If anything, Kyle Whittingham has learned quickly what the rivalry means between Michigan and Ohio State, as it's surely one of the best in sports. With Sherrone Moore fired, Whittingham was officially hired and he can't wait to hit the ground running.
Ohio State football to be without one starter and another key player for
He's also not going to shy away from his feelings about the Buckeyes? That appears to be the case. During his intro press conference, Whittingham was asked about the rivalry and while he was just joking around, his response below sure will have plenty of Ohio State fans talking:
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham says he's close with Urban Meyer. He's asked if he dislikes Ohio State:
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) December 28, 2025
"I do now!"
Kyle Whittingham is not a fan of Ohio State now that he's with Michigan
It's not like Whittingham took a serious shot at the reigning national champs, but some playful shade indeed was sent in the direction of Columbus. Is this something that Ryan Day and his players are going to worry about?
Not at all, as the Buckeyes are getting ready to take on Miami on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is a major favorite to post a win and advance to the national semifinals. Michigan is getting ready for the Citrus Bowl, with the Wolverines all set to watch the rest of the CFP from home.
Come Wednesday, Ohio State is going to want to wipe away the rough memories from the Big Ten title game loss to Indiana. Day and players have made it clear that the locker room remains a bit ticked off over how things went down in that contest, and their play is going to showcase that.
This could prove to be bad news for the Canes, as Ohio State's offense, led by Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, is going to want to put on a show. As for Whittingham, he's on his grind putting together his staff, but soon enough the 2026 campaign will get here.
Come next November, he'll head to Ohio State for the annual showdown, with plenty of dislike for his opponent. Ohio State will look to make things much worse for him once kickoff gets here for that one. But first, OSU has another natty on its mind.