Ryan Day or Curt Cignetti? 

That’s the question FOX Sports college football analyst Matt Leinart answered ahead of Saturday’s top-five showdown between Ohio State and Indiana on FOX.

“Ryan Day is one of the best coaches in all of college football,” Leinart said on Week 7’s edition of Big Noon Kickoff. “He won a national championship, but I’m going with Curt Cignetti for the Indiana Hoosiers.”

For Leinart, it all comes down to Cignetti’s track record at Indiana.

“Since he’s [Cignetti] taken over [at Indiana], this is the winningest program in college football at 33-2. He is the back-to-back National Coach of the Year, made the playoffs in both seasons and is well on his way to a third season, won six straight against top-10 opponents, including the Ohio State Buckeyes in last year’s Big Ten Championship Game.

“Indiana was the worst program in the history of college football before he took over, and now they’re the defending national champions, and like Cig said: All he does is win. You can google him.”

After stops at IUP, Elon and James Madison, Curt Cignetti arrived at Indiana in 2024 and inherited a program that had lost 27 of its previous 36 games. He quickly turned the Hoosiers into a college football powerhouse.

After an 11-2 season in 2024 that ended with a College Football Playoff appearance, Indiana took another leap in 2025, beating Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game en route to a 16-0 season and the first national title in program history. The Buckeyes had beaten the Hoosiers 38-15 in Columbus in 2024, snapping Indiana’s 10-game winning streak.

Since becoming Ohio State’s full-time head coach in 2019, Ryan Day has led the Buckeyes to an 84-13 record, highlighted by a national championship in 2024.

Saturday’s matchup features two of the Big Ten’s most complete teams. Indiana ranks second in the conference in total offense (462.7 yards per game) and third in scoring (40.2 points per game). The Hoosiers also boast the conference’s top scoring defense, allowing just 11.8 points per game, and rank third in total defense (263.5 yards allowed per game).

Ohio State, meanwhile, leads the Big Ten in both total offense (503.5 yards per game) and scoring (42.7 points per game). The Buckeyes are just as formidable on defense, ranking second in the conference in both total defense (246.8 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (13.2 points allowed per game).

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Willy Wonka gave away five golden tickets to visit his Chocolate Factory. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers offered up 1,000 “Timeless Tickets.”

“Excuse me, what?”

In 2015, the Brewers put 1,000 “Timeless Tickets” up for sale, which entailed a $1,000 payment for a ticket that could be used for any future contest with no deadline to select a game. That select contest could be a Wednesday night game in May, a Wild Card Series game or even a seat for the Fall Classic.

On their website, the Brewers, who are going to the 2026 World Series, define a “timeless ticket” as “a brass ticket personalized with an engraving of the owner’s name and is authenticated through the Major League Baseball Authentication Program.”

“Timeless Ticket owners can redeem their Timeless Ticket to any future Brewers home game at American Family Field,” their site also reads. “Whether it’s this season, the year 2050, or the 7th game of the World Series, all are valid games to redeem a Timeless Ticket.”

And there’s proof of at least one fan trying to finally cash in on their investment.

“I think I bought it the first day they were on sale because it sounded like a good idea,” Nate Holzman, a Brewers fan who now lives in Los Angeles, said in an interview with WISN Friday. “You could put down a thousand dollars and that would guarantee you a ticket for any future game of your choice. …

“If they can redeem this ticket for me and get me to the game as I’ve pictured in my mind for the last 12 years, it would be the best thing ever.”

After winning an MLB-best 103 games in the regular season and beating the San Diego Padres in four games in the National League Division Series, the Brewers swept the defending, back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Milwaukee will be making its first trip to the World Series since 1982 and will play either the Cleveland Guardians or Tampa Bay Rays.

Game 1 of the 2026 World Series is on Friday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, with pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET from American Family Field in Milwaukee.

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No messing around for me this week — I’m wagering the two biggest games of the weekend. 

Here are my picks for college football Week 7.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

The biggest Indiana home game in the history of the program. 

Indiana is off its national championship, and it hosts Ohio State as an underdog. Let’s discuss what we know about these teams. 

