forcing officials and coaches to intervene and pull the two sides apart.

The Wolverines appeared to be calling for a penalty, but the referees let it go. Once things had calmed down, the officials allowed play to resume. This was not the first time a team had questioned the officiating this season. Last week, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema blasted the officials following Michigan State’s controversial onside kick attempt.

Just a day before the Michigan State vs. Illinois clash, Indiana’s narrow win over Nebraska had already sparked officiating controversy, with fans questioning referee Kole Knueppel’s crew over alleged missed holding calls as Nebraska’s offensive line protected quarterback Anthony Colandrea.

Officiating controversy also surfaced during Alabama’s showdown with Georgia. Trailing 20-17 with fewer than four minutes remaining, the Crimson Tide moved into field-goal range before Keelon Russell targeted Rico Scott with a second-and-10 throw into the end zone.

Georgia safety KJ Bolden appeared to make contact with Scott before the ball arrived, but the officials kept their flags in their pockets, allowing the play to continue without a defensive pass interference penalty.

“We can’t put the game in that situation where the officials come into play,” Kalen DeBoer said in his postgame press conference. “We’ve just got to control the things we can control.”

Officiating has been a major issue this season, and the conference or the College Football Playoff (CFP) needs to step in and address the growing concerns.

That said, turning back to the Michigan Wolverines, the first half was nothing short of embarrassing, as they were not only outplayed by Penn State but also struggled to get much production out of their star quarterback, Bryce Underwood, whose performance fell well short of expectations.

“Well, first of all, we got something going on offense,” Whittingham said to CBS Sports sideline reporter Jenny Dell. “We’ve got absolutely nothing going. We’re not running the ball well. The only team not running the ball as well as us is them. So, neither team can run the football. But two turnovers. I don’t have an answer for you right now. We’re going to talk about it here at halftime.”

Bryce Underwood’s struggles against Penn State continued to haunt Michigan in the first half, as the Wolverines managed just 80 yards on 23 plays without putting a single point on the board.

The Michigan quarterback compounded the problem with two interceptions, leaving the Wolverines searching for answers under center. With the offence failing to find its rhythm, the Wolverines made a decisive move after the break, handing the reins to freshman Tommy Carr for the second half.

Carr’s entry didn’t improve the passing offense to a great deal, but the Wolverines found something in the ground game. Michigan had two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter while holding the Lions to 0 points. Penn State tried to rally in the fourth, but the Wolverines managed to hold on to win the game 21-18.