The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State is one of the most intense across any sport. Fans hate the other side, and they want their coaches and players to share that temperament, which has led to some consternation about more level-headed approaches from Kyle Whittingham and Bryce Underwood.
In his first Big Ten Media Days as the Michigan coach, Whittingham downplayed The Game a bit, noting that there is a lot of football to play between now and then.
“I’m an old school coach,” Whittingham said. “We’ve got 11 games we play before that, so we’re not gonna get ahead of ourselves.”
Later in the day, Whittingham said there is no animus between him and Ohio State coach Ryan Day, whom he respects.
“A rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor,” Whittingham said. “I don’t think there’s any place for that, personally. I think Ryan Day is a good person. To sit here and say I hate Ryan Day, I’d be making crap up because that’s not true.”
Whittingham has since doubled down on his stance since returning to Ann Arbor. Now entering his 23rd season as a head coach, Whittingham said that hatred isn’t necessary to win rivalry games.
“Do we have a better chance to win if I hated them?” Whittingham asked at a press conference.
Apparently, Whittingham’s mentality has rubbed off on his starting quarterback. In an interview with NBC Sports, Underwood said he doesn’t treat Ohio State any differently than the other games on the schedule.
“It’s just another game, just with guys in a different color,” Underwood said. “That’s how I see it.”
College football fans everywhere would probably love for their coach and quarterback to rant and rave about how much they hate their biggest rival — but to Whittingham’s point, does it really matter once the game begins?
It’s unfair to criticize Whittingham and Underwood for their comments about The Game for several reasons, but the two biggest are Whittingham’s track record of success and Michigan’s demanding 2026 schedule.
Whittingham’s tried and true approach
It’s easy to see why the Wolverines fan base would be underwhelmed by Whittingham’s approach to the Game. After all, they’re coming off an era kicked off by Jim Harbaugh, a “Michigan Man” through and through.
But did everyone forget how that era began against Ohio State? Harbaugh dropped his first five games against the Buckeyes, and it’s tough to believe that a former Michigan quarterback didn’t want to win those games with every fiber of his being.
On the other side, Ryan Day dropped four consecutive games against Michigan from 2021-24, and his intensity was never in question. Going into the 2024 matchup, Day said losing to the Wolverines was “one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life.” Remember, the Buckeyes went on to win the national title that year.
In fact, you could make the case that Day wanted to win those games so badly that he coached differently in that game than he would have in the other 11. The clearest example of that was in 2022, when he chose to punt on fourth-and-manageable near midfield on multiple occasions.
Whittingham has 22 seasons of coaching under his belt and 177 wins to go along with it. He won 10 or more games at Utah eight times, and he racked up three conference titles. Perhaps more relevant to this discussion, Whittingham came out on the winning side of the Holy War far more often than not.
Whittingham left Utah on a three-game losing streak to BYU, but his overall record in that rivalry game was outstanding. He went 11-6 against the Cougars, and that record includes a nine-game winning streak from 2010-19.
It’s probably safe to say that Whittingham, one of the most experienced coaches working today, knows how to approach a rivalry game. Would Michigan fans want him to change who he is as a coach just for some kayfabe regarding Ohio State?
Outward intensity in the media means nothing if you lose. Similarly, Whittingham’s poise will be praised if he wins.
Michigan can’t overlook anyone in 2026
As Whittingham pointed out, Michigan has to play 11 games before it gets to Ohio State, and many of those games will be difficult.
Not including Ohio State, the Wolverines play five teams in the CBS Sports 138. Even one of the more winnable games — on the road against Minnesota — isn’t exactly a layup.
If Whittingham and Underwood chose to spit fire when asked about Ohio State this offseason, what would the narrative be if Michigan loses a couple of games leading up to Nov. 28?
Something along the lines of “Michigan’s coach and quarterback put too much emphasis on the Buckeyes, and it burned them.”
For Michigan to take a step forward in its first year under Whittingham, the team has no choice but to take a week-by-week approach this fall. Fans can think about Ohio State all they want, but the Wolverines have to prepare for one of the most difficult schedules in the country.
Getting to the point where The Game has major Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications is possible, but only if Whittingham and Underwood handle business over the other teams not named Ohio State.
