Michigan football coach Brady Hoke left no question about how he feels about key rivalry games on the Wolverines' schedule.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

During his introductory press conference Wednesday, a reporter asked new University of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke about his passion for the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

First, Hoke smiled. Then, he answered the question with podium-pounding intensity.

“I think that rivalry is special, it’s like none other in football,” the Ohio native said. “Being engaged in that battle for eight years and growing up in the state, you knew Bo and Woody and the great fights they had. It is the most important game on the schedule. Not that the others aren’t important, but it is the most important game on that schedule.”

It’s safe to say Hoke has a healthy knowledge of the importance of The Game. Hoke grew up as a Michigan fan in Ohio because all his friends were Buckeye fans and he wanted to be different, and coached for eight years under Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr in Ann Arbor.

Hoke made his feelings obvious when he refused to directly say “Ohio State” during the press conference, referring to the university as “that university in Ohio” and “that school in Ohio.”

“I have great respect for Ohio, there’s no question about it,” Hoke said, still managing to not say the full name of the school. “But, I can tell you that the last Saturday in November at 12 o’clock when that ball was being kicked off, there was nothing like it.”

Michigan has been suffering of late in rivalry games. In the past three seasons under Rich Rodriguez, the Wolverines have gone 0-6 against Ohio State and Michigan State and going 2-1 against Notre Dame. Ohio State has won the last seven games in the annual series.

The intense passion Hoke feels for the rivalries with OSU, Michigan State and Notre Dame were part of the reason athletic director Dave Brandon made the decision to hire Hoke.

Brandon said from the outset of the coaching search that he wanted someone as coach who would understand Michigan’s traditions and history. He said he found that in Hoke.

“Brady understands Michigan and what it means here,” he said. “He has lived it as a coach, and he knows what it takes to be successful.”

Despite saving much of his vitriol for the Buckeyes, Hoke said competing with Michigan State for recruits and victories on the field was of the utmost importance.

Hoke said he and his staff would have to reverse the tide of the Spartans grabbing in-state recruits and re-establish their Midwest recruiting.

“That’s an important piece of what you want to be, because the lifeblood of your recruiting has to be in the Midwest and has to be in the state of Michigan,” he said.

Hoke said rivalry games, especially against “that school in Ohio,” should be taken personally by anyone wearing maize and blue.

It’s a message that rings loud and clear with former players, with one NFL star telling members of the media in the Boston area that all he wanted in 2011 was a win over the Buckeyes.

“I played at Michigan when he was there. Hopefully, we find a way to beat Ohio State,” said New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who Hoke recruited to play at Michigan. “It’s my biggest request for 2011.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.