Kyle Whittingham’s arrival at Michigan has already produced a strange kind of culture shock for fans on both sides of the rivalry.
The new Wolverines coach has settled in by talking about lean body mass, run game schematics and tackle footwork, but that doesn’t exactly scream old-school Michigan swagger. Cleveland.com’s Jimmy Watkins summed up the vibe by calling Whittingham “a bit boring,” then contrasted that with the louder personalities Michigan fans have gotten used to.
“New Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham is telling reporters about lean body mass, run game schematics and tackle footwork,” Watkins prefaced before saying, “And if you’re waiting for the familiar Wolverine verve, you might find him a bit boring.
“Where are the Ric Flair references that Jim Harbaugh liked to drop? What happened to Sherrone Moore repeating the word “smash” into microphones when asked about Michigan’s identity, which now reeks of irony given his - you know what, we’re not gonna go there."
That’s part of the point. Michigan’s recent coaching history has not exactly been quiet.
Sherrone Moore’s scandalous tenure in Ann Arbor is already well-documented, and Jim Harbaugh was a polarizing figure who didn’t exactly keep his political opinions to himself. Whittingham, by contrast, projects a lot more class and a far lower chance of landing in the same kind of mess.
The bigger question is whether that cleaner image can translate into wins. The cost is part of the equation too, with the $41 million question hanging over the hire.
Or, more precisely, the $5 million buyout figure by February if he steps down by then, with that number dropping by $1 million every year after that. It raises a simple but uneasy question: is this really how the Maize and Blue plan to rebuild their legendary football brand, and can it hold up?
For Ohio State fans, the answer right now feels pretty easy to enjoy. Moore and Harbaugh had a way of driving Buckeyes fans up the wall.
Whittingham, at least so far, doesn’t seem interested in doing that. He appears to be treating each game on its own and not putting much energy into “The Game” until it arrives.
That might not be the right approach for a rivalry of this size, but it’s certainly a different one. And if Michigan is choosing ethical coaching over the edge that once came with the program’s darker moments, Ohio State supporters may see that as a real opening.
Life could be a dream in Columbus. The Wolverines have a coach who isn’t going for the kill, while Ohio State has two former NFL coaches in Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia running its coordinators.
Both are probably better qualified to lead a program with a rich legacy that TTUN has. It may not be a stretch to say the Buckeyes have the three best coaches between the two programs.
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Saturday now looms as the key date in this one, with Vargas set to make his decision and bring an end to the early speculation. For Ohio State, the appeal is obvious: landing a player with his profile this early would be a major statement in the class and a sign that the Buckeyes are winning the kind of head-to-head battles that matter on the recruiting trail. The final call is still ahead, but the sense around this recruitment is that the Buckeyes are in a strong position entering the announcement. [Read more 🡒]