The No. 23 Oregon Ducks are preparing for their first matchup at Autzen Stadium against the Michigan Wolverines since joining the Big Ten, and the Ducks need to win out to keep their College Football Playoff and Big Ten Championship hopes alive.

While that alone adds fuel to the series history, the Ducks are receiving plenty of extra motivation ahead of the Nov. 14 matchup. On Monday night, Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham may have provided more fuel to Oregon’s fire with his comments on recruiting and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).

Michigan Coach Kyle Whittingham on Oregon Recruiting, NIL

Whittingham spoke on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show about that matchup on Monday. He praised Oregon coach Dan Lanning for what he's built with the Ducks before diving into Oregon’s spending and recruiting.

“He really does a great job recruiting. It doesn't hurt that you have $50-plus million dollars at your disposal to, in essence outbid everybody,” Whittingham said. “Not everybody, but a lot of people. But that's not his fault. That's a credit. I mean, that's a credit to their program and their dedication and desire to win and the support they have.”

“Because NIL is the name of the game in recruiting these days. It’s shifted so much,” he added. “It used to be the facilities you had and the tradition and all these other things, and now it’s, well, this is all great, but these guys got a hundred grand more for me. So that’s a little bit of a factor, to say the least.”

Lanning and Whittingham coached against each other twice before, but that was prior to either of them joining the Big Ten. Whittingham previously coached the Utah Utes from 2005 to 2025, meeting Lanning in his first two seasons with the Ducks. Lanning bested Whittingham in both matchups, taking the lone game at Autzen Stadium, 20-17.

Dan Lanning’s History With Opponent Remarks on NIL

Whittingham’s comments might be perceived as a gutsy move given how similar remarks have played out in the past for Oregon opponents. Back in 2025, former Oklahoma State Cowboys coach Mike Gundy similarly went on the radio ahead of the matchup, commenting on the Ducks’ spending.

“They spend a lot of money,” Gundy said. “But they’re a good team. There’s no doubt about it. Our players, we talked about it today before practice, they’re excited about going out there and playing... I think Oregon spent close to $40 (million) last year alone. That was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million."

It ended up backfiring on Gundy. Oregon played Gundy’s comments on the Autzen Stadium video board during the pregame, garnering a reaction from the crowd. The Ducks used it as motivation, going on to win 69-3, with Gundy and Oklahoma State parting way shortly after.

“Ultimately, how blessed are we to be in a place that is invested in winning? If you want to be a top 10 in college football, you better be invested in winning,” Lanning said back in 2025. “We spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't.”

Lanning has proven to use comments from opponents as opportunities to fire up the team. The stakes are already high enough late in the regular season, but the opportunity to use Whittingham’s words against him is there for the taking if Lanning wants it.