Jay Hill calls for Michigan fans to make The Big House one of the best in college football

Let's face it, The Big House is one of the most electric places to play college football; no matter what time of day or the opponent, Michigan fans are there, loud and proud. So when new defensive coordinator Jay Hill makes the call for fans to show up and show out against Western Michigan, you know the Wolverine faithful will answer.

Leading up to the Week 1 matchup against the Broncos, there isn't a lot of doubt that Michigan will be able to handle business, but that doesn't mean the fans should have the stadium looking like what USC saw in Week 0. Plus, the fact that Hill made this call shows the Michigan faithful that he is ready to see his defense and the rest of the team put on a performance.

"So we need fans showing up, being crazy, being loud. Obviously, we want to be respectful to our opponents, but there's no decibel limit on being respectful, so we want this thing as loud as it can be, Hill said. "When we're out there on defense, it needs to be deafening"

Michigan needs a good showing vs. Western Michigan in Week 1

This is not only the first game of the season for Michigan, but it is also Kyle Whittingham and his coaching staff's first with the program. Talk about pressure, even if it is just Western Michigan, although they did go 10-4 last season, losing just one conference game in the MAC.

There has been a lot of buzz around this team, about Bryce Underwood's improvement, the offense looking better than it has in years, and Jay Hill believing this is one of the best defenses he has ever coached. That is a lot of hype for a team that won a National Championship in 2023, went 8-5 in 2024, and 9-3 in 2025, with a ton of drama off the field.

Whittingham doesn't need to throw the whole playbook at Western Michigan, but he must make sure his team puts on a strong performance to show that the hype isn't for nothing. A poor showing could have fans wondering if this was the right hire, if Underwood can really make it in college football, and if the Wolverines can ever get back to what they once were.

Michigan just needs to keep things simple and get a strong lead over the Broncos to show they are still the mighty Wolverines they once were. Any momentum Michigan can build before its highly anticipated Week 2 matchup against preseason No. 10 Oklahoma is big.

Hill is asking for a big crowd, and if the fans deliver, then the Wolverines need to as well, and hopefully the Whittingham era can get off to a hot start.

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