Dave Portnoy vows to avenge the Big Ten after Ohio State's collapse in the CFP

The first game of the College Football Playoff national quarterfinals came and went, with the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes going out with a whimper. Despite the belief of them being the best team in the country, they fell to the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl, 24-14. Julian Sayin looked like a lost puppy, while Ryan Day and his OSU staff largely got worked by Mario Cristobal and his assistants.

This Ohio State disaster had Michigan alumnus Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports cackling hysterically.

Shortly after gathering himself, Portnoy made a vow to not let Ohio State be in that position again.

"Here's what I'm gonna promise everybody: Michigan finally has a coach ... Kyle Whittingham will restore this conference and the premier team in the conference ... Michigan will clean up this mess that Ohio State always leaves. I'm disgusted. If you're a fan of the Big Ten, you should be disgusted that Ohio just embarrassed us like that on national TV. ... We will clean up their mess, I guarantee it!"

While his comments completely overlooked Indiana and Oregon, his dig at Ohio State was justifiable.

Portnoy is obviously over the moon about the Kyle Whittingham hire, but is he ahead of his skis here?

Dave Portnoy vows to restore order in the Big Ten with Michigan on top

Admittedly, the last two years of Michigan football has been totally frustrating. The Wolverines had been the epitome of good, but not great. While the product on the field did not justify Sherrone Moore's abrupt termination, his off-the-field issues made it a certainty that he had to go. With Whittingham coming over from Utah, it is hard to downplay the hire the Wolverines just made here.

Even though Whittingham is on the wrong side of 65, he is already a hall-of-fame-level head coach from his incredible two-decade run in Salt Lake City. He knows defense, and chooses to surround himself with savvy offensive minds. The best part about hiring him is the way the Utes played under his guidance is largely what the Wolverines were under Jim Harbaugh. Michigan might rebound fast.

Overall, Michigan will have a fantastic opportunity to get back into the upper crust of the Big Ten, now that Whittingham is in charge of the football program. However, Ohio State is not likely to go away. Neither are Oregon or Indiana. While there could be other teams on the rise in this deep football conference, Portnoy is right that when Michigan is great, the Wolverines do not play with their food...

Ultimately, Michigan does have a chance to compete for Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff bids right away under Whittingham, but are the Wolverines truly ready to win either just yet? 2026 should be a year that helps re-establish what makes this program so good. If they land the right players over the next year or two, maybe 2027 will be the year for the Wolverines. That could be fun!

For now, look for other massive boosters like Portnoy to become even more all-in on Whittingham.