Underwood took the podium just days before a major showdown against No. 11 in Ann Arbor, and he was asked about Whittingham's comments. Clearly taken aback, Underwood didn't seem aware that his place on the depth chart was in question at all.
"There was comments about that? " Underwood said. "That's cool. I didn't see that. "
Pressed for his reaction, Underwood tried to downplay the situation again.
"It's cool. "
In the Wolverines' season-opener, Underwood displayed many of the same issues that plagued him as a freshman last season. He completed just 54.5 percent of his passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Much of that production came in the form of a 47-yard Hail Mary on the final play of the game.
Underwood also turned the ball over twice, and both missteps resulted in points for Western Michigan. That prompted questions about Underwood's job security on Monday, and Whittingham
There has been a lot of noise surrounding Michigan in the wake of Week 1, due to the controversial manner in which the game ended and because of Underwood's struggles. Underwood said he's avoided all of that by stepping back from social media. "I haven't been on social media since fall camp, so there's not much to talk about, really," Underwood said. Underwood faces a big challenge as he looks to rebound in Week 2. The Sooners boast one of the most talented and well-coached defenses in the country, but that also means it's a golden opportunity for Underwood to bounce back after a slow start.Underwood shifts his focus to Oklahoma
Asked to evaluate his game against Western Michigan, Underwood admitted he wasn't on his game. The tape showed plenty of room for improvement.
"My performance wasn't the best, and I got a lot of stuff to work on coming into this week," Underwood said.
Despite that, Underwood doesn't lack confidence as he gets ready to face the Oklahoma defense.
"I believe in myself, and I'm confident in myself no matter what it is, so I'm gonna go into any game with that mindset," Underwood said.
Last fall, Underwood made his second career start on the road against the Sooners, and he struggled in a tough environment. Michigan lost, 24-13, and it was a rough outing for Underwood individually as he completed just 9 of 24 passing attempts for 142 yards.
A year later, Underwood didn't go into specifics when discussing lessons he could take from that matchup. The Michigan sophomore just wants to play within himself.
"Just being able to do what I do best," Underwood said. "Play my game and go from there. "
If Underwood is at his best, Michigan should be able to go toe-to-toe against the Sooners. If he fails to improve after last week's discouraging performance, Oklahoma's defense may have a field day.
