It's been enlightening watching Kyle Whittingham get comfortable leading TTUN. When it comes to "The Game" rivalry with the Ohio State Buckeyes, though, it doesn't seem that Whittingham is comfortable yet. After all, the Wolverines' new head coach can't even admit that he has "hate" for the Scarlet and Gray or Ryan Day.
Because of that, Cleveland.com's Jimmy Watkins aptly called TTUN's new leader "a bit boring" in a summary of what Whittingham has accomplished of late. Watkins went there when it came to Whittingham's predecessor, Sherone Moore, though he did concede that Moore and Jim Harbaugh were at least entertaining.
"New Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham is telling reporters about lean body mass, run game schematics and tackle footwork," Watkins prefaced before saying, "And if you’re waiting for the familiar Wolverine verve, you might find him a bit boring.
"Where are the Ric Flair references that Jim Harbaugh liked to drop? What happened to Sherrone Moore repeating the word “smash” into microphones when asked about Michigan’s identity, which now reeks of irony given his — you know what, we’re not gonna go there."
Kyle Whittingham good for TTUN in an important way
Moore's scandalous tenure in Ann Arbor is well-documented by this point. The less said about what he did while in charge of the Wolverines, and even before that, the better. Meanwhile, Harbaugh is a polarizing figure who doesn't let his political opinions go unheard by the public.
Whittingham brings more class to TTUN, with a practically zero percent chance that he'll find himself in the same sticky messes as those who paved the way. Does he bring more success on the football field is the $41 million question.
Or, perhaps more accurately, the $5 million buyout figure by February if he steps down by then, that decreases by $1 million every year. Is this really the way the Maize and Blue are about to rebuild their legendary football brand? More importantly, is this sustainable?
Kyle Whittingham is a dream for Ohio State fans
Moore and Harbaugh sure had a way of elevating cortisol for Buckeyes fans. Whittingham doesn't seem like that's his intention at all. Whittingham seems like he's taking every game on a game-by-game basis and barely giving thought to "The Game" until it gets here.
That is not a good game plan, nor the proper way to handle this rivalry. Ohio State fans need to cherish this opportunity, where the Wolverines aren't cheating and thus aren't trying as hard as they used to. Ethical coaching could be the unraveling of TTUN's competitive standing.
Life really could be a dream in Columbus. And Buckeye Nation may be living it as we speak. The Wolverines have a coach who isn't going for the kill, and there are two former NFL coaches, Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia, who are serving as Ohio State's coordinators and are both probably better qualified to lead a program with a rich legacy that TTUN has. It may not be a stretch to say that the Buckeyes have the three best coaches between the two programs.
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