Michigan football’s Kyle Whittingham’s take on Ohio State rivalry will have fans divided

New Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham is keeping it diplomatic between the Wolverines and the program’s fiercest rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

During Thursday’s Big Ten Media Days, Whittingham, who has been named the Wolverines’ head coach following the controversial exit of Sherrone Moore, shared his view of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry but left those wanting something spicy likely disappointed.

“I thought Ryan (Day) was a pretty good guy when I got to interact with him at the Rose Bowl and based on what Urban (Meyer) has told me,” the 66-year-old Whittingham said (h/t Griffin McVeigh of On3).

“I just think that a rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor. I don’t think there’s any place for that, personally. I think Ryan Day’s a good person. To sit here and say, ‘I hate Ryan Day,’ I’d be making crap up.”

Whittingham’s respectful demeanor, however, shouldn’t diminish the fierceness of the rivalry between these two Big Ten programs. At the end of the day, Michigan football fans want nothing more than seeing the Buckeyes lose at the hands of the Wolverines on the field and vice versa.

Coming off a long stint as the Utah Utes football head coach, Whittingham finds himself with the pressure and challenge of guiding Michigan football, which went 9-4 in the 2025 season and failed to make the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines also lost the most recent meeting with Ohio State, which won that contest in Ann Arbor to the tune of a 27-9  score.

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