Biff Poggi knows a little something about Michigan football. Having been a longtime assistant in Ann Arbor under Jim Harbaugh, Poggi came back last year and ended up getting more than he bargained for, having served as the interim head coach for two regular-season games early in the year and then again in the bowl game against Texas. So not only is he familiar with the program, he's familiar with the personnel.
Poggi appeared on Jim Rome's show to discuss a litany of topics, but when the Wolverines came up, he said that the scheme doesn't match the personnel, particularly Bryce Underwood, but also the style of play that the offensive line, the running backs, and the tight ends who are on campus are adept at running.
"When we built the roster at Michigan, it was built for a pro-style gap scheme kind of offense, with a lot of play action and some deep shots and deep crosses," Poggi said. "I coached Bryce last year. He played well, really well in the three games I was the head coach. I think part of what's happened, Jim, and he's getting tortured on social media, part of what's happened is the scheme doesn't fit the personnel. Not only Bryce, but the offensive line, the tight end room, and the running backs. So, I think they feel like Tommy gives them a better chance. Tommy's a good player; Bryce has a chance to be an unbelievable player in the right scheme with the right coaches.
"And I would just say this, and just trying to be as transparent as I can: it's one thing to come out of the bullpen at halftime, it's another thing to be a starter where everything's on you. So we're going to see how Tommy progresses through that."
"The scheme doesn't fit the personnel, not only Bryce but the offensive line, the tight end room and running backs."@BiffPoggi on Bryce Underwood and Michigan's offensive struggles this season. pic.twitter.com/nLhzZQjOS2
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) October 22, 2026
Given that the Wolverines have been much, much better at running downhill, he's not wrong. The offensive line and running backs got going with more of a north-south style of play in the second half against Penn State compared to the east-west that the maize and blue have run for much of the year.
He's also not wrong on Carr, as it will be interesting to see how he does coming out of the tunnel as the starter compared to getting the call at halftime. Still, Carr seems more adept at running the offense that Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck are intent on running, so we'll see if he pays dividends against Indiana this week.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Biff Poggi explains why Michigan's offense isn't working