Where does Michigan go from here?

2008-12-08T14:13:49-05:00

2008-11-22T17:07:02-05:00

2008-11-22T17:07:22-05:00

2008-11-24T15:44:50-05:00

Jimfish

Olympia 615906

76 RichRod is taking a lot of heat from alumni who are used to a 9-3 record as a minimum for a good year. We expected perhaps 6-6 without realizing that several of Carr's holdovers would leave the program under RichRod for varying reasons (like his yelling all the time, which Carr did less of). RichRod was supposed to bring in a spiffy new running spread offense. He stubbornly kept to it despite the fact the personnel didn't fit that scheme. But, RichRod did tie good old Bo Schembechler in one regard. Bo also started with 9 regular season losses....but in the first TEN years total. That is the kind of comparison that Michigan fans make, and Lloyd Carr did average about .750 winning percentage, which is the all-time record for Michigan, so his results were actually excellent. He was only 6-7 vs. OSU, but that is supposed to be a .500 rivalry over time. Remember that Carr led Michigan over Tim Tebow led Florida in their bowl just 11 months ago. How far have they fallen....and expecting RichRod to be in the top 3 of the Big Ten next year? How about 6-6, and that is progress. OSU under Tressel seems to have UM's number, it will next year, too, I predict. But maybe Michigan can beat the lesser teams it is supposed to beat in 2009, instead of BECOMING one of the lesser teams. 3434357

2008-11-24T11:49:16-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/172/041/thumb/WVjoel1.jpg 69 ga

wv80

bethlehem 172341

75 This couldn't be happening to a more deserving guy. You brought it on yourself Rodriquez. Hey Rich, get a life. 3430745

2008-11-23T00:40:05-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/582/991/thumb/Kool-AidMan.jpg 161 CT

Harry Balzagna

583551

39 You guys are morons. What'd you expect from Michigan this year? I'm a huge fan and although I didn't expect it to be this bad, I didn't expect much. It would have been nice to see a better and more potent offense, but that's what happens when you don't have a QB to run the spread option and you lose 3 receivers in Arrington, Manningham and Breaston to the draft (Breaston's doing quite nice in the NFL not to mention). You also lose a couple of big guys on defense along with the defensive coordinator so all in all it's a complete rebuilding process. It's not like they fired the coach and had a system in place and Rich Rod could just come in there and make it work. Entirely new system and NONE of his players. Until he gets HIS players in there you can't make any judgements. You'll see how a QB that is able to run the spread will make big changes and allow the offense to do more. Don't be pathetic and compare them to Notre Dame...Weiss has been there for FOUR Years therefore everyone on that team has been RECRUITED BY HIM. 3422957

2008-11-24T11:30:16-05:00

OSU_BUMP

Thurston 479557

You guys are morons. What'd you expect from Michigan this year? I'm a huge fan and although I didn't expect it to be this bad, I didn't expect much. It would have been nice to see a better and more potent offense, but that's what happens when you don't have a QB to run the spread option and you lose 3 receivers in Arrington, Manningham and Breaston to the draft (Breaston's doing quite nice in the NFL not to mention). You also lose a couple of big guys on defense along with the defensive coordinator so all in all it's a complete rebuilding process. It's not like they fired the coach and had a system in place and Rich Rod could just come in there and make it work. Entirely new system and NONE of his players. Until he gets HIS players in there you can't make any judgements. You'll see how a QB that is able to run the spread will make big changes and allow the offense to do more. Don't be pathetic and compare them to Notre Dame...Weiss has been there for FOUR Years therefore everyone on that team has been RECRUITED BY HIM.

