Kyle Whittingham Reveals 'Old School' Approach To Michigan/Ohio State Rivalry

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham discussed the significance of Michigan's annual rivalry game against Ohio State.

by Andrew Gould

Jul 30, 2026

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks to reporters.

Kyle Whittingham won't fast-forward to his first showdown between Michigan and Ohio State.

Whittingham looks to lead the Wolverines back to title contention after 22 seasons at Utah. The head coach must navigate Big Ten powerhouses Penn State, Indiana, and Oregon before concluding the regular season against the Buckeyes at Columbus on Nov. 28.

During Thursday's Big Ten media days, Whittingham was asked about his perspective on the massive annual encounter. Despite understanding the game's significance, he's not focusing on Ohio State 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.

"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."

"Hopefully that happens"

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks as he is being introduced on the floor during the first half between Michigan and USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.

Michigan won four straight meetings over Ohio State before Ryan Day's squad snapped the streak with a 27-9 victory at Ann Arbor last November. The defeat dashed any College Football Playoff hopes for the Wolverines, who finished 9-4 after a Citrus Bowl loss to Texas.

The Game assumed even grander stakes from 2021 to 2023, as Ohio State and Michigan each entered those three encounters with a top-five ranking and aspirations of winning the Big Ten and national championship. The last two matchups haven't carried the same implications for the Wolverines, but Whittingham hopes to reverse that trend this fall.

"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 of the rivalry. "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."

Whittingham hit similar talking points when discussing the rivalry on ESPN's SportsCenter.

"We can't obsess over it," Whittingham said of Ohio State. "At least not just yet."