Typically, The Game takes the national media by storm about midway through November, definitely during the week of the big rivalry matchup, but it has been in the headlines quite a bit before the 2026 season has even begun. There has been a lot said on both sides, and former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is chiming in again, this time in favor of the Wolverines' head coach.
Kyle Whittingham is brand new at Michigan and has never played or coached in The Game, so sure, he doesn't have the in-depth knowledge of what it feels like to walk out on the field and feel the rivalry. That doesn't mean Whittingham won't be ready for this game; he just knows that 11 games come before it.
Meyer, who has had a close relationship with Whittingham since their time at Utah together back in the early 2000s, has been one of Whittingham's biggest supporters, even to the dismay of Ohio State fans. Meyer understands the common sense of Whittingham's comments on The Game and the lack of complete hatred right now, but he will once he gets in and gets his hands a little dirty.
"After his [Whittingham] visit to Columbus this year, and he gets scarred up a little bit, and some things are gonna be said and thrown at him and seen, he's developed a little bit of hatred," Meyer said. "I got news, you're not gonna change that, so play the game, and Wolverine fans, he will be ready."
Ohio State fans would "lose their sh!t" if a Buckeyes' head coach said they didn't hate Michigan pic.twitter.com/hpgAjJRqWT
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) August 24, 2026
Even towards the end of Meyer's comments about Whittingham getting the proper introduction to The Game, he again expresses his belief that Whittingham will be ready for the matchup. Don't get it twisted, though: Meyer definitely still hates Michigan, and he probably won't be very happy if Whittingham closes out his first regular season at Michigan with a huge rivalry win.
Kyle Whittingham is playing this whole rivalry nonsense perfectly for Michigan
Michigan is the preseason No. 16 team in the country, while Ohio State is the daunting No. 1 team, so really, who has more pressure on them right now? Sure, Whittingham has the pressure of being a new head coach and performing up to the standards that are expected of Michigan, but everyone is gunning for the Buckeyes as the No. 1 team.
Maybe Ohio State should focus more on the 11 games they have before the matchup in late November because, last I checked, they have a lot of preseason-ranked teams on their schedule as well. As early as Week 2, Ohio State will be challenged when facing No. 5 Texas, a team they have owned the last few years, but the Longhorns are looking good going into the season.
Texas is just the first ranked team for Ohio State, as they also face No. 22 Iowa, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 USC, No. 2 Oregon, and then finally No. 16 Michigan. Granted, those rankings will probably change throughout the season, but Ohio State has a lot to deal with before it can even think about the Wolverines.
That is the mindset Whittingham has brought to Ann Arbor. He knows this rivalry is intense, and a win would be big, but it would mean way more if it's the game that thrusts Michigan into the CFP because they took care of business beforehand.
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