IU is one of the most well-prepared teams in the country. It does not make mistakes, it does not turn the ball over, it does not get penalties. The Hoosiers make winning plays at the end of games to finish with a victory. Since 2025, they are 6-0 in one-score games. This season, IU has beaten Northwestern by six and last weekend, it took down Nebraska by three. 

It’s fair to believe the Hoosiers are due to lose a close game. Will it be this weekend?

Indiana is not the same team as last season. Josh Hoover at quarterback is not Fernando Mendoza. He’s accurate enough at getting the ball to his fantastic receivers, but they do seem reliant on explosive plays at times. The offensive line was incredible last season but just isn’t as good this year. It’s a small slip — not too grand. But run blocking is a tad more difficult and pass protection isn’t as clean. 

I’m nitpicking for sure. 

The Indiana defense is missing an elite lockdown corner. It has allowed more explosive plays than last season as well, and two more plays of 10+ yards per game, without having faced a murderers row of offenses. 

However, IU just keeps making winning plays and finishing with victories.

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers have mastered winning close games (Getty Images).

–>

Ohio State, while being one of the best teams in the country, has some of the same questions as Indiana. Those issues mostly revolve around how well the offense performs against good defenses. 

Going back to the start of last season, Ohio State has struggled to score against the better defenses it has faced. Against Texas to start last season, it scored 14. Then only 10 against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. OSU followed that up with 14 against Miami in the CFP. 

Things have been better this season, with 23 against Texas, but only three in the second half. The Buckeyes did just score 31 against Iowa, but I have questions about them when facing Indiana’s defense. Ohio State’s offensive line is injured and can have long stretches in games where it is overwhelmed by better units. Jeremiah Smith is the best player in football and, of course, he’s force-fed the ball. Anyone would do that. 

What if Indiana doubles him and takes him away? Where does Julian Sayin turn for big plays?

This is probably too many words to say that I like the Under in this game. Feels square, but I don’t think either team is going to score much unless they are able to rack up explosive plays against each other, which, guess what, the other side knows as well. 

How many 10-play drives in this game will end with touchdowns? How many drives are going 10 plays for points? I just don’t see it.

Schwartz’s Pick: Under 50.5

I think I’m going with the Under in this game as well. 

Where is BYU better than Notre Dame? Nowhere. It can be that simple sometimes. Yes, the game is in Provo, and it’s an atmosphere unlike anything the Irish have seen this season. However, this BYU team has not played a team even close to the level of the Irish. 

The two closest teams were Arizona, which BYU beat by 11, and I guess TCU, which BYU beat 17-10. 

The Cougars’ offense is led by quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who’s a dual-threat. He’s thrown for over 1,000 yards and rushed for 258. BYU is without their star running back LJ Martin, which will put more pressure on Bachmeier to be the offense. 

One-dimensional offenses, against the Irish’s fantastic defense, don’t show well.

Defense has become part of the calling card for Marcus Freeman-led teams (Getty Images).

–>

How is BYU going to move the ball if the Irish stop the rushing attack? BYU’s passing game doesn’t push the ball down the field. It is 87th in air yards per completion. How are the Cougars going to score in this game? 

On the other hand, I don’t like specific matchups for the BYU defense against the Irish offense. The Cougars don’t contact the running back behind the line of scrimmage often enough to disrupt the Irish rushing attack. BYU’s defense is poor in the red zone. It is 131st in red-zone defense touchdown rate. BYU doesn’t sack the quarterback, and it allows a ton of deep passes.

Could the Irish start slowly because of the environment? Yes. Is BYU going to be jacked up to start the game? Of course. But over 60 minutes, the Irish should handle business and cover.

Schwartz’s Pick: Notre Dame -10.5

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Ohio State might have bigger problems than the very few flaws the Buckeyes have shown this season after quarterback Julian Sayin was injured during the Week 7 19-15 win against Indiana on the road. 

Against Indiana in a rematch of the 2025 Big Ten championship game, Sayin — who entered Week 7 tied for fourth with 17 passing touchdowns this season and ranked sixth among FBS quarterbacks with 1,772 passing yards — left the field and went to the locker room with about eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. 

It was unclear what injury Sayin may have suffered, but Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said after the game that Sayin will be out for “several weeks.” Here’s what we know so far about the Ohio State quarterback’s injury.

