The Michigan Insider

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down the Michigan football team's home matchup against Penn State, and the keys for the Wolverines to get back into the win column against a slumping Nittany Lions squad.

They open up with a look at the Wolverines' offense. They discuss what needs to change for Michigan's run game to find more success, and the impact that could have on the rest of the offense. They also discuss turnovers, Bryce Underwood's attempt to bounce back, and the holes in Penn State's defense.

In the second half of the episode, they look at the keys for Michigan's defense. They break down the Nittany Lions' offense, the importance for the Wolverines to reignite their pass-rush and clean up their tackling, Michigan's success stopping the run and the Wolverines' fourth-quarter dilemma so far.

They close the episode with other factors to watch, and their score predictions for the game.

Either Penn State or Michigan will earn its first Big Ten win of the season when the two programs meet at the Big House on Saturday afternoon.

The Nittany Lions hired Matt Campbell and imported two-dozen of his former Iowa State players last offseason. They went 3-0 in non-conference play before falling to Wisconsin, Northwestern and USC. They bring an experienced quarterback, a running game that is still searching for its identity, and a defense that hasn't put together a complete game yet against Power Four competition.

Daniel Gallen of Lions247 joins the show to give us a detailed look at Penn State before the showdown at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan is reeling, Bryce Underwood is under fire, and the coaching staff is facing mounting scrutiny. What better time to bring back Steady Droppin’ Dimes! Sam Webb and former Michigan point guard Daniel Horton launch the new season with outspoken former Michigan defensive backs coach and former Louisville and Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, who’s filling in while the search for a permanent football voice continues.

Vance brings the same candor and intensity that defined his coaching career, offering an unfiltered perspective on Michigan’s struggles and the difficult decisions ahead.

Is Bryce Underwood REALLY Michigan’s biggest problem, or are the coaches setting him up to fail? Vance delivers a pointed critique of the offensive scheme, the overuse of Rhino personnel, the failure to establish a downhill running game, and the lack of adjustments against defenses teeing off on Michigan’s young quarterback. He also challenges Kyle Whittingham and his staff to adapt their system to the talent on hand.

But Underwood isn’t getting a free pass. Sam examines Bryce’s struggles under pressure, his breakdowns in composure, and whether he can correct those problems before Michigan is forced to consider a quarterback change. Daniel offers a former five-star athlete’s perspective, questioning whether the coaching staff is doing enough to develop its most important player.

And the concerns extend well beyond quarterback. The crew also tackles Zack Marshall’s leaked messages, growing questions about offensive coordinator Jason Beck, Whittingham’s public criticism of play-calling, and the danger of losing the locker room. Vance also lays out what needs to change during the bye week before Michigan faces Penn State.

(00:00) – Steady Droppin’ Dimes Returns With Vance Bedford
(05:56) – Vance Says Michigan Has to Build the Offense Around Its Actual Players
(08:00) – Vance Says Michigan’s Rhino and Wildcat Packages Make Life Easier for Defenses
(13:32) – Vance Says Michigan Failed to Adjust to Minnesota’s Pressure
(15:27) – Vance Says Michigan’s Defense Has Its Own Five-Minute Problem
(21:05) – Daniel Says Michigan Has to Rebuild Bryce’s Confidence
(24:57) – Daniel Pushes Back on Attacks on Bryce’s Intelligence and Work Ethic
(27:57) – Vance Explains Exactly How He Would Attack Michigan’s Rhino Package
(31:20) – Bryce’s Costly Final Throw and Michigan’s Unused Timeouts
(36:17) – Vance Says the Best Cure for Quarterback Pressure Starts With the Run Game
(38:12) – Vance Says Many Successful College QBs Aren’t Making Full-Field Reads
(41:07) – Vance Says Michigan’s Problems Belong to the Entire Program
(43:40) – Daniel Compares Bryce’s Situation to Vince Young’s Early Development
(45:45) – Vance Says Michigan’s Coaches Have to Adjust to the Big Ten
(48:17) – Bryce’s Composure, Footwork, and Job Security
(51:07) – Zack Marshall’s Leaked Messages Reveal a Larger Locker-Room Concern
(54:45) – Vance Gives Michigan His Immediate Offensive Prescription
(57:14) – Daniel Questions Whether Changing QBs Actually Solves the Development Problem
(1:01:49) – Can Bryce Handle Pressure and a Real Quarterback Competition?
(1:14:03) – Vance Lays Out His Complete Bye-Week Reset for Michigan
(1:23:29) – Q&A Turns to Tommy Carr and the Quarterback Decision
(1:28:19) – Vance Completely Rejects Michigan’s Wildcat Approach
(1:31:18) – Vance Explains How He Would Attack Michigan’s Defense
(1:32:08) – The Panel Discusses the Consequences if Bryce Transfers
(1:34:03) – Vance Says One Bye Week Is Enough to Change the Running Game
(1:38:13) – Vance Says Switching Quarterbacks Will Not Fix a Bad Offensive Fit
(1:44:30) – Vance and Daniel Give Their Advice to Bryce as Parents
(1:50:25) – Daniel Questions Whether Michigan’s Offensive System Fits Bryce
(1:55:08) – Horton and Bedford Call for a Complete Michigan Reset

