Michigan’s coaching situation has become hard to ignore, and the pressure is only building after a 4-3 start and an overtime loss to Indiana in Week 8. Kyle Whittingham may not have much runway left in Ann Arbor if the losing keeps piling up, and this could end up being a one-and-done season for the soon-to-be 67-year-old former Utah coach.
The optics around the program have only gotten worse because Utah, the school Whittingham left behind, is rolling. The Utes are 7-0, ranked No. 6 in the country and sitting atop the Big 12 without him. For TTUN, that only makes the current mess look even uglier.
The big question now is how long Michigan would wait before making a move, especially with Ohio State looming in November. If the Wolverines are already being discussed as a team that could fire Whittingham, then there is very real doubt that he reaches “The Game” at the “Shoe.” The Buckeyes are still favored by two scores over Michigan even without starting quarterback Julian Sayin.
That brings up the next layer: if Whittingham is dismissed, who would be standing on the sideline for Ohio State week?
The most logical move would be to let offensive coordinator Jason Beck go as well. His unit managed only six points and never reached the end zone, and the offense has produced little with Tommy Carr or Bryce Underwood at quarterback. The run game, meanwhile, has gone nowhere.
If Michigan needs an interim head coach, defensive coordinator Jay Hill looks like the clearest choice. Hill spent three seasons as associate head coach under Kalani Sitake at BYU, and his defense has been the one part of the operation holding up.
Looking further ahead to 2027 and beyond, one name stands out above the rest: Bob Chesney. UCLA’s first-year head coach has the Bruins at 7-0 and ranked No. 7 nationally, and he has quickly revived a program that had been buried. Chesney also previously took James Madison to the CFP, which only strengthens the case for him as a major target.
Whether he would actually leave UCLA is another matter. Los Angeles offers plenty, and the Bruins can be sold as a strong job if the alignment is there. Still, if Chesney isn’t available and other top candidates want no part of a program that has been highly dysfunctional since their Spygate 2023 championship, Michigan may have to look elsewhere.
At that point, even someone like Lincoln Riley would enter the conversation. USC just lost to Wisconsin, which may have knocked the Trojans out of CFP contention, and Ohio State could officially slam that door shut with a win this Sunday. Riley is also on the hot seat and could be fired with one more loss.
Even with that backdrop, Michigan would still take Riley over Whittingham if it had to choose right now.
So the question is simple: does Whittingham get enough time to survive this stretch, or is one of the richest schools in the country about to open up a massive coaching search in the coming months?
In Other News...
Ohio State Could Revisit A Familiar Ole Miss Transfer Path
The transfer pipeline from Oxford to Columbus has already worked once for Ohio State, and it could be a path worth watching again if Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy decides his future is elsewhere. Quinshon Judkins made the jump from Ole Miss to Ohio State in 2023 and quickly became part of the Buckeyes productive backfield rotation, giving the program a clear example of how a proven SEC runner can fit into its system.
Lacys shoulder injury has only added more uncertainty around his next move, with speculation swirling about whether he could eventually enter the transfer portal or even look toward the NFL Draft. For Ohio State, the interest is obvious if he becomes available, but for now it remains just that, a possibility rather than a pursuit, with the Buckeyes and everyone else waiting to see how his situation unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got A New Warning About USC Trip
USCs offense hit an unusual wall against Wisconsin, and that should at least sharpen Ohio States attention ahead of its trip west. In a loss that doubled as the lowest-scoring outing of the Lincoln Riley era, the Trojans were held to seven points and 241 total yards, with Wisconsin making a clear point of attacking the run game first and then getting after quarterback Jayden Maiava.
For Ohio State, the lesson is less about copying Wisconsin and more about seeing a workable blueprint. USC still has the pieces to stress a defense in a hurry, but when the running game gets bogged down and Maiava feels pressure, the whole operation can stall. That gives the Buckeyes a useful warning before they walk into the matchup, because stopping the early rhythm may matter just as much as dealing with the explosive plays everyone expects. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Heads To USC With Two Defensive Questions Lingering
Ohio States trip to USC is arriving with a familiar kind of October tension: a big road test, a short turnaround and a growing injury list after the Buckeyes win over Indiana. The latest concern on offense is Julian Sayin, whose injury appears likely to end his season, but the defensive side is carrying its own uncertainty as Ryan Day tries to sort out who will be available in Los Angeles.
Jay Timmons and Kenyatta Jackson are the names that now hang over the matchup, with Day offering only an update that leaves their status up in the air. For a Buckeyes team that is still trying to keep its focus on the next opponent, the timing matters because USC is the kind of game where every available body on defense matters, and Ohio State may not know its full plan until later in the week. [Read more 🡒]