Kyle Whittingham Has Another Strange Answer on Ohio State-Michigan Football Rivalry

Ohio State fans will likely have to get used to lame jargon from its most hated rival coach.

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks to media after the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A little over 100 days remain until the Ohio State-Michigan game commences in Columbus. The Buckeyes' 27-9 win marked the end of an eventual sour era for ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore. Now, it's Kyle Whittingham's time to fix the dysfunction in Ann Arbor. The question remains, though: can he?

It's arguably too early to tell. But from an Ohio State standpoint, it likely couldn't be going any better for Ryan Day's team. After all, a 12-2 record after being a year removed from winning a national title, plus regaining validation over a Wolverines team that had the upper hand in the rivalry for much of the 2020s, clearly demonstrates the rivalry's transition once again.

Whittingham was recently asked to address comments made during Big Ten Media Days at the end of last month, where he suggested that maybe the rivalry hostility between the two Big Ten powerhouses needed a cooling-off period.

Whittingham doubled down.

#Michigan HC Kyle Whittingham on his comments about not hating Ohio State from Big Ten media days:

“Do we have a better chance of winning if I hated them? I don’t understand. Whatever gives us the best chance to win, I’m all for it. I want to beat them worst than anybody.” pic.twitter.com/e4fjLPBltT

— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) August 10, 2026

"Do we have a better chance of winning if I hated them?" Whittingham asked. "I don’t understand. Whatever gives us the best chance to win, I’m all for it. I want to beat them worst than anybody.”

Day, though, views the rivalry differently.

Ryan Day Weighs In On Michigan Rivalry

Nov 20, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

"Now, we wanna win the conference, but we wanna win the conference to put us in the best position to win the national championship," Day said on The Triple Option. "That's, to me, what the most important thing is, and everything matters. Every single seed matters, every ounce matters, every inch matters. So we are very motivated to win the conference."

Day said that beating the Wolverines is a priority, but so is every week outside of it.

"The expectation isn't just to win the game," Day told On3. "The expectation is to win the game and win the rest of them. I've always tried to make sure that everybody in the building, from the day that I took this job to now, accepts that expectation. That's what we all signed up for."

The season will have to play out first before the hype around "The Game" can commence. Regardless of the stakes, it has the chance to continue to live up to the ultimate hostility that it brings every year.

For now, the Buckeyes can extend their streak this November. If they do, though, it'll further solidify the gap between the prioritization of the rivalry being abundantly clear.

For now, the on-field results will be the deciding factor.