Big Ten Media Days in Chicago gave new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham his first opportunity to address the national media about the upcoming 2026 college football season. Of course, the Ohio State Buckeyes came up. 

Whittingham faced questions about the rivalry between the two programs,. The first-year Michigan coach didn’t shy away from acknowledging the weight of the matchup, referencing his friendship with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer as well.

Kyle Whittingham brought up Urban Meyer at Big Ten Media Days

“Make no mistake, I understand the implications that it has,” Whittingham said on Thursday. “Friend of mine, Urban Meyer, he was at the other place for a few years. We talked about the game over the course of that time span.”

I mean, everybody knows that that game’s looming out there. I think the best-case scenario, it comes down to that 12th game, that’s for all the marbles in the Big Ten. I think that would be ideal, hopefully that happens.”

Whittingham and Meyer spent time together at Utah, where Meyer served as head coach during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. That connection to Meyer gives Whittingham a unique perspective on what the Ohio State rivalry means, before coaching his first game against the Buckeyes, depending on what Meyer has shared, and what he’s seen first hand.

Whittingham, who replaces former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, comes across as a strong hire for the Wolverines given where the program needed stabilizing. At 66 years old, Whittingham may not be in Ann Arbor for a long tenure, but he appears to be the right coach to put the foundation back in a strong place for Michigan.

Ohio State got the best of Michigan last year after the Wolverines won four straight matchups. The Buckeyes will be the home team in November this go around and Whittingham will get his first taste of the rivalry in just a few months.