THE BLUE PRINT: A podcast on the Michigan Wolverines

Michigan falls 20-14 to Minnesota — and Jake Butt & Devin Gardner say this one was worse than Iowa. Full film breakdown of Michigan football vs Minnesota: why Bryce Underwood is guessing on reads, why the movement throws disappeared, the unblocked defenders, 180 total yards at 3.7 per play, and the Tommy Carr question heading into the bye week. In this Michigan vs Minnesota All-22 breakdown, Jake and Devin show the missed TD, the 4th-down throwaway, the mesh-point guesses, and why they want a real QB competition during the bye. Hit subscribe to help us get to 20K — fan grievance show next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did Michigan lose to Iowa? Former Michigan captains Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down a devastating loss to the Hawkeyes, decided on a back-shoulder touchdown with two seconds left. Michigan outgained Iowa 429 yards of total offense, won the ground game 153-58, and got the best game of Bryce Underwood's young career.  So what went wrong? Devin charted every pass play Coach Beck called (31 of them) and shows how the game plan is setting Bryce up to succeed: half-field reads, sprint outs, and a "get in the fight" pocket touchdown.  Jake goes to the film on the run game, including the hat-for-hat blocking that finally sprang Jordan Marshall, the red-zone interception, and a D-line hold that went uncalled. THE BLUE PRINT is your home for the best conversation around the Michigan Wolverines, hosted by former Michigan captains Jake Butt and Devin Gardner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan beat UTEP 52-17 after trailing 14-7 — but the film tells a bigger story. Bryce Underwood's progress, Andrew Marsh's 10-catch breakout, and what MUST be fixed before Iowa's No.1 defense. Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down every snap from Victory Sunday: Bryce Underwood 19-of-25 for 223 yards and 2 TDs, Marsh (10-105-1TD) and JJ Buchanan (7-92-1TD) exploding, the dominant defensive line depth, and the offensive line communication issues that can't show up vs Phil Parker. Plus grades, best throw of the season, Tommy Carr's debut, and Iowa preview. This is Michigan Wolverines film breakdown with pre-snap hypothesis, RPO growth, deep-ball mechanics, and Big Ten takeaways for Michigan football fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan beat Oklahoma 17-10 — and for the first time this season, the offense looked like it had a real plan.  Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down every snap of Bryce Underwood's best game as a Wolverine, plus the run-game details up front that turned good plays into what should have been touchdowns. Bryce threw for 111 yards with ZERO interceptions and led Michigan in rushing — 18 carries, 87 yards and a score. The stats don't tell the story though. The poise before the snap, the patience in the run game, the throw he refused to force, and the fake that blocked a safety without ever touching him do.   Then Dev takes you inside the film: the crack pole that was a touchdown waiting to happen, the speed-option blocks that spring Bryce's long score, the free rusher nobody saw coming, and the two-pancake finish that showed what this offense looks like when every detail lands.  Next, Jake takes you into what he saw on the tape. You're going to want to hear it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan survived Western Michigan — but the film is UGLY.  Jake Butt & Devin Gardner break down the 3 turnovers, 9 penalties, and why Bryce Underwood's decision-making has Michigan fans worried before Oklahoma. Former Michigan captains go inside the film room: first down production, why the run game stalled vs stacked boxes, the sight-adjust misses that handcuff the play caller, and the OL communication breakdowns where 6 couldn't block 4. Plus the hospital ball, the smiling reaction, and why "double plus" plays will decide the Oklahoma game.  What was your biggest takeaway — Turnovers, Penalties, or Bryce's reads? Drop it below — best comments make the Mailbag! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan football is BACK.   Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down the 5 things they need to see from the Wolverines against Western Michigan — and why Week 1 is really a joint practice for Oklahoma. Later, they dive into the mailbag and answer some of the questions that YOU have been asking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Butt and Devin Gardner rank the Top 10 quarterbacks in the Big Ten for the 2026 college football season — and they don't agree at the top. Is it Oregon's Dante Moore or Ohio State's Julian Sayin at No. 1? Where does Michigan's Bryce Underwood land, and can Nico Iamaleava, Josh Hoover, and Rocco Becht crash the top five? Plus the Blue Print Mailbag: what a locker room really feels like during a coaching change, which Michigan position group has the highest ceiling (and lowest floor), and who — outside the Big Three — can actually win the national championship. Tune in for offseason insight, Big Ten analysis, and plenty of Michigan football talk on The Blue Print, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Butt was inside Michigan's practice — and he came away convinced. He breaks down what he saw from newly-named captain Bryce Underwood, the offense, and why he's "almost willing to bet the house" that Michigan has a top-three rushing attack in the country. Then Jake and Devin Gardner rank the five hardest games on Michigan's 2026 schedule — including a real debate over Oregon vs. Ohio State at #1. Subscribe for the best Michigan Wolverines coverage — new episodes every week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Whittingham won’t call it “hatred”? On this week's episode of the Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner share their thoughts on Coach's comments about the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry. Does a Wolverines head coach need to embrace the hate? And could those words could come back to bite him if Michigan doesn’t beat the Buckeyes? Then the gloves come off in the growing Big Ten–SEC feud! Jake calls the SEC one of the biggest losers of media day, while Devin argues that the conference’s past dominance was fueled largely by cheating. And finally, Jake and Devin size up a loaded Big Ten as Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon all enter 2026 as worthy title challengers. We'll rank the conference's top 3 teams and explain why USC and Penn State enter this season as two of the Big 10's most intriguing programs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner react to the news that Warde Manuel will be stepping down as University of Michigan Athletic Director come the end of the year.  The guys share their thoughts on the decision, the process by how it was reached and where the athletic department goes from here. Then, we head back onto  the field and give you our preseason position grades for the Wolverines offense.  How high is Andrew Marsh’s ceiling?  Could the running back duo of Marshall and Hiter be the best in the country?  And does anything else even matter if Bryce Underwood doesn’t show significant improvement? Devin and Jake weigh in on all that and more on this week’s edition of the Blue Print! