Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood turned 19 last month. He just started his second year of college and played his 14th career college football game. His first 12 came under the supervision of a coach who was, to put it as gently as possible, somewhat distracted from his job.He’s just starting out in a new system with new coaches. He’s had nothing to do with his school’s astounding run of turmoil on various fronts. He was thrust into the spotlight before most of his peers, because waiting is generally the smart thing to do.And people want to draw firm conclusions on Underwood’s ability to perform the most difficult, important, rewarding, scrutinized job in American sports. It’s a sign of the times, of the grace reduction for major college quarterbacks now that they’re all making millions. But it’s also an absurd conversation given the specific circumstances — overshadowed by absurdities galore in the Wolverines’ 13-12 win Saturday night over Western Michigan.What in the world just happened at Michigan?Austin MeekUnderwood was bad, very bad, in that game before his Hail Mary that won it. He looks like a mess right now. He’s too ponderous, not trusting what he’s seeing and too often betrayed by poor footwork. My colleagues Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. wrote, in their Week 1 QB overreactions, that his performance “did nothing to shake the concerns and doubts that hovered over him after a very disappointing freshman season.”I don’t disagree. But I must wonder what other freshman quarterback seasons that were never put on display might have looked like.Of the 30 quarterbacks ranked ahead of Underwood on our quarterback tiers list, three — Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Maryland’s Malik Washington and BYU’s Bear Bachmeier — were given the keys to a Power 4 program from the start of their first season in college. It’s generally a dumb thing to do.None of the top 13 started right away. The closest is No. 2 in the rankings, Oregon’s Dante Moore, who got five starts at UCLA in 2023. Check what they were saying about Moore, who might be the No. 1 pick in the next draft, after those rough early glimpses and compare it to today’s Underwood discourse.