74 Richrod is the moron. He did have an offense had he been willing to use Carr's system for a couple years that would at least have you going to a bowl game. He wanted to use his spread now with players that weren't recruited for it so they all split for the NFL or other teams. If he were a coach worth a **** he could have made Carr's system work good enough to win 7 or 8 games and recruit the players need to run his spread for the first couple years. Just like Tress use his QB for the system they work best in, be it Pocket passer spread or option. The man has no loyalty and if he does get things turned around (in 3 to 4 years cause he will be starting with a Freshman QB again next year that isn???t near as talented as Pryor and he is just getting by) good enough to get a better offer he will leave you high and dry just like he left his home state and school. I for one would love to see Michigan get back to the state of when OSU beats them it is worth something. Nothing is better than a #1 vs. #2 game in the rivalry or at least something of that sort. While it was fun to see them get blown out this year it was boring!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Buckeyes beat a SEC team in our bowl game! 3430452

2008-11-24T11:20:14-05:00

Larry H$

Davidson 615780

73 As a WVU fan I still harbor some animosity for Rodriquez because he left his home state and went north to coach a bunch of "flat-land furriners" leaving us with an old yayhoo and a bitter taste. Although he may be an SOB to us he is still one of the best football coaches in the world. His first year at WVU he was 3-8. Next year will be considerably better for Michigan, particularly if one of the new hotshot quarterbacks is anywhere near as good as Pat White.He'll probably end up as one of the best coaches in Big Ten history right along with Bo, Woody, and Joe. 3430260

2008-11-24T11:17:16-05:00

Larry H$

Davidson 615780

72 I am a WVU fan and still harbor some animosity for Rodriquez for abandoning his home state and going to coach the "flat land furriners" in Michigan. However, this year is no indication of how the football team will be in the future. His first year at WVU ended 3-8. There will be a decided turnaround next year. He may be an SOB to us Mountaineers, but he is a very good coach. He will probably become one of the most successful coaches ever ing the Big Ten Conference. 3430226

2008-11-23T22:46:52-05:00

Colfbrules

Chapin 615330

71 arbitrageur, you're a homer, huh? Who has Ok St beaten? What about Texas Tech (1 legit win)? Things are cyclical, not putting down the Big 12, but c'mon, no complaining about O.O.C. schedules when the head coach of Texas, after playing a home and home with OSU, said, "we're never doing that again!" 3427199

2008-11-23T20:08:00-05:00

424

INCSOC

Bellefonte 83737

70 Michigan's next move is fire Rodriguez as soon as possible and get a real coach in to salvage the upcoming recruiting class before Rich puts them another year behind and pushes even more players out the door like he did last year. 3426273

2008-11-23T16:26:58-05:00

156

arbitrageur

Waco 534071

69 In a league as pathetic as the Itty Bitty Ten, it is very easy for Michigan to get back near the top. I mean, look at Minnehaha this year. What "great football power" must Michigan beat in order to get back in the hunt for the Big Ten title? Northwestern? Are u serious? Michigan State? Their best win this year was Northwestern Wisconsin? Ha! They actually lost to Michigan this year and should have lost to a Division I-AA team yesterday AT HOME. The Big Ten is pathetic and coupled with another "tough" slate of out-of-conference foes (this year it was Utah, ND, Miami (OH), and Toledo), it's hard to imagine how Michigan won't win 6 games or more next year and be touted by the media as one of the great stories of 2009. With all of the media love for the Big Ten, I wouldn't be surprised to see Michigan ranked in the preseason Top 25 next season, proving once again that you can fool some of the people all of the time. 3425089

2008-11-23T15:04:25-05:00

WhoDat1234

Keller 615159

68 Michigan will be back. Rich Rod is actually a decent coach and it may take a few years. I am an Ohio State fan. A realistic one. It's healthy for Michigan to be a power, for OSU, for the BIG TEN and for football. RichRod will bring them back and THE Game will continue to be the best rivalry in sports. Go Bucks! 3424712

2008-11-23T13:38:51-05:00

110

spicoli

Titusville 614383

67 why would you want a guy from west virginia anyway? everyone knows the toothbrush was invented there,if not it would have been called a teethbrush. congrats wolverweenies youve got a coach who craps on your tradition. 3424390