Michigan's offense is in crisis — and the clock is ticking on Bryce Underwood and the coaches to find answers. In this week's Michigan Football Breakdown, The Michigan Insider's Sam Webb joins former Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges and former defensive coordinator Ron English to dissect the Wolverines' disappointing 20-14 loss at Minnesota and the issues behind another second-half collapse. The scrutiny starts with Underwood's troubling response to pressure: deteriorating footwork, dropping his eyes toward the rush, moving into pressure, missing opportunities and losing his composure when defenses turn up the heat. But the problems extend well beyond the quarterback. The trio examines an ineffective running game, Michigan's heavy reliance on Rhino personnel, predictable tendencies and the failure to punish aggressive defenses with downfield shots. Most importantly, they lay out what must change during the bye — from rebuilding Underwood's fundamentals and moving the pocket to adjusting personnel and scheme — and why, if Underwood can't respond, Michigan may soon have no choice but to make a change at quarterback.

(00:00) Michigan's Second Straight Collapse Raises Bigger Questions
(02:12) Ron Says Michigan's Defense Played Well but Still Has Another Level
(06:33) Borges Gives His Broad Diagnosis of Michigan's Offensive Failure
(12:58) Borges Corrects the Narrative About Michigan's Downhill Running
(16:21) Borges and English Explain the Problem With Michigan's Rhino Package
(24:38) Borges Says Michigan Must Punish Safeties With Shot Plays
(28:44) Bryce's Composure Is a Major Problem, but Not Michigan's Only One
(33:29) Borges Says Michigan Needs More Pocket Movement and Better Footwork
(38:27) Borges Says Bryce's First Interception Was Primarily a Footwork Mistake
(45:04) Borges Says Bryce Was Not Responsible for the Second Interception
(49:35) Bryce's Mistakes Are Real — and His Job Is Not Guaranteed
(53:04) English and Borges Lay Out Their Bye-Week Priorities
(58:09) Borges Gives His Tactical Prescription for Michigan's Offense
(1:02:58) The Coaches Say Michigan's Problems Go Far Beyond One Player
(1:10:15)

Shea Patterson joins The Michigan Insider to analyze the football team's performance following recent losses. The discussion focuses on offensive struggles, the importance of pocket presence under pressure, and potential tactical adjustments during the bye week to improve situational play.

(0:00) Shea Patterson joins after Michigan's second straight loss
(2:41) Bryce's struggles under pressure and the first interception
(8:05) The final play and the protection breakdown on the second interception
(14:19) Rhino personnel and safeties crowding the box
(24:37) How Michigan can get its quarterback comfortable again
(31:42) Shea's own benching at Wisconsin and the bye-week outlook

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down the Michigan football team’s 20-14 loss at Minnesota, and that the Wolverines’ second straight loss means for Michigan’s bye week and remaining seven games. 

They open with a look at the Wolverines’ offensive struggles, and how they came to a head in Minneapolis. They discuss the scheme issues, the run-game’s poor performance on all fronts so far, the statuses of offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterback Bryce Underwood, and what Michigan’s approach should be in the bye week. 

In the second half of the episode, they look at Michigan’s defense. They discuss that, while paling in comparison to the Wolverines’ offensive issues, the defense has a few key things to clean up before much tougher offenses appear on Michigan’s schedule.

They close with a discussion about the Wolverines playing like a poorly coached team, where this ranks among Michigan’s worst losses in the last decade and what it all means for the rest of the 2026 season. 

