Michigan benches Bryce Underwood, will start freshman Tommy Carr against No. 6 Indiana

Michigan is changing quarterbacks with half the season left. Freshman Tommy Carr is expected to start Saturday against No. 6 Indiana, and Bryce Underwood, the former top recruit, moves to backup. CBS Sports reported the move through Matt Zenitz, and On3 also reported that Kyle Whittingham's staff had benched Underwood.

The decision follows Carr's relief appearance in last week's 21-18 win over Penn State. As ClutchPoints noted, Carr replaced Underwood during that game. He threw only seven passes, completing five for 47 yards, but he added 36 yards on four carries and scored the touchdown that sealed the win. CBS Sports wrote that the offense looked noticeably sharper with him on the field.

The numbers had been building against Underwood for weeks. Through six starts, he completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 924 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions, according to CBS Sports. Michigan ranks 105th nationally in scoring at 22.7 points per game. That figure checks out against the results: 136 points in six games, and no more than 21 in any of the last three. Turnovers have repeatedly ended drives for a team whose defense has kept it in nearly every game.

Carr comes with a familiar name. He is the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. He was a four-star prospect in the 2026 class out of Saline, Michigan. Making the switch before facing one of the country's best defenses suggests the staff sees this as more than a one-week tryout.

What it means for Indiana at Michigan

Carr's first start comes against a tough opponent. Indiana is 6-1 and just lost 19-15 to No. 4 Ohio State after starting 6-0. The Hoosiers have scored 36.6 points per game and allowed 12.3, including back-to-back shutouts of Howard and Western Kentucky. Their road form has been less dominant: a 20-17 escape at Nebraska came after a 47-15 rout at Rutgers.

Michigan is 4-2 and has played close games all year. Its last four results were decided by a combined 16 points. The Wolverines beat Penn State by three, lost by six at Minnesota and lost by one to Iowa. Their defense has allowed 16.2 points per game. That gives a new quarterback some room, as long as he avoids the turnovers that sank Underwood.

Across the 12 venues on this site's board, Indiana is favored. Novig lists the Hoosiers at -264 on the moneyline and Michigan at +245. The best Michigan price anywhere is +250 at Hard Rock Bet, so the venues are only a few cents apart on the underdog. On the spread, Novig has Indiana -7.5 at +111. The best Indiana number elsewhere is bet365's -6.5 at -128, which trades a point of spread for a shorter price. Novig sets the total at 41.5, with the over at -106 and the under at +102. That is a low number for an Indiana team that has topped 41 points on its own three times. Sportsbook hold on the game runs from 3.8 to 7.0 percent depending on the market.

Kickoff is Saturday, October 24, on Fox.