Michigan football: Wink Martindale talks Ohio State rivalry, one of his recruiting pitches

Michigan Wolverines football defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is back in college football after 20 years coaching in the NFL, and he’s excited for his first time competing in the rivalry tilt with the Ohio State Buckeyes (Nov. 30 in Columbus). He attended the 1995 rendition of ‘The Game,’ a 31-23 Michigan upset win in which running back Tim Biakabutuka exploded for 313 yards and a score, and understands the importance of the annual clash.

“One of the advantages is I’m old enough, I remember the 10-year war,” Martindale, 60, said at the Champions Circle Leaders Series with former U-M tight end Jake Butt. “My high school coach, who’s still coaching high school in Ohio, was an Ohio State graduate. I’ve been to a Michigan-Ohio State game myself — that’s when I was coaching at Notre Dame — and this rivalry is respectful, I think, between the players, as I see. … But they want to kick each other’s ass.”

Martindale was a part of a great NFL rivalry during his 10 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2012-21.

“I think that when I look back when I’m done, this is gonna be a bucket-list game,” Martindale said of Michigan-Ohio State. “I coached at Baltimore for 10 years. I think the only rivalry left in the NFL is Pittsburgh and Baltimore.”

Martindale also acknowledges the impact ‘The Game’ has on each community. Michigan has won three straight matchups and has gone on to win a trio of Big Ten titles and the national championship. While watching from afar, Martindale has seen how that’s brought U-M together.

“Ohio State-Michigan, there’s no better,” Martindale said. “I know [former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner] Charles Woodson, I know him. He and I were together in Oakland. And when I saw him with the stunner shades on after the [senior safety Rod Moore] interception [to seal last year’s 30-24 win over the Buckeyes], celebrating with the kids, I can’t tell you the joy that, that gave me, because I knew how important it was to him but yet the whole Michigan community.

“I grew up in Ohio. I got more texts from people like, ‘I can’t believe you’re going to go coach at Michigan,’ which I love because I just stir the pot up. It’s gonna be a bucket list thing that I’m gonna be glad that I did when we’re all done, that I got the opportunity to coach this game.

“I cannot wait to go to Columbus. Cannot wait to go there!”

During the event with Michigan fans, Butt mentioned that Ohio State has high hopes for this coming season.

“They certainly feel like it’s their year this year, and I’ve heard that before. I cannot wait to see that matchup in Columbus,” said Butt, a two-time All-American at tight end for the Maize and Blue and an Ohio native.

“If that’s what they think, we got ‘em right where we want ‘em,” Martindale said. “I mean, seriously … we’re getting ready for Fresno [State].”

Wink Martindale using Michigan’s challenging schedule as recruiting pitch

Michigan has one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2024, with marquee matchups against Texas (Sept. 7), USC (Sept. 21), Washington (Oct. 5), Oregon (Nov. 2) and Ohio State (Nov. 30). The Wolverines will play Oklahoma in 2025-26 and Texas again in 2027, challenging themselves out of conference.

Martindale is used to facing tough opponents on a weekly basis during his time in the NFL, and he seems similarities between that experience and the Wolverines’ schedules. He believes it’ll benefit the players.

“This is as close to a pro schedule that you can have in college football that we have this year. It’s different. Everybody’s gotta know that. [Musician] Stevie Wonder can see that. It’s gonna be a great challenge for these guys, but you talk about the Michigan way and preparing these kids for the next step in life, how better can you prepare for the next level in football than this schedule? Like I said, it’s the closest thing you can have to an NFL schedule.

“And don’t think I haven’t used that in recruiting. Being in the league for 20 years, I know a lot of people. They’re gonna throw on all these games because they know what we’ve done with our system in the NFL and what [former Michigan defensive coordinators] Mike [Macdonald] and Jesse [Minter] have done leading up to it with these players.

“Michigan’s gonna be fun to evaluate — defensively is what I’m speaking on, with all the guys that we have. They’re gonna be fun to evaluate, because they know the system, they know what I look for, they know how I use guys differently and everything else. It’s easy to evaluate, so they’re always gonna go to those type games first. And that’s what I tell the players in recruiting.”