Newsstand: Michigan opens as underdog for showdown at Oklahoma

The Michigan Wolverines head to Norman this weekend for a showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners, but appear to be doing so as an underdog with the line trending away from them.

Michigan opened as a 4.5-point favorite for Saturday’s primetime showdown, with the over/under for total points scored set at 47.5 points, according to BetMGM. As of Monday morning, the line has moved to 5.5 with the o/u down to 46.5.

Last week’s line had Oklahoma as a 2.5/3 point favorite.

The Sooners took down Illinois State 35-3 in their opener on Saturday, headlined by a show-stopping performance from quarterback John Mateer, who went 30-for-37 for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. Michigan beat New Mexico 34-17 in its opener with quarterback Bryce Underwood at the center of the storylines, going 21-for-31 for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns in his collegiate debut.

Michigan and Oklahoma have met only once on the gridiron, a 14-6 Sooner victory in the 1975 Orange Bowl. Saturday’s game will also be a homecoming of sorts for head coach Sherrone Moore, who went to Oklahoma and played offensive line from 2006-07.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. ESPN’s College GameDay will also be live from the Norman in the morning. The trip down to Oklahoma will be the first road game U-M has played against an SEC opponent.

Tweets of the day

It’s hard to keep enthusiasm in check when your QB is able to turn his back to the D, carry out a fake handoff, flip around and find his crossing TE, then hit him with a perfectly placed ball. pic.twitter.com/VztpE7eHa5

— Due# (@JDue51) August 31, 2025

Michigan QB Bryce Underwood vs. New Mexico on passes on the move, per Sports Info Solutions:

4-for-4 for 37 yards, showing great accuracy.

Underwood was 4-of-10 on throws outside the pocket, but 8 were "catchable" and 6 were "on target." pic.twitter.com/gnfyqv8fu2

— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) August 31, 2025

There's nothing like Saturday nights at the Big House! @UMichFootball x #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/OOvLkvtscn

— University of Michigan (@UMich) August 31, 2025

Michigan quote of the day

 ”It is impossible not to say that Bryce Underwood [was the most impressive]. The way that his ball releases from his hand and the velocity, the spin rate and the quickness… I was thinking there’s no way I’m going to be surprised or I’m going to buy the hype that I’ve heard everybody else has. And I got nothing besides ‘jaw on the floor.’ It’s all real. This kid is unbelievable. I’ve had a privileged football career where I got to chase and miss, but also chase and sack Terrelle Pryor [at Ohio State], I got to play with Cam Newton in Carolina, one of the freakiest of freaks that’s ever played the game. Bryce Underwood’s in that category. There’s no doubt about it. And I wasn’t expecting to be as wowed by him as I was. And then you go back and you watch the game, and he had a couple passes, of course, that you should never throw across the middle across his body. There are freshman mistakes that are gonna exist, but in college football on Saturday, I don’t know that I’d want another guy as my QB1.

– Former Michigan defensive lineman Ryan Van Bergen on Bryce Underwood’s debut

Headlines of the day

MMQB: Michigan is a fun watch with humble, hungry and talented Bryce Underwood behind center
The Day After: Bryce Underwood lives up to hype in Michigan football’s imperfect opener
COLUMN: Seven things we think we learned after Michigan football’s win over New Mexico 
Snap counts, PFF grades from Michigan’s win over New Mexico
New Mexico coach Jason Eck on Michigan QB Bryce Underwood: ‘He was awesome’