So far in Kyle Whittingham's short tenure as Michigan football head coach, he has failed just about every test.
The Wolverines needed a miracle to beat Western Michigan. They beat a wretched Oklahoma team, and couldn't avoid losing to Iowa or Minnesota. There was also the missed opportunity against Indiana.
Whittingham was supposed to guide Michigan to playoff contention, but now it's November, and it's hard to say the Wolverines would even make it if they win out.
It seems like there's a chance if Michigan can finish 9-3. This weekend, though, Michigan needed a touchdown with under five minutes left to beat Rutgers, so it's a stretch to say winning out is even realistic.
The Spartans are 125th in scoring offense (19,9 per game) and 79th in scoring defense (25.8 allowed). Those are all reasons why Vegas oddsmakers favor Michigan football, despite the offensive struggles, making the Wolverines a 13.5-point favorite for Saturday night's rivalry game.
Is Kyle Whittingham ready for Michigan-Michigan State?
Whittingham doesn't get too excited about anything. The Michigan-Michigan State game didn't seem to get his juices flowing, other than he said it "was important."
Sitting at 5-3, it's a must-win for Whittingam. Beating the Spartans won't be anything to write home about, but it will avoid a full-blown meltdown.
The game is in Ann Arbor. It's going to be a night game again, so you hope Whittingham knows what it's going to be like.
Yes, Whittingham has coached against BYU. This won't be his first rivalry game, but Michigan-Michigan State can feel more like a street fight at times.
You wonder what it will look like with Pat Fitzgerald. Whittingham already talked about how he didn't need to hate Ohio State to beat them. He probably feels the same about Michigan State.
The rivalry has gotten nasty between the two programs. There was even a fight after the game back in 2022. We don't need that. On the field, however, things will be as fierce as they have ever been. Both teams need this game to salvage their seasons.
Michigan fans obviously want the Wolverines to beat Ohio State. They also don't want to see Michigan State get the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Those are really the only games that matter.
Whittingham better be up for it because a loss to Michigan State would only make it more likely that his stint in Ann Arbor lasts just one season.
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