Kyle Whittingham breaks down keys to Michigan Football competing for Big Ten title

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

What will it take for the Michigan Wolverines to compete for a spot in the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff this year? According to head coach Kyle Whittingham, there are several things Michigan must do to reach those goals.

“Bryce (Underwood) will have to play well and take care of the football,” Whittingham told the media on Friday afternoon. “We will have to establish a strong and powerful running game that we can rely on week in and week out. We have to play great defensively and be exceptionally solid on special teams. We should be one of the best special teams units in the conference.”

There’s a lot that goes into competing for championships, but it all starts with quarterback play. In order for Michigan to reach its full potential, Whittingham knows that Underwood has to perform at a much higher level than he did last year. Underwood struggled at times as a true freshman, but all signs point to him being much improved heading into a crucial sophomore year.

“He’s playing faster and grasping the offense,” Whittingham said of Underwood. “He’s making really good decisions and taking care of the football. He has just been on an upward trajectory all fall camp and is really starting to come into his own. We only have two weeks before we play, and we have a lot of work to do between now and then, but he’s been very positive.”

That goes hand-in-hand with what offensive coordinator Jason Beck told the media on Thursday regarding Underwood’s progress this fall camp.

“(Thursday) was practice 13, Bryce has had 13 good practices,” Beck said. “He’s just working hard, consistent. There’s not these big ups and downs. In the spring, there have been some highs and some lows. It was a little more up and down, not in terms of work ethic and effort, he shows up every day with work ethic and effort, but just in terms of the results of the play. This has been 13 good practices. He’s been really steady.”

From avoiding turnovers to improving decision-making, footwork and pocket presence, Underwood needed to clean up a lot of weaknesses in his game, and Whittingham seems confident in his improvement this offseason.

“He’s definitely improved,” Whittingham said. “He was a little skittish, throwing off his back foot and leaning back, but he’s doing a really good job of climbing the pocket and stepping into his throws. He’s much better with his delivery mechanics, footwork and decision-making. Jason (Beck) is doing a nice job of morphing the offense to what Bryce does best.”

In addition to better quarterback play, Whittingham also previously mentioned having an elite run offense and defense will be key to competing for a Big Ten title and potentially reaching the CFP.

“I know defensively in the Big Ten, you better be able to stop the run,” Whittingham said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “Conversely, we have to be able to run the football. Last year at Utah, we were second in the nation in rushing offense so if you can run the football and defend the run, your chances of success go way up, and so I think that’s going to be key.”

If Michigan wants to be in the mix for a Big Ten crown and CFP spot, Underwood needs to take his game to new heights and avoid turnovers. The run offense and defense also need to put up their ends of the bargain, and the special teams unit needs to be more consistent than it was a season ago. Michigan has the potential to compete with any team in the nation, but this season’s success hinges on those areas.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos