Former Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer left no doubt about where his loyalty lies.

While talking about Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham on The  Wake Up Barstool podcast, the former coach said his friendship with Whittingham will never outweigh his commitment to Ohio State.

“I'll never say the M word. Will never wear maize and blue,” Meyer said in December. “But I'm pulling for Kyle in every other game other than the one.”

Before joining Ohio State, Meyer was head coach at Utah with Whittingham as defensive coordinator. During the two built a close relationship in two seasons that has lasted for more than two decades.

“I can actually [be] really excited for Kyle. And don't worry, Ohio State will be fine. Ohio State's recruiting at a whole different level.”Meyer said in the Wake Up Barstool podcast last December.

Together, they led the team to a 22-2 record, including a perfect 12-0 season in 2004 that ended with a Fiesta Bowl win. Eventually, Whittingham became head coach, a position he held from 2005 to 2025.

In 2026, Michigan hired Whittingham after dismissing Sherrone Moore. They decided to go with the coach who won 177 games in 21 seasons at Utah and built one of college football's most consistent programs.

Meanwhile, Meyer spent seven seasons with Ohio State from 2012 to 2018 and never lost to Michigan, finishing with a perfect 7-0 record in the rivalry. He retired from coaching in 2021.

Meyer believes Whittingham's experience and leadership make him the right fit. But he made it clear his support ends whenever Michigan faces Ohio State.

Even with his support for Whittingham, Meyer believes the veteran coach is walking into a much bigger challenge in Michigan.

Why Urban Meyer believes Michigan is Whittingham's biggest challenge

Kyle Whittingham arrives at Michigan with one of the strongest coaching resumes in college football.

While ranking among the top five coaches Meyer is excited to watch this season, he kept Whittingham at the top in the July 7 episode of the Triple Option podcast.

“Why I'm so interested, number one, it's Kyle. It's Coach Whittingham,” Meyer said on Tuesday. “But it's also what in the hell happened up there, you know? That's very un-Wolverine-like what's taking place there the last few years.”

After reaching the top of college football in 2023, Michigan struggled to maintain that level. The Wolverines won just 17 games over the two seasons, finishing 8-5 in 2024 and 9-4 in 2025, leaving the program searching for a new start.

"I expect to challenge for the Big Ten title every single year. That should be a given," Whittingham said as per Maize N Brew. "At Michigan, if you're not thinking about the Big Ten championship every year, then something is wrong."

The task ahead is much bigger than winning games. Michigan expects to compete for the Big Ten title every season, return to the College Football Playoff, and develop young quarterback Bryce Underwood into the face of the program.

Whittingham has handled pressure before, but can he bring Michigan back to the top while leading one of college football's biggest rivalries? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Read more at the Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit