Urban Meyer isn’t hiding how he feels about Kyle Whittingham, and that’s not exactly the kind of thing Ohio State fans want to hear.
The former Buckeyes head coach has been openly backing Whittingham, his longtime friend and former Utah colleague, even after Whittingham took over at Michigan. Meyer called it a “no-brainer” when Michigan hired him, and he’s kept the praise coming. On his podcast, “The Triple Option,” Meyer said he’s looking forward to seeing Whittingham in action when Michigan faces Oklahoma in Week 2, with Big Noon Kickoff in town.
"It's my boy Kyle Whittingham, I can't wait to watch up close and in person with all his stuff going on," Meyer said.
That kind of comment won’t land well with everyone in Columbus, especially given how deep the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry runs. Meyer has spent plenty of time in the past taking shots at the Wolverines, but this time he’s choosing friendship over rivalry. And for Michigan fans, that’s a pretty sweet turn of events: a former Ohio State icon publicly hyping up the man leading the Wolverines.
Meyer’s support for Whittingham isn’t new, either. The two go back to their days together at Utah, and Meyer has made it clear that bond matters to him. He’ll still be on Ohio State’s side when The Game arrives, but that hasn’t stopped him from giving Whittingham credit for what he’s done at Michigan.
That distinction matters, especially after what happened when running backs coach Tony Alford left Ohio State for Michigan. Meyer isn’t treating this like the same kind of break. He’s sticking with his friend, and that means Ohio State fans are going to keep hearing him talk up the guy now wearing Michigan colors.
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