Urban Meyer disagrees with Kyle Whittingham on Ohio State-Michigan rivalry

Former Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer has voiced disagreement with Michigan's Kyle Whittingham's perspective on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. During an appearance on The Triple Option show on August 24, Meyer addressed Whittingham's assertion of not harboring any animosity towards Ohio State. Meyer noted that such a statement could provoke significant backlash in Columbus, Ohio.

He emphasized that fans would not tolerate such an attitude and that the focus should be on competing against Michigan. On July 30, Whittingham had said during Big Ten media days: "A rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor." "I don’t think there is any place for that personally," he added. Whittingham clarified his stance at a Michigan press conference on August 11, stating that he was not trying to diminish the rivalry.

He maintained that winning against Michigan is the priority, but he didn't elaborate on how that tied into the rivalry's emotions. While Meyer agreed with Whittingham's approach to the opposing coach, he felt differently about Whittingham's original comment regarding the rivalry. Meyer himself has a strong history against Michigan, having gone 7-0 against them during his time at Ohio State.

He reiterated that the focus should be on the team, not the individual or the institution, and that having a dislike for the opposing team's players is crucial when facing them. Whittingham will meet Ohio State for the first time in their rivalry game on November 28 in Columbus.