The Michigan Insider

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz preview the Michigan football team's Saturday clash with No. 10 Oklahoma, offering their keys for the Wolverines and predictions for the matchup. They open with a look at what must change for Michigan's offense. They discuss the needed improvement on the offensive line, and urgency to get the Wolverines' run game more involved. They also discuss Bryce Underwood, the pressure he's facing, and how he and Michigan should handle it. Along the way, they discuss the Sooners' star-studded front seven, experienced back-seven and the important factors for Michigan in this week's matchup.In the second half of the episode, they look at Michigan's defense, and how it can contain an experienced, aggressive offense with multiple pass-catching threats. They close with their score predictions for the game.

Michigan faces its toughest test of the non-conference season as the Wolverines host the Oklahoma Sooners for a noon kickoff at the Big House on Saturday, Sept. 12. A week after scuffling to near-disaster against Western Michigan, U-M will be challenged by one of the nation's top defensive minds and a unit that returns seven starters. And on the other side of the ball, John Mateer is healthy and eager to showcase his growth since a shaky 2025 season in an offense that utilizes tight ends a lot more than your traditional Air Raid. Tom Green, who covers OU for Sooners Illustrated of 247Sports, joins Behind Enemy Lines to give us the inside scoop on Oklahoma ahead of this SEC-Big Ten showdown.

In this week's episode, Al Borges returns to the breakdown series, and we welcome former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English to the team (Vance Bedford will still make occasional guest appearances this season). The crew tackles a surprising opener in which Michigan survived Western Michigan with a controversial, last-second Hail Mary, but the Wolverines left their opener with far more questions than answers—and little time to find them before a massive showdown with Oklahoma. On 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 for a detailed film review of the good, bad, and ugly from Michigan’s dramatic escape. Borges breaks down an offense that sputtered after an impressive opening drive, from third-down failures and problems handling defensive line movement to an inconsistent rushing attack and costly turnovers. At the center of the discussion is Bryce Underwood, as Borges analyzes the quarterback’s reads, fundamentals, and decision-making, while the trio debates Kyle Whittingham’s pointed declaration that Underwood remains the starter “right now”—and what it means for the length of his leash against Oklahoma. English takes the defense, explaining what he liked about a unit that surrendered only field goals despite playing 71 snaps, but also what must improve after Western sustained several long drives. That includes better communication and execution, more physical tackling, and doing a better job disguising coverages and tightening up pre-snap rotations so Oklahoma can’t easily identify. He then tackles what the Wolverines must do to defend Oklahoma’s dangerous quarterback, John Mateer. The crew lays out the most important fixes ahead of Week 2—and why the matchup with the Sooners could quickly become a season-shaping test for Underwood and the Wolverines.

The Michigan Insider’s Monday Morning Quarterback is back, with Sam Webb and Michigan legend Denard Robinson putting Bryce Underwood’s underwhelming performance against Western Michigan under the microscope following the Wolverines’ dramatic, controversial last-second Hail Mary victory. Robinson breaks down why Underwood struggled after he opening drive, highlighting issues with his footwork, pocket presence, pre-snap recognition, eye discipline, and tendency to predetermine throws — mistakes that could prove far more costly against Oklahoma. The former Michigan quarterback also details how the Wolverines can help Underwood find his rhythm, from giving him more quarterback runs and RPO opportunities to building a package of “layup” plays that can settle him when things start going sideways. But the conversation ultimately turns to the biggest question facing Michigan this week: Is Underwood’s starting job now on the line? Webb shares Kyle Whittingham’s pointed declaration that Underwood is the quarterback “right now,” but that his hold on the job isn’t infinite and improvement must come. Robinson reacts strongly to that message and explains why Saturday’s massive showdown with Oklahoma represents both a serious test of Underwood’s job security and a golden opportunity for the talented sophomore to quiet the doubts with the kind of breakthrough performance Michigan has been waiting for.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Alejandro Zuniga break down the news that Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the calendar year after more than a decade leading the University's athletic department.They open with a look at the timing of the news, which came after a week of outside speculation that Michigan's investigation into the athletic department's culture had found Manuel culpable. They discuss Michigan releasing an abbreviated outline of the findings, and why it's time for Manuel to step down, regardless of the results of this specific investigation. They then pivot to look at Manuel's tenure with Michigan, which began in 2016. They discuss both the high amount of scandals and championships under Manuel's watch, including multiple NCAA investigations, 80 Big Ten titles and national titles in both football and men's basketball. They close with a look at what Michigan should look for in its next athletic director, and how the University should balance the financial and traditional component of the athletic director role.

In the newest edition of the Michigan Recruiting Insider podcast, Steve and Brice discuss Michigan's most recent official visitors in four-star defensive lineman Seth Tillman and three-star offensive lineman Lincoln Mageo (mun-gow). Where do the Wolverines stand in those races coming out of the weekend?Attention then turns to five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, who will officiallly visit campus this weekend. The Wolverines are battling Texas A&M and Auburn among others for his commitment; can the Wolverines seize the lead in an important race at a position of need?The episode concludes with a few questions from our message board and the audience.