How Did Ohio State Starting QB Julian Sayin Get Hurt?

In the fourth quarter against Indiana in Bloomington, the Hoosiers sacked Sayin on first-and-10 from Indiana’s 38-yard line. He fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by the Buckeyes. But it appears Sayin was injured on this play.

When Sayin left the game, he had completed 15-of-29 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions against the Hoosiers.

Did Julian Sayin Return To The Game Against Indiana?

Sayin left the game in the middle of the fourth quarter, and while he didn’t return to action, he was back on the field for the end of the game. When he came back out of the locker room, he had his throwing arm (right) in a sling. 

What Did Ohio State Coach Ryan Day Say About Julian Sayin’s Injury?

Following the Buckeyes’ 19-15 road win over Indiana, FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft asked Ohio State coach Ryan Day if he had an update about Sayin’s injury. 

“I don’t have [an update] right now,” Day told Taft. “Obviously, that was a big blow to us, but the rest of the team picked it up for us.”

At Day’s post-game press conference, the head coach offered an additional update on Sayin. As our Ben Portnoy reported, Day expects Sayin to be out for a couple weeks. 

Who Is Ohio State’s Backup Quarterback?

When Sayin left the Indiana game during the fourth quarter, true freshman quarterback Luke Fahey replaced him as the top-5 matchup was on the line. Fahey was a three-star recruit, per 24/7 Sports’ composite ratings, from Mission Viejo, California. 

Saturday’s Week 7 game was the third game Fahey has played in so far this season, along with Ohio State’s wins against Ball State and Kent State in September. On the year, he completed 9-of-11 passes for 203 total yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.

What Is Ohio State’s Remaining Schedule?

After beating Indiana on Saturday, the Buckeyes are now 6-1 with their only loss being against Texas. Ohio State is on a bye for Week 8, and then it will travel to Southern California to take on USC. 

Here’s a look at Ohio State’s remaining regular-season schedule:

• Saturday, October 31: at USC
• Saturday, November 7: vs. Oregon
• Saturday, November 14: vs. Northwestern
• Saturday, November 21: at Nebraska
• Saturday, November 28: vs. Michigan

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What an NBA MVP race that lies ahead.

Let’s see the early-season odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 17.

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2026-27 NBA MVP Winner

What To Know: Is this the year Wemby wins MVP and an NBA title? He got close to the latter last year, making it all the way to the NBA Finals before falling to the Knicks in five games. Assuming he’s healthy, Wembanyama will likely win Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Only three players in NBA history have won MVP and DPOY in the same year: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

What To Know: The two-time reigning MVP will begin the season in the running once again. In 2024-25, he averaged 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting and the Thunder had the best record in the league. Last season, he averaged 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting and the Thunder once again had the best record in the league. It seems the formula for SGA is to score a lot of points and win. What’s to stop him from doing that again this season?

What To Know: Somewhat shockingly, Dončić has never finished even second in MVP voting. His best finish was third back in the 2022-23 season, when he was still a member of the Mavericks. This past season, he led the NBA in scoring (33.5), and also put up 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds. Now that LeBron James is out of L.A., and the franchise officially belongs to Dončić, can he take those stats and the Lakers to new heights?

What To Know: Jokić is a three-time winner, but what’s arguably more impressive is that over the last six years, he’s either won the award or finished second. Last season, he became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.7), and also averaged a triple-double for the second consecutive season. However, even though it’s a regular-season award, Jokić’s Nuggets finished third in the West and lost in the first round to a hobbled Wolves team. Did that possibly have an impact on his candidacy?

What To Know: Tatum, similar to Dončić, now has his own franchise, after the Celtics shipped Jaylen Brown to the Sixers this offseason. Miraculously, he played in 16 regular-season games and six playoff games last season, after tearing his Achilles during the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. What can a fully healthy Tatum pull off this season?

What To Know: A familiar MVP face in a new place. The Greek Freak was a two-time MVP in Milwaukee, and as mentioned above, one of three players to win MVP and DPOY in the same season (2019-20). He now takes his talents to South Beach looking for a career revival, after playing in just 36 games last season and only appearing in the playoffs once in the past three seasons.

