Kyle Whittingham isn’t giving Michigan fans the kind of August heat they may want before Ohio State comes around, and that may be exactly why his approach fits.
With The Game still sitting at the end of November, the new Michigan head coach has kept the focus where it belongs: on the long haul, not on one rivalry matchup that hasn’t even arrived yet. That stands in contrast to Ohio State, where the chatter has already picked up even though the 2026 season hasn’t started.
Bryce Underwood, who has already been through this rivalry, has followed his coach’s lead with his latest comments on the matchup. The message from Michigan is clear enough: Ohio State matters, but it is not the only thing that matters.
That perspective makes sense when you look at what both teams have ahead of them. Ohio State has to travel to Austin to face Texas, then deal with Indiana in Bloomington after the Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes in the conference championship, and later host Oregon in November before Michigan comes to town.
Michigan’s road looks just as demanding, maybe more so. The Wolverines are set to face Oklahoma, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, Iowa and Ohio State, and all of those teams are ranked in the Preseason Coaches Poll. That kind of slate leaves little room to spend August talking like November is already here.
Whittingham has experience in rivalry football from his time with Utah and BYU, but even that doesn’t compare to Michigan and Ohio State. Still, he is not acting like a coach desperate to make the rivalry the center of everything before a snap has been played.
Fans may want the full-throated version - the kind that sounds like Michigan is ready to “eat Ohio State alive and dance on the ashes of their loss” - but that is not Whittingham’s style. For now, he is keeping things measured, and that is carrying over to his players.
Of course, there is always the possibility that this is a calculation, too. Downplaying the rivalry in August could be a way to get into Ohio State’s head, and if that is the goal, it is already getting attention.
Either way, the setup works for Michigan. If the Wolverines lose, people will circle back to these comments. If they win, Whittingham will be credited for handling it the right way.
For now, Michigan has enough on its plate before it ever reaches Columbus. Whittingham seems to know that, and he is treating The Game accordingly.
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