Michigan football is in the thick of fall camp, and with that comes press conferences for players and coaches. In recent weeks both head coach Kyle Whittingham and quarterback Bryce Underwood have downplayed the rivalry with Ohio State.
Is that a tactical move, a sign of the times with the expanded College Football Playoff, or simply a mistake? Should Michigan be downplaying the importance of The Game to the media?
Whittingham was hired in part to be the proverbial adult in the room for the program. It shouldn’t come as a surprise he takes an old-school, one-game-at-a-time approach. However, it was a bit jarring for Michigan fans when Whittingham stated he doesn’t hate Ohio State.
While not a big deal in and of itself, it is a bit odd hearing such a thing from the head coach at Michigan. When pressed on it by the media, here is how he responded:
#Michigan HC Kyle Whittingham on his comments about not hating Ohio State from Big Ten media days:
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) August 10, 2026
“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
Whittingham certainly wants to win The Game. That much is clear. What is unclear is just how much emphasis is being put on the rivalry early in his tenure.
A few days later, Bryce Underwood was interviewed by NBC’s John Fanta. Here’s what Underwood had to say about his first experience in The Game:
Asked Bryce Underwood about The Game.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) August 11, 2026
Here is what the Michigan QB had to say: pic.twitter.com/Gi7s4KCGby
It’s tough to determine if this is how Underwood truly feels or if this is how he was coached to respond to the media by the new staff. But to fans, The Game is certainly not just another game.
With all that said, I don’t want to be too critical of Whittingham and Underwood here. There’s a chance this is tactical. The team could be emphasizing Ohio State just as much, if not more than previous teams, but simply not letting that on to the media. They also could be focusing on the larger picture of college football. In the expanded CFP era, your fate may not always solely reside on the result of The Game.
After Ryan Day had a disastrous four-year run against Michigan, he said publicly a few times he may have focused too much on his rivals. This unfortunately helped the Buckeyes turn the corner in 2025, though Michigan’s self-inflicted wounds didn’t hurt.
Do you think Michigan is undervaluing the rivalry early on in Whittingham’s tenure? Do you think it’s just a ploy to the media? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.