Why Kyle Whittingham’s comments on the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry shouldn’t be controversial

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham didn’t give Ohio State bulletin board material at Big Ten Media Day. Whittingham didn’t talk trash about the Buckeyes heading into his first season as Michigan’s head coach.

Whittingham called Ohio State head coach Ryan Day a good person; he said he has respect for the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, but wouldn’t proclaim hate for Ohio State.

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“I just think that a rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor. I don’t think there’s any place for that, personally,” Whittingham said.

The rivalry between the two programs is intense, as was the reaction to Whittingham’s non-controversial comments.

• “Spoken like a man who went to BYU and coached at Utah forever. He’s right, of course, but it’s a losing battle,” said Yahoo! senior college football writer Dan Wolken.

• “It could be a rude awakening for the new Wolverine head coach come November,” says Patrick Murphy of Bucknuts.

• “This is a level of hate that Whittingham has to understand at some point,” says Andrew Hughes of Scarlet & Game. “He has to respect what his blood rival accomplishes, but he has to hate that it’s they who accomplished it. If he doesn’t, the intensity will sweep him up like a raging river rapid and leave him behind.”

• “Michigan football’s Kyle Whittingham’s take on Ohio State rivalry will have fans divided,” said Rexwell Villas of Clutch Points.

It shows that even when someone says something with class, dignity and good sportsmanship, it can still be ridiculed and nitpicked. Whittingham said he’s watched Michigan-Ohio State games since he was a kid when Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes were the coaches for Michigan and OSU — Whittingham understands the magnitude of the rivalry. Further, Whittingham’s approach won’t influence the winner of this matchup in November.

“It’s the biggest rivalry in the country, in our opinion. Something that’s in the back of mind every single day, but I am old school and I believe in taking it one game at a time,” Whittingham said.