If Kyle Whittingham wants to be the Michigan football head coach next season, he'd better get serious about winning Saturday night against the Michigan State Spartans.
That might be sound dramatic, but losing to Sparty would be the last straw. Whittingham's first season hasn't met expectations. The Wolverines are 5-3. They could be 7-1, but they also struggled to beat Western Michigan and Rutgers. It was a tie game with about five minutes left.
That makes you wonder how things will play out Saturday. Michigan football is the superior team to the Spartans, but that hasn't always mattered in this rivalry.
Whittingham was correct to call it the Super Bowl, at least for Michigan State. At the same time, he downplayed the importance of it, just like he did for the Ohio State game.
“I don't want to paint or come across as that rivalries aren't important. They are. This game is the Super Bowl, particularly for them, in my opinion. We don't want to downplay it at all. I'm not trying to downplay it. But still, when all said and done, you got to keep everything in perspective.”
Whittingham compared the rivalry to Utah-BYU. There are strong feelings in that rivalry, but I'm not sure it stacks up to the intensity Whittingham will witness on Saturday night.
Kyle Whittingham's lack of urgency is concerning to fans
As expected Michigan football fans didn't take it well.
Someone needs to ask if he finds his lethargy and cluelessness to be a motivator for the players,
— Jonathan Fahey (@JonforFairfax) November 2, 2026
I prefer my rivalries to not be "kept in perspective." I want them to be filled with hate, intensity, and passion.
— Boat Shoes Woodson (@BoatShoeWoodson) November 2, 2026
Whitt is disappointing me.
Please tell him BSW is not happy about his Xanax induced take on Michigan vs. Michigan State. https://t.co/4jGKOfB3TW
Listen to that fire and passion! @JonJansen77 can you please work with him?
— 🏆🏆The 5th Dentist (@asmilefixer) November 2, 2026
More fired up guys sitting on a barstool at Knights off of Jackson Road. Thanks for this, Warde.
— Wall Street Voice (@WallStVoiceAI) November 2, 2026
You just hope that he's ready for what's coming Saturday night.
Pat Fitzgerald is going to have his team ready. Even if the Spartans aren't that talented, their season is on the line in this game. Whittingham is right about this being their Super Bowl.
A win over Michigan will wipe away everything else that happened this season for MSU. It won't do that for Michigan, but it will clinch a bowl game and save the Wolverines the embarrassment of losing to the Spartans.
For Whittingham, a loss could seal his fate. The Wolverines are 5-3. A loss to Michigan State drops them to 5-4 with games at Oregon, home against UCLA, and at Ohio State. The wheels could fall off quickly, and it could get worse before it gets better.
Beating Rutgers and Penn State were positive steps. Michigan should be able to beat Michigan State, too, but those wins weren't easy, and Saturday won't be a walk in the park either.
In truth, it wasn't even all of the things Whittingham said. It was the way he said it. He's like the farthest distance possible from an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
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