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner have some thoughts on Bryce Underwood’s claim that he’s “the best player ever to come out of Michigan.” Are we sure it’s a good idea for him to be saying things like this? Is he putting an even greater target on himself coming into the season? And which NBA player does Devin see as the guy Bryce should try to emulate when it comes to his public persona? The guys weigh in on all of it! Then: EA Sports has released its list of the 20 toughest stadiums to play at in all of college football. So, how’re we feeling about Michigan coming in at #12? Too low? Too high? Just right? The guys also talk about the inherent SEC bias in lists like this and they give you some of their most underrated stadium experiences from their time as players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner rank the top five defenses in the Big Ten heading into the season. Where does Michigan stack up against the conference’s best? And which teams could challenge the Wolverines on the defensive side of the ball? Plus, Jake and Devin take you inside the offseason grind for Michigan football, breaking down what summer really looks like for Wolverines players. From intense workouts and conditioning to film study and preparation, they share what it takes to stay sharp when the games are still months away. Tune in for offseason insight, Big Ten analysis, and plenty of Michigan football talk on The Blue Print, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are giving you their top 5 Big 10 offenses for the upcoming 2026 season. Does Michigan have enough to make cut? Or are their questions at quarterback a little too prominent to beat out some of the elite competition? Plus, we open up the Michigan mailbag to answer your questions on other programs that may have “Brady Hoke-esque” locker room rules, the possibility of Bryce’s backups seeing some time and the incredible challenges that this season’s schedule presents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, former 2x All-Pro Safety Eric Weddle had some harsh criticism of Michigan QB Bryce Underwood after watching him at practice and our own Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are weighing in on those comments. The guys discuss what could have driven Weddle to speak out in the way that he did and if his perspective actually does have some validity. Then, in an effort to help silence the critics, Devin and Jake each lay out the 3 things they’d moist like to see Bryce improve upon to change the narrative around the trajectory of his career! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, former Michigan stars Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are opening up the mailbag and answering your questions on all things Michigan football! We’ll discuss whether or not the Wolverines and Buckeyes should consider changing their timing of their annual game. We’ll discuss the difference between our rivalry with Ohio State and Michigan State. And we’ll reminisce about the time Jim Harbaugh tried to convince us that high-altitude fatigue wasn’t real. Plus, the guys give their very early game-by-game predictions for Michigan’s season and we present you with more tales from the Hoke era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, former Michigan stars Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are discussing Kyle Whittingham’s ability to attract top notch talent. Are we currently experiencing the early days of a great era in Ann Arbor? And when evaluating potential recruits, how do you weigh ability vs character? Jake and Dev share their thoughts. Then, can a program as big as Michigan be considered a Big 10 sleeper team? Much to Devin’s dismay, probably not. We’ll explain why the cat might be out of the bag. And finally, we’re talking playoff expansion and the possibility of the 12-team format doubling in size. How do we feel about the potential change and what does it say about the Big 10’s power struggle with the SEC? All that and more on this week’s edition of The Blue Print! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner is joined by his former teammate AND roommate, Denard Robinson! The guys reflect on some of their old stories including the time they showed up late to a Brady Hoke workout, the time Denard had to prove who he was to a 7-year-old kid and the time they battled one-on-one to try and determine who the better athlete was. Plus: Denard shares his thoughts on Bryce Underwood. Does this guy have it in him to be great? And what steps does he need to take to unlock that greatness? We’ll also weigh in on Michigan’s expectation in year-1 under Whittingham, the role Tommy Carr could play in making this team great and the importance of a quarterback who can run. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are giving you some of their final thoughts on Michigan’s Spring Game and then, we’ve got the new head coach of Michigan football, Kyle Whittingham on the show! Kyle talks about how he ended up in Ann Arbor, what it was like getting that initial phone call, and why Michigan has always been a program he’s respected.He also shares his thoughts on the importance of remaining highly competitive in the NIL space as well as some of the big changes that could be headed the sport’s way. Then, we get into quarterback Bryce Underwood and his ongoing development. Kyle talks about the difficult situation that Bryce was thrown into, the areas where he needs to improve as well as the characteristics that could make him great. All that PLUS: Michigan’s elite running back duo, Coach’s extensive background in football, the importance of playing the guys that give you the best chance to win and much much more!Get to know the new face of Michigan football, Kyle Whittingham, right here on the BLUE PRINT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Spring Game isn’t everything… but it’s something. On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down what they saw over the weekend in Michigan’s annual Spring Football Game, primarily at the quarterback position. The guys talk about the uplifting positives they saw from Tommy Carr but perhaps more concerningly, they discuss the discouraging negatives they saw from Bryce Underwood. We’ll examine the issues that appear to be holding the Wolverines QB1 back and let you know how he can go about fixing them. We’ll also tell you if it’s truly time to panic or if this is just part of the learning curve. And we’ll identify the 5-star freshman that jumped off the screen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are getting you ready for Michigan’s spring football game! Jake’s got all the details on which quarterbacks we’ll be seeing, how much the starters will go and how much live hitting will actually take place. Then, Devin shares his thoughts on the importance of putting your QBs in situations that might make them uncomfortable and both guys weigh in on the new coaching staff setting the right tone for the direction of the program. We’ll also dive into the defensive side of the ball and Devin compares the growth of Bryce Underwood to the growth of a tree… it’s no wonder the man’s last name is “Gardner.” Get it? No? Ah, never mind. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices