Bryce Underwood isn’t treating Ohio State like some giant spotlight game, and that alone says plenty about where Michigan’s head is heading into November.
In an interview with John Fanta of NBC Sports, Underwood brushed The Game aside with a line that Buckeye fans will love.
"It's just another game, just the guys in a different color. That's how I see it. "
That’s a far cry from the usual buildup around Ohio State-Michigan, a rivalry defined by tension and contempt for more than a century. Instead of leaning into that pressure, Underwood sounded like someone trying to shrink the moment. It comes after his rough showing in the matchup last year, when he threw for just 63 yards, had an interception, and didn’t help the Wolverines score a touchdown.
Underwood’s comments also line up with what Michigan’s new coach, Kyle Whittingham, has been saying. He has made clear that he doesn’t believe there should be hate in the rivalry, even though the history of the series says otherwise. Between the coach and the quarterback, Michigan is doing a lot of talking that sounds more like damage control than confidence.
Ohio State, meanwhile, has every reason to feel good about where things stand. The Buckeyes beat Michigan so badly last season that the Wolverines had to move on from their head coach.
Now the new coach is downplaying the rivalry, and the starting quarterback is treating it like any other Saturday. That’s not exactly the posture of a team eager to stare down the Buckeyes.
Ryan Day has made no secret of how much he enjoys beating Michigan, and last year’s result only sharpened that edge. From Ohio State’s point of view, the offseason has been all upside. The Wolverines have been knocked back, and the Buckeyes have been handed plenty of bulletin-board material along the way.
There’s still a long way to go before The Game, of course. Ohio State has a brutal schedule in front of it, and the first major test comes in Week 2 against Texas. That will be a difficult road environment, and the Buckeyes will have bigger immediate concerns before Michigan ever shows up in Columbus this November.
Still, Underwood’s “just another game” line fits the larger picture. Last season’s result may have been the moment Michigan’s problems were laid bare. If the cheating scandal has left the program trying to rebuild its footing, Ohio State is the team sitting back and watching it all unfold.
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Former Ohio State DE Adds To A Frustrating Transfer Pattern
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Abor now appears on Akrons roster for 2026 after not playing in 2025, taking advantage of an NCAA eligibility extension in the process. For Ohio State, it adds one more entry to a long-running conversation about how often transfers find the roles they wanted after leaving Columbus, and how quickly a change of scenery can turn into another detour instead of a reset. [Read more 🡒]