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/t1_minor.jpg" alt="T1_minor" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align: left;">RB Brandon Minor scored Michigan's only touchdown. AP </div> </div> In spite all the evils floating over Ann Arbor this season, Michigan fans entered the day with hope. Beat Ohio State and we can end this miserable campaign on the highest of high notes. But instead of curing the Wolverines' ills, the 105th installment of The Game further confirmed that Rich Rodriguez's first team is the worst in Michigan's 129-year history. Ohio State earned its fifth straight win over the Wolverines with a <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/scoreboards/2008/11/22/38703_viewcast_recap.html" target="_blank">42-7 throttling</a> at Ohio Stadium, and Jim Tressel improved to 7-1 against "the school up north." But with all due respect to the Buckeyes, this game was not about Ohio State's dominance. This game was about the complete ineptitude of the winningest program in college football history. Although Ohio State easily covered the 21 1/2-point spread, this Buckeyes bunch just didn't wow me. What wowed me was Michigan's complete failure to sustain any type of offensive flow in the 12th game of the season. What wowed me was UM safety Stevie Brown looking completely lost in pass coverage and taking absurdly bad angles on runs. What wowed me was Michigan's continued inability to just TUCK ... THE ... FRIGGIN ... FOOTBALL. So, the season mercifully ends for UM. The Wolverines finish at 3-9 and 2-6 in Big Ten play -- one win better than last-place Indiana. The obvious question is: Where does Michigan go from here? Let's begin with the potential backlash after such a disheartening season. The most logical scapegoat is first-year defensive coordinator Scott Shafer. With a deeply talented D-line and two shutdown corners, this group was supposed to carry the Wolverines during the transitional phase. But the Wolverines came into today with the Big Ten's second-worst scoring defense and proceeded to give up countless big plays to their archrival. If there's a head to roll, it's that of Mr. Shafer. Anyone truly calling for Rodriguez's job is misguided. After taking in all 12 of Michigan's games, it's obvious that this offensive-minded coach inherited a wholly inexperienced group on the offensive side of the ball. If Rodriguez doesn't have a QB -- which he definitely did not this season -- his spread-option offense is doomed. Plain and simple. As of right now, Rodriguez has verbal commitments from a pair of four-star signal callers -- Tate Forcier (San Diego) and Shavodrick Beaver (Wichita Falls, Texas) -- who are perfectly suited to run the spread-option. Also, one of the positive byproducts of this season is Rodriguez was able to give heavy playing time to a number of underclassmen. Therefore, the bulk of this offense returns next season. Let's see what RichRod can do with a quarterback who can actually execute the zone read and a surrounding cast with one year under its belt. That being said, this appallingly bad season has definitely reduced Rodriguez's grace period. The Wolverines set school records for losses (9) and home losses (5), and defeats to Toledo and Purdue are simply unforgiveable. RichRod's candid demeanor through it all certainly didn't help matters, either. Although his recent "get a life" comments were blown out of proportion by the media, you just cannot tell Michiganders of all people to "look at the economy." Rodriguez's '09 team must go to a bowl game at the least. And it sure wouldn't hurt to get off to a nice start. (If Rodriguez thinks fans are overreacting now, imagine how they'll feel if Michigan has a 1-3ish start to next season.) At the end of the day, most Michigan fans will reluctantly accept one down season in a rebuilding process. But if Rodriguez's team does not notably improve in Year 2, all bets are off. Michigan Stadium is currently under construction. As part of the renovation, 83 luxury suites and 3,200 club seats will be unveiled for the 2010 season. Combining this historically bad season with Michigan's historically bad economy, there are still plenty of seats available. Needless to say, the 2009 season will go a long way in defining the future of Michigan football. And after the worst season in program history, that has to be a bit disconcerting for Wolverines faithful. 25961 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/425/5/thumb/filice_gennaro.jpg 0 NY

Gennaro Filice

New York 4275