When Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham was asked about beating Ohio State at Big Ten Media Days, he talked about how important it was to beat the Buckeyes. He also said he didn't hate Ohio State, which set off some alarm among Wolverine fans.
Whittingham seemed too nonchalant about the rivalry to some. Some argued that Whittingham just didn't get it, being from California. He was part of the Utah-BYU rivalry for nearly 20 years. The game is called the 'The Holy War', so there is a high-level of intensity there, too.
On Monday, Whittingham was asked about those comments, and how they took on a life of their own. His response is one that should make Michigan football fans rest easy.
"(Would) we have a better chance to win if hated them? I don't understand," Whittingham said. "Whatever gives us the best chance to win. I'm all for it. I want to beat them worse than anybody. I don't know how that got to be such a hot topic."
Whittingham confirmed that there are periods or segments of practice where the Wolverines focus on Ohio State. He also said there are things in the weight room.
"I'm not trying to downplay it all. It's a huge game," Whittingham said. "It's something we all have in the back of our minds 24/7. That game is of the utmost importance."
Kyle Whittingham shows he has the right attitude about Ohio State
That's good to hear. I don't know if Lloyd Carr hated Ohio State. He certainly didn't have a problem beating the Buckeyes, at least before Jim Tressel came along.
Jim Harbaugh tried to downplay the rivalry a little bit. That backfired. It wasn't until after he said that Michigan would "Beat Ohio or die trying," did the Wolverines finally break through. Michigan also hired a really smart defensive coordinator to help end the streak, actually two in a row. They are both NFL head coaches.
Maybe that had a bigger impact than the "Beat Ohio" drill. If Michigan does lose against Ohio State in November, some will say Whittingham's approach wasn't right. That's just the way it goes. He won't have a ton of pressure on him this season.
Bryce Underwood is probably still playing with house money, too. But if Underwood is 0-2, and Whittingham drops his first Ohio State game, there will be a lot riding on the 2027 edition.
Maybe then, Whittingham will have a better feel for why some fans reacted the way they did.
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