Kyle Whittingham isn't getting ahead of himself. The new Michigan head coach, who took over after 22 seasons at Utah, is taking a measured approach to one of college football's biggest rivalries: Michigan vs. Ohio State.
During Big Ten media days on Thursday, Whittingham was asked about his perspective on the annual clash with the Buckeyes. While he acknowledges the game's massive significance, he's not letting it consume his thoughts just yet.
“I haven’t learned really much more than I already knew,” Whittingham said. “I mean, it’s a national game. Everybody knows about it. It’s ‘The Game,’ as we call it. And it’s of great importance, obviously, to both sides.”
But Whittingham, known for his disciplined, old-school coaching style, is sticking to a philosophy that prioritizes the present. “I’m an old-school coach. We’ve got 11 games that we play before that, so we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. But make no mistake, I understand the implications that it has.”
The Wolverines have a tough road ahead before they can even think about Ohio State. They'll face Big Ten powerhouses Penn State, Indiana, and Oregon before traveling to Columbus on Nov. 28 for the regular-season finale.
Michigan had won four straight against the Buckeyes before Ryan Day's squad snapped that streak with a 27-9 victory in Ann Arbor last November. That loss ended any College Football Playoff hopes for the Wolverines, who finished 9-4 after a Citrus Bowl defeat to Texas.
The rivalry reached its peak from 2021 to 2023, when both teams entered the matchup ranked in the top five, with Big Ten and national championship aspirations on the line. The last two meetings haven't carried the same stakes for Michigan, but Whittingham is determined to change that.
“Very well-versed in what it means, the intensity of it, the national allure that it has. And our players are the same,” Whittingham said. “Everybody knows that that game’s looming out there. And I think the best-case scenario, it comes down to that 12th game, and that’s for all the marbles in the Big Ten. I think that would be ideal. So hopefully that happens.”
Despite the anticipation, Whittingham isn't letting the hype derail his focus. “We can’t obsess over it,” he said of Ohio State. “At least not just yet.”
Whittingham's approach echoes the discipline needed to navigate a grueling Big Ten schedule. While the rivalry with Ohio State is a marquee event, the Wolverines must first prove they can handle the challenges that lie ahead. With a mix of veteran players and new talent, Michigan hopes to recapture the magic that made 'The Game' a national spectacle.
