Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham didn’t exactly stop at praise when he talked about Oregon on Monday.
On “Inside Michigan Football” with color commentator Jon Jansen, Whittingham opened with a strong endorsement of Ducks coach Dan Lanning ahead of Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup in Eugene on FS1.
“Outstanding football coach, defensive-minded coach,” Whittingham said. “That’s his background, but tireless recruiter. He really does a great job recruiting.”
Then came the part that landed with a different kind of force. Whittingham pointed to Oregon’s financial muscle and the way it can shape a roster.
“It doesn’t hurt that you have $50-plus million at your disposal to, in essence, outbid everybody,” Whittingham continued. “Not everybody, but a lot of people.
But that’s not his fault. That’s a credit.
I mean, that’s a credit to their program and their dedication and desire to win and and the support they have.
“Not to take anything away from Dan because he is an outstanding recruiter just in and of itself, and they they seem to have found out who they are again in the last few weeks. They had a coordinator change like we did, and the quarterback is playing much better. You know, in those those losses, they had quarterback issues, and the [Dylan] Raiola kid has seemed to settle in and really start to get into a rhythm.”
Whittingham also highlighted the challenge of playing at Autzen Stadium, calling the environment “second to none” even if the venue itself “isn’t the biggest.” He pointed to the “state of the art” facilities, with a nod to Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
Oregon enters the game with momentum after a rough stretch nearly knocked its season off course. The Ducks fell to 4-3, then responded with back-to-back ranked wins. They beat Northwestern 36-28 after trailing by 14 in the first half, then stunned Ohio State 41-28 in Columbus after spotting the Buckeyes a 14-point lead and ripping off 38 straight points.
Michigan arrives in a similar state of urgency, having lost four of its past six. The Wolverines also made a change at offensive coordinator, parting with Jason Beck.
Lanning made it clear he isn’t taking Michigan lightly.
“We’re about to play a Michigan team that’s had some struggles, but you also see some unbelievable personnel,” Lanning told reporters Monday. “We’ve had the opportunity to go against coach Whittingham before and see where they always show up.
They’ve always been tough-nosed. You see physicality.
“Obviously, their defense is probably as good as any defense that we’ve played this season. They’re playing really, really well.
They’ve done some good things in special teams. And, yes, they’ve had some struggles on offense, obviously, and recently had the coordinator change.
But you do see a lot of talent over there.”
Michigan will head to Oregon on Thursday, a day earlier than usual, to account for the time change, according to Whittingham.
The Wolverines are 3-3 all time against Oregon. They won the first three meetings, but have lost the last three, including a 38-17 defeat to then-No. 1 Oregon in 2024.
Michigan is also 0-1 in Eugene, where it lost 31-27 in 2003. Since the Big Ten expanded, the Wolverines are 0-2 in road games on the West Coast, falling 27-17 to Washington in 2024 and 31-13 to USC last season at the Coliseum.
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