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The fourth edition of the NBA Cup — also known as the in-season tournament — will get underway soon. 

Let’s check out the odds for the group winners and tournament winner at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 17.

 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

NBA Cup History

Recent Winners: So far, three NBA Cups have taken place, and there has been a different winner in each season. LeBron James’ Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks in Year 2 and Jalen Brunson’s Knicks in Year 3. Interestingly enough, the West team that played in the NBA Cup championship in each of the past two seasons also made it to the NBA Finals. In terms of the East, New York won both the Cup and the NBA Finals last season.

–>

Recent MVPs: James, Antetokounmpo and Brunson are the three Cup MVPs so far. All have at least one NBA title under their belt and all have at least one NBA Finals MVP under their belt.

NBA Cup Winner

Thunder: +330
Spurs: +370
Celtics: +1000
76ers: +1300
Knicks: +1400
Pistons: +1500
Nuggets: +1800
Raptors: +1800
Rockets: +2000
Wolves: +2200
Magic: +2500
Lakers: +2500
Hawks: +2500
Cavaliers: +2800
Heat: +3500
Pacers: +4000

NBA Cup MVP Winner

Oklahoma City Thunder

San Antonio Spurs

Boston Celtics

Detroit Pistons

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

East Group A Winner

Pistons: +155
Raptors: +200
Magic: +255
Bucks: +1700
Nets: +1700

East Group B Winner

Knicks: +250
76ers: +270
Cavaliers: +400
Heat: +450
Pacers: +500

East Group C Winner

Celtics: +110
Hawks: +280
Wizards: +550
Hornets: +600
Bulls: +1400

West Group A Winner

Nuggets: +185
Rockets: +195
Suns: +500
Jazz: +550
Mavericks: +900

West Group B Winner

Thunder: -200
Wolves: +330
Clippers: +1100
Grizzlies: +1400
Pelicans: +1700

West Group C Winner

Spurs: -130
Lakers: +400
Blazers: +425
Warriors: +700
Kings: +5000

 

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He’s back!

The Chicago Bears are expected to activate quarterback Caleb Williams for the team’s Week 6 road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET), NFL Media reported on Saturday morning.

Williams has missed Chicago’s last three games due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain that resulted in him being carted off. Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent started in place of Williams, with the Bears going 2-1 in Williams’ absence. Chicago is 3-2 on the year.

Williams appeared to hint of a looming return in a TikTok post that shows the video of the quarterback being carted off and then some of his highlights.

In the two starts he has made this season, Williams has totaled 407 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception and a 92.0 passer rating, while completing 65.5% of his passes. He also rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 1, Williams and the Bears dropped 59 points in a road victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Last season (2025), Williams totaled 3,942 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 90.1 passer rating, while completing 58.1% of his passes. He rushed for 388 yards and three scores.

–> Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more [–>

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Indiana’s fourth-down gamble came within inches of paying off. Instead, it ended the longest active win streak in college football.

No. 4 Ohio State held on for a 19-15 win over No. 5 Indiana on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, snapping the Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak and 19-game home winning streak, the two longest active streaks in the FBS. It was also the first home loss in Curt Cignetti’s three seasons in Bloomington.

The game was ultimately defined by one snap. 

Trailing by four, Indiana faced fourth-and-four from the Ohio State 27-yard line when Josh Hoover found a wide-open Nick Marsh in the front corner of the end zone. The fireworks went off, but Marsh’s left foot came down out of bounds, wiping away what would have been the go-ahead touchdown.

“We all saw the last play. We’re fourth-and-four. We’re expecting a house blitz. Never really know. Rolling the dice, and that’s our blitz check that we ran,” Cignetti said afterward.

“We just called it because they got us on it. That one other series in the third quarter on fourth down, where he got sacked down in the red area. And we had it. We just didn’t make it happen. So it’s a hard one to swallow. You know, sometimes you learn from it and move on.”

The defending national champions trailed, 19-7, early in the fourth quarter before Hoover, who appeared to hurt his right shoulder in the third quarter, answered with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Marsh and a two-point conversion to Turbo Richard to pull Indiana within 19-15 with just more than 10 minutes left in regulation.