Michigan went to Minneapolis needing a response after its late collapse against Iowa. Instead, the Wolverines delivered an even more alarming sequel. In this week's Michigan Insider Postgame Recap, Sam Webb, Josh Newkirk and Alejandro Zuniga dissect Michigan's disappointing 20-14 loss to Minnesota — a game in which a 14-7 halftime lead unraveled amid three second-half turnovers, another costly special-teams mistake and an offense that again failed to find answers once momentum turned. The discussion digs into an offensive attack that still lacks a dependable identity, Michigan's continued struggles to establish a downhill running game, Bryce Underwood's regression after showing encouraging progress against Iowa, and several troubling examples of players appearing to be on different pages — from questionable zone-read/RPO execution to snap-count breakdowns and recurring communication issues. Webb, Newkirk and Zuniga also examine perhaps the biggest concern of all: Michigan's inability to adjust when games begin slipping away. While Minnesota changed its approach after halftime to counter Michigan's pressure, the Wolverines never found a comparable offensive answer, leaving a defense that forced turnovers and produced a touchdown increasingly exhausted by repeated short fields and extended time on the field. Now Michigan enters its bye week at 3-2 with Kyle Whittingham promising to reassess everything — personnel, scheme and even the coaching staff — after calling the offensive performance unacceptable. With Penn State waiting on the other side of the break, the conversation shifts from diagnosing another collapse to a bigger question: What does Michigan need to change before a disappointing start becomes a lost season?

(00:00) Michigan Suffers Another Second-Half Collapse Against Minnesota
(03:54) Michigan's East-West Run Game Fails to Adjust to Minnesota
(04:19) Michigan's Offense Looks Completely Out of Sync
(06:18) Michigan Still Has Not Established an Offensive Identity
(08:17) Bryce Underwood Regresses After His Strong Iowa Performance
(10:43) Repeated Miscommunication Becomes a Coaching Issue
(13:05) Michigan Has to Reevaluate Personnel and Scheme During the Bye Week
(13:54) Whittingham Says Michigan Will Reassess Everything
(16:46) Michigan May Have More Talent but It Has Not Earned the Results
(18:08) Michigan Needs Real In-Game Offensive Adjustments
(21:16) Heavy Rhino Usage May Be Limiting Michigan's Passing Game
(23:02) Mic ...

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz preview keys for the Michigan football team to beat Minnesota on the road, and predict how the game will unfold. 

They open with a look at Michigan’s offense, and how it can bounce back from its loss to Iowa. They break down the run game, drives that stalled in the red zone and the next step for the passing game against Minnesota’s defense. 

In the second half of the episode, they look at keys for the wolverines’ defense. They discuss penalties, handling  Minnesota’s short-range passing game and other factors. They also make their predictions for the game. 

Michigan's margin for error is gone. After giving away a game it largely controlled against Iowa, the Wolverines head into their first road test against Minnesota needing to fix the self-inflicted mistakes before they derail the season. On this week's Michigan Football Breakdown, The Michigan Insider's Sam Webb, Al Borges and Ron English dissect the stunning 20-19 loss, from Bryce Underwood's best performance of the season and an improving offensive line to the breakdowns that erased that progress. Michigan piled up 429 yards to Iowa's 285, but eight penalties for 75 yards repeatedly put the offense behind the chains, a turnover and failed 4th & 1 left points on the field, a 99-yard kickoff return surrendered seven more, and a critical personal foul helped extend Iowa's game-winning drive. The crew also examines Michigan's conservative four-minute offense and the defensive issues that surfaced late — poor eye discipline, missed tackles, inconsistent rush lanes, missed interception opportunities, and the coverage approach on the decisive touchdown. Michigan made plenty of progress against Iowa, but it now has to prove it can pair that progress with cleaner, more disciplined football in a must-win matchup at Minnesota.

(00:00) Borges and English React to Michigan's Frustrating Iowa Loss
(02:44) Borges Says Bryce Played His Best Game but Michigan Beat Itself
(08:03) Borges Identifies the Plays That Cost Michigan the Game
(13:40) Ron Says Michigan's Defense Is Talented but Undisciplined
(17:37) Borges and English Explain How Michigan Has to Fix Its Discipline
(25:09) The Coaches Discuss Whittingham Publicly Questioning Key Calls
(30:20) Borges Explains Exactly How He Would Handle Four-Minute Offense
(36:09) English Breaks Down Michigan's Final Defensive Call
(44:08) Ron Reconstructs Iowa's Final Drive and Finds Multiple Defensive Breakdowns
(52:41) The Panel Returns to Michigan's Larger Discipline Problem
(59:34) Borges and English Find Plenty of Positives Beneath the Loss
(1:04:37) Borges and English Give Their Grades
(1:09:17) Borges and English Refuse to Blame the Officials
(1:15:04) Borges Defends Michigan's Running Backs
(1:17:05)

Michigan and Minnesota will play for the Little Brown Jug on Saturday, October 3, 2026, marking the 100th time the two programs have competed for the historic trophy.

The Golden Gophers have a quarterback with NFL upside, a defense that can create havoc, special teams that can win them games, and a coach who is willing to smear blood across his face. Do they have enough firepower to beat Michigan at home for the first time since 1977?

Ryan Burns of the Gopher Gazette on 247Sports joins the show to give us an inside look at PJ Fleck's program and offers his predictions for the game.