Michigan survived Western Michigan — but the film is UGLY. 

Jake Butt & Devin Gardner break down the 3 turnovers, 9 penalties, and why Bryce Underwood's decision-making has Michigan fans worried before Oklahoma. Former Michigan captains go inside the film room: first down production, why the run game stalled vs stacked boxes, the sight-adjust misses that handcuff the play caller, and the OL communication breakdowns where 6 couldn't block 4. Plus the hospital ball, the smiling reaction, and why "double plus" plays will decide the Oklahoma game. 

What was your biggest takeaway — Turnovers, Penalties, or Bryce's reads? Drop it below — best comments make the Mailbag!

Michigan football is BACK.  

Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down the 5 things they need to see from the Wolverines against Western Michigan — and why Week 1 is really a joint practice for Oklahoma.

Later, they dive into the mailbag and answer some of the questions that YOU have been asking.

Jake Butt and Devin Gardner rank the Top 10 quarterbacks in the Big Ten for the 2026 college football season — and they don't agree at the top. Is it Oregon's Dante Moore or Ohio State's Julian Sayin at No. 1? Where does Michigan's Bryce Underwood land, and can Nico Iamaleava, Josh Hoover, and Rocco Becht crash the top five?

Jake Butt was inside Michigan's practice — and he came away convinced. He breaks down what he saw from newly-named captain Bryce Underwood, the offense, and why he's "almost willing to bet the house" that Michigan has a top-three rushing attack in the country. Then Jake and Devin Gardner rank the five hardest games on Michigan's 2026 schedule — including a real debate over Oregon vs. Ohio State at #1.

Subscribe for the best Michigan Wolverines coverage — new episodes every week.

Kyle Whittingham won’t call it “hatred”? On this week's episode of the Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner share their thoughts on Coach's comments about the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry. Does a Wolverines head coach need to embrace the hate? And could those words could come back to bite him if Michigan doesn’t beat the Buckeyes?

Then the gloves come off in the growing Big Ten–SEC feud! Jake calls the SEC one of the biggest losers of media day, while Devin argues that the conference’s past dominance was fueled largely by cheating.

And finally, Jake and Devin size up a loaded Big Ten as Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon all enter 2026 as worthy title challengers. We'll rank the conference's top 3 teams and explain why USC and Penn State enter this season as two of the Big 10's most intriguing programs. 

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner react to the news that Warde Manuel will be stepping down as University of Michigan Athletic Director come the end of the year.  The guys share their thoughts on the decision, the process by how it was reached and where the athletic department goes from here.

Then, we head back onto  the field and give you our preseason position grades for the Wolverines offense.  How high is Andrew Marsh’s ceiling?  Could the running back duo of Marshall and Hiter be the best in the country?  And does anything else even matter if Bryce Underwood doesn’t show significant improvement? Devin and Jake weigh in on all that and more on this week’s edition of the Blue Print!

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner get together for a special bonus episode breaking down all the information that we know regarding Michigan and what may or not happen with Warde Manuel.

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner have some thoughts on Bryce Underwood’s claim that he’s “the best player ever to come out of Michigan.” Are we sure it’s a good idea for him to be saying things like this?  Is he putting an even greater target on himself coming into the season?  And which NBA player does Devin see as the guy Bryce should try to emulate when it comes to his public persona? The guys weigh in on all of it!

Then: EA Sports has released its list of the 20 toughest stadiums to play at in all of college football.  So, how’re we feeling about Michigan coming in at #12?  Too low? Too high? Just right?  The guys also talk about the inherent SEC bias in lists like this and they give you some of their most underrated stadium experiences from their time as players. 

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner rank the top five defenses in the Big Ten heading into the season. Where does Michigan stack up against the conference’s best? And which teams could challenge the Wolverines on the defensive side of the ball?

Plus, Jake and Devin take you inside the offseason grind for Michigan football, breaking down what summer really looks like for Wolverines players. From intense workouts and conditioning to film study and preparation, they share what it takes to stay sharp when the games are still months away.

Tune in for offseason insight, Big Ten analysis, and plenty of Michigan football talk on The Blue Print, wherever you get your podcasts.

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are giving you their top 5 Big 10 offenses for the upcoming 2026 season.  Does Michigan have enough to make cut?  Or are their questions at quarterback a little too prominent to beat out some of the elite competition?

Plus, we open up the Michigan mailbag to answer your questions on other programs that may have “Brady Hoke-esque” locker room rules, the possibility of Bryce’s backups seeing some time and the incredible challenges that this season’s schedule presents.