Hoover finished 20-of-40 for 296 yards with a touchdown and a lost fumble, his first turnover of the season. Sayin went 15-of-29 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions before leaving with a right arm injury. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Sayin will likely be out for a couple weeks.

Cignetti credited his team’s fight but acknowledged the empty scoring opportunities Indiana left on the field.

“That was a tough one not to win,” Cignetti said. “I thought our kids gave great effort and fight. Hung in there and put ourselves in position to win a close game, and had so many opportunities to get it done. Not only at the end of the game, but throughout the game, just too many missed opportunities.”

Saturday’s game was a rematch of last season’s Big Ten title game, which Indiana won 13-10. Now the Hoosiers have to regroup quickly, with a trip to Michigan up next Saturday.

“Well, the sun comes up tomorrow,” Cignetti said. “And we’ll have to get ready for Michigan.”

Next, the Hoosiers visit Michigan while Ohio State visits No. 19 USC in two weeks.

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Indiana’s 22-game winning streak came to an end … by inches.

Clinging to a 19-15 lead with just over a minute remaining, Ohio State watched as Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover lofted a pass to a wide-open Nick Marsh in the end zone. Marsh hauled it in and tried to drag his foot inbounds, but came up just short, allowing the Buckeyes to escape with the win.

In an era defined by NIL, relentless roster turnover and an expanded College Football Playoff on the horizon, Ohio State-Indiana has become more than a clash between two of the nation’s best teams. It has the makings of one of college football’s most consequential new rivalries.

Here are my takeaways from the Buckeyes’ victory:

1. Jeremiah Smith Is Inevitable

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith tied Braylon Edwards’ record with his 39th career TD catch. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) –>

“We’ve got to give him as many touches as possible,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told FOX Sports’ Tom Rinaldi just before kickoff.

And then, for some reason, the Buckeyes promptly called pass plays for players not named Jeremiah Smith. In the first series, that worked. In the series following, it did not. And on those gotta-have-it downs, when it was clear to me that Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was going to try to force-feed Smith, Indiana’s defense played like it had that knowledge too.

Smith finished the first half with only two catches for 20 yards.

In the third quarter, Sayin sailed a ball intended for Smith. Indiana cornerback Amare Ferrell picked it off. The Hoosiers were committed to playing sound, fundamental football, layering two defenders to Smith on passing downs.

For the first time this season, it looked like a team was going to succeed in turning Smith — the best player in the sport — into a non-factor. 

And then, just like he has all season, Smith delivered, coming down with a 50-50 ball in the end zone to give the Buckeyes a double-digit lead.

Take note, Heisman voters. That’s the kind of play that we’ve come to expect the Heisman Trophy winner to make against a top-five opponent.

2. Julian Sayin’s Injury Could Spell Trouble For The Buckeyes

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was knocked out of Saturday’s game midway through the fourth quarter. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) –>

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti knew his team needed to get pressure on Sayin early and often if the Hoosiers were going to contain Jeremiah Smith.

Once Indiana delivered the first big hit on Sayin, the Buckeyes’ signal-caller fell out of rhythm. Against lesser opponents, he’d operated with the precision of a conductor, delivering passes right on cue. Indiana had Sayin looking down at his sheet music guessing what was next or trying not to get beat by a complex combination his normally sharp analysis could not decipher.

The Hoosiers sacked Sayin four times and forced him to throw two interceptions, just the third in his career he threw multiple picks, and the first time he’d done so since Ohio State lost to Miami in last year’s CFP.

Then came the biggest blow of the game, when Sayin took a hard hit midway through the fourth quarter and appeared to injure his right arm. The Buckeyes’ QB left the game and watched the final minutes from the sideline wearing a sling.

“I don’t have a ton of details, but he’ll probably be out for several weeks,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Sayin following the game.

That’s a tough blow for a team with clear national title aspirations. 

3. Josh Hoover Came Unglued In The Second Half

Indiana QB Josh Hoover threw for 296 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) –>

Ohio State’s offense was so sick in the first half — and not the kind of “sick” that the kids say — that you’d be right to think that it had downloaded a virus after visiting one of those dodgy websites the browser tries to warn you about.

