Alex Whittingham has spent enough time around football to know a rivalry game changes the air in the building. At Michigan, he’s learning that the matchup with Michigan State comes with its own layer of history, and this week the Wolverines’ linebackers coach got a little help understanding just how deep it runs.
Whittingham said preparation for the game has included more than the usual opponent study. The staff has talked through the rivalry’s background, why it matters to fans and how many of the players on both sides already know each other well.
Former Michigan player Jon Jansen spoke to the team and gave Whittingham additional context. Whittingham said he already understood the game as a longtime college football fan, but hearing it explained from inside the program added another level.
Then came another voice from inside his own room.
Aisea Moa, who transferred from Michigan State, addressed Michigan’s linebackers on Monday. Whittingham asked him to explain what the rivalry looks like from the other side, giving the group a different perspective on a game that means plenty in both locker rooms.
Whittingham didn’t go into the details of that conversation. What stuck with him was the scale of the game and how much it matters to the players involved.
That part is impossible to miss. Plenty of players on both rosters have crossed paths before college, whether through growing up in Michigan, sharing a high school or playing on the same team at one point. Those ties give the matchup a personal edge that goes beyond the schedule.
Whittingham has seen rivalry football from other angles, too. He pointed to his playing days at Utah and the eight years he spent around NFL rivalries while working with Kansas City. The pro game has its own feel, he said, but it still taught him how much emotion can sit underneath these matchups.
Now his job is to help Michigan use that emotion the right way.
He said the attention around the program showed up quickly after he arrived. Michigan brings constant outside noise, and he believes players have to learn to block out both the praise and the criticism.
Coaches can get locked into the routine of meetings, practice and film work. Players need the same kind of discipline, and that’s part of what Whittingham is trying to build.
The emotional side of the rivalry also has to live inside a defense that depends on communication and adaptability. Whittingham praised the way Michigan’s linebackers and safeties work together, especially when the defense shifts into seven-man fronts or brings pressure from different spots.
Chris Bracy drew special mention for the way he fits into that structure. Whittingham pointed to Bracy’s instincts, playmaking and ability to operate near the line of scrimmage, even joking that he sometimes wants to bring the safety into the linebacker room.
For Whittingham, that kind of trust matters. When assignments change and the defense asks players to move around, the whole thing works only if everyone is on the same page.
In Other News...
Michigan Coach Just Made Bryce Underwood's Situation Even More Concerning
Tommy Carr is set to make his third start at quarterback for Michigan after Bryce Underwood was benched following a recent game in which turnovers helped force the change. Underwood had entered the season with plenty of expectations and even wore a captains label, but the results have been uneven, with passing accuracy and interceptions becoming recurring issues as the Wolverines try to steady the position.
From the sideline, Underwood has handled the demotion professionally and continued supporting Carr, which has not gone unnoticed inside the program. Quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer praised Underwoods leadership and the way he has responded, while also saying he wishes he had done more to prepare him for the season, a comment that only adds to the sense that Michigans quarterback situation is still searching for firmer footing. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Heads Into Michigan State With One Big Question Still Lingering
Tommy Carr is set to make his third career start when Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday at Michigan Stadium, and that alone gives this rivalry matchup a little extra intrigue. The Wolverines are still sorting through a few defensive question marks, but those players are listed as questionable and expected to play, which should help keep the focus on a game that always carries its own edge no matter the records.
Michigan will get the prime-time treatment with Peacock and NBC Sports Network carrying the broadcast, and Paul Burmeister and Yogi Roth on the call. For a team trying to settle in behind a young quarterback, this is the kind of stage that can either steady things or complicate them, and the biggest question around Ann Arbor is whether Carr can keep building momentum in one of the sport's most unforgiving settings. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's O-Line Problem Is Becoming A Real Concern For Bryce Underwood
Michigans offensive line has become one of the clearest pressure points in a season already defined by shuffling and attrition up front. Only junior Jake Guarnera has started all eight games, and the constant turnover has left the unit searching for any kind of rhythm. For a team that wants to lean on the ground game and make life easier on its offense as a whole, the lack of continuity has shown up in a hurry.
The results have been hard to ignore, with Michigan sitting 97th in rushing offense and still trying to find a combination that can hold up week after week. Coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive line coach Jim Harding have both acknowledged the challenge, and the focus now is on making the group more physical and more efficient. Until that happens, the questions around protection and run-game consistency are going to keep hanging over Bryce Underwood and the offense. [Read more 🡒]