But the Buckeye defense was operating with a ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 graphics card — fast, quick and able to take on the modern workload required to carry the offense on its back. This was most evident when Matt Patricia’s defensive unit forced consecutive turnovers on each of Indiana’s first two possessions of the third quarter.

And Indiana let it happen. On a fourth-and-gotta-have-it at the Ohio State 38-yard line, Buckeye safety Jaylen McClain triggered on Hoover like a fired bullet, sacked him and forced a fumble the Buckeyes recovered.

The story coming out of this game will be Sayin’s injury, but equally important was the play of OSU’s defense, which held the Hoosiers to just 8-of-18 on third and fourth down.

This is a championship-looking defense once again in Columbus.

4. A Heartbreaking Way For Indiana To Lose

Indiana wide receiver Nick Marsh caught three passes for 57 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) –>

Not only did the Hoosiers’ see their 22-game winning streak snapped. Not only did their home-winning streak come to an end at 19 games. But the fashion in which this game ended was tough to swallow.

After forcing a three-and-out and gaining possession back with under three minutes to go, Hoover and the Hoosiers had just what they wanted: a chance to win a game, over a top-five opponent, in front of their home crowd.

There was a 25-yard strike from Hoover to wide receiver Charlie Becker on the second play of the drive, putting the Hoosiers near midfield. There was a roughing-the-passer penalty on Ohio State that put Indiana past midfield. There was another big pass from Hoover to Becker, this one a 16-yarder, which put the ball at the Ohio State 43-yard line.

And then, facing a fourth-and-four from the Ohio State 27-yard line, came the play that will stick in the minds of Indiana fans for a while.

A perfect route from Marsh to break open, a lofted pass from Hoover to the end zone. And right as Marsh came down with the ball, he knew it. His hands on his head. His mouthguard dropped. The cameras zoomed into his face. The look on his face told the story. He knew he was out of bounds. Game over. Heartbreak for the Hoosiers.

“We had it and we just didn’t make it happen,” a dejected Cignetti said following the game. “It’s a hard one to swallow. [We will] learn from it and move on.”

]–>

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After consecutive losses and a dismal first half against Penn State, Michigan finally made the quarterback change many fans had been calling for.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham benched sophomore Bryce Underwood at halftime, turning to true freshman Tommy Carr to spark a struggling offense.

Underwood completed just 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards and threw two costly interceptions in the first half as the Wolverines clung to a 3-0 lead. Michigan managed just 80 total yards, including 37 on the ground, before the break.

Carr wasted little time making an impact once he took over the QB reins. After Michigan was forced to punt on its first drive of the third quarter, Carr led the Wolverines to back-to-back touchdown drives as they took a 14-3 lead in the third quarter.

Whittingham, in his first season leading the Wolverines, had publicly voiced his support for Underwood in the opening weeks of the season, but acknowledged something had to change if his performance did not improve.

The move came after weeks of mounting pressure on Underwood, whose turnover troubles had become a growing concern for Whittingham. Ahead of the Penn State matchup, the first-year Michigan coach made clear that the quarterback’s struggles couldn’t continue.

“If we don’t get this turnover thing fixed rapidly, then something’s got to give,” Whittingham said leading up to the Penn State matchup.

Underwood’s starting job had been under scrutiny since Michigan’s controversial season-opening win over Western Michigan. The pressure grew after a 20-14 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 3, when he threw for 101 yards and two interceptions.

Michigan QB Tommy Carr was a four-star recruit out of Saline High School. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Underwood arrived in Ann Arbor as the nation’s No. 1 recruit after flipping his commitment from LSU in a recruitment that included a massive NIL package. As a freshman, he threw 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, and his turnover troubles continued into his sophomore season.

Carr, meanwhile, comes from one of Michigan’s most recognizable football families. His grandfather, Lloyd Carr, led the Wolverines to the 1997 national championship. His father, Jason Carr, was a walk-on quarterback at Michigan, while his older brother, CJ Carr, is the starting quarterback at Notre Dame.

An early enrollee from Saline High School in Michigan, Carr made his college debut on Sept. 19 against UTEP. His performance against Penn State could give Whittingham a difficult decision to make heading into Michigan’s next game.

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