umgoblue47

Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 11:36 a.m.

ghost... your post about rr couldent coach threet border's on uninformed to ignorent... i live in a city close to adrian and we play adrian every year in football. i have watched st play football since is freshman year in h.s. and he is a pretty good football player. my brother live's in adrian and his kid's no st. the only reason st left the uofm is because he is NOT a spread type qb PERIOD... he is a pro/style, drop back pocket passer, run only if you have to qb and his leaving uofm had NOTHING to do with rr not being able to coach him.there was no one here in 2008 to run the spread, clearly there was not... GO BLUE... good day and good grief...

P U MSU

Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 10:44 a.m.

Edward, Show me a younger team witha better record. Still waiting on the answer. Or you can keep dodging the question as it is detrimental to your opinion. Up to you.

truebluefan

Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 12:14 a.m.

Murrow -- I'm glad we got that straight. It seems you've moved on to the real issue with this Michigan team. The defense. No argument there. We need to get better. Much better. NCAA violations? We'll see what happens with the contested violation. I wouldn't hold my breath hoping for the death sentence on RR.

truebluefan

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 12:53 p.m.

Murrow -- You are the one that brought up Threet! You tried to make a case, as always, to diminish RR. And I shot it down. BTW, since you seem to be a glutton for punishment today, yes let's compare 7-game starter and true sophomore Denard's stats to a senior QB's stats, who's had TWO additional years of collegiate practice and 12 additional games to be a better QB. Them being relatively even right now only bolsters my argument and weakens yours (not to mention that our spread is run-biased). Please keep on insisting that RR is a hard-headed, inflexible coach who is married to his system, and he could've done much more with Threet. I won't need to waste a trip to the store to buy you rope. Michigan's offense is #1 right now in net total yards. ASU is #39. Every D-IA team has had the benefit of playing both cupcakes and good teams. Yet, Michigan is still #1 in the country. Good night and good night... Oh BTW, Go Blue!

P U MSU

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 12:30 p.m.

Sean, When Tate came into the game we had more success than when Denard was in the game. This was accomplished through the passing game. 200+ passing yards in the second half.

mlivesaline

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 11:54 a.m.

Why does it seem that Rich Rod's focus is on offense? Here's another example....a five star defensive prospect is encouraged to move to offense? Coach, not sure what part of, Defense wins Championships you don't understand. But without a defense you're a goner.

Sean T.

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 11:41 a.m.

Also, RR was the o-coordinator for Tulane so all he did was call plays in a fashion that would be successful against the defense they play. They had a great offense and produced a lot of wins but it clearly wasn't the same offense we have at Michigan. All they did was throw at Tulane and they even had 2 mobile QB's. Very different from what we have now. I just don't believe that we are that good offensively because we are limited without a running game.

heartbreakM

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 10:29 a.m.

And people were highly critical of LC for benching Brady.

P U MSU

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 10:24 a.m.

Sean, I have no doubt that what you say is correct. In my opinion the qb position and any other position for that matter should be open. I would tel my kids the same thing. A player must earn their spot as a starter. With two new players coming in they deserved just as much chance as any player to earn a spot. If I remember correctly Tom Brady was bench for a younger player.

Sean T.

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 9:23 a.m.

PU MSU, Threet may have been older but he hadn't started a college football game until he came to Michigan.(1 year) So in terms of experience he wasn't a vet at all. Also he left because RR signed two QB's that are fit for the system and was told by RR that the position was open. If he was told that you are our starter, I'm sure he would've stayed another year. But it really doesn't make a difference now, anyway.

heartbreakM

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 9:21 a.m.

Wasn't Threet highly ranked out of high school? I don't remember, and I am not a big fan of recruiting mags and sites, so I don't know.

Sean T.

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 9:05 a.m.

Henne wasn't that special, he had a complete team around him to support his talents. He wasn't depended upon to be the offense!

P U MSU

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 8:40 a.m.

Threet is still a year older. Shawn King was a pocket QB and made it to the NFL in a RR system. Threet left on his own terms. Tate was the #5 Duel-Threat QB ranked by rivals. How many freshman have started have started at Michigan? Henne was a special player. Not necessarily reflective of his coaching. The comparison of Threet and Henne regarding their coachability and talent is pretty laughable.

heartbreakM

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 8:29 a.m.

Well, you are right that Threet is 2 years older, but if experience matters, then why would RR not have committed to him, brought him to OSU his first year, and developed him? At least that way, he could have expected better results. (Confession: I thought Threet was a bad fit for RR and hope that he found a good place for himself at ASU. I also felt that RR put him in a consistently bad position by not designing any offense for his skill set, but it is conceivable that the record may have improved at UM regardless of who was at QB, especially given Threet's improvement).

Macabre Sunset

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 5:53 a.m.

Interesting story. One of the pleasant surprises this season is Patrick Omameh, who looks like a fixture at RG. So this would be as a potential replacement for Steve Schilling next year. It's a shame he can't crack the lineup at DT. That seems more a position of need right now.

truebluefan

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 11:52 p.m.

Murrow -- Threet is two years older, therefore two years more mature and two more years of practice under his belt. I would sincerely hope, for his sake, that he is a better QB now than he was at Michigan. OTOH, 11 interceptions along with 11 TD's sounds vaguely familiar to the Michigan Threet, doesn't it? If you break down his stats a little more closely, you'll find that he cleaned up against bad to mediocre competition. What are his stats in Pac 10 play? Answer: don't bother, because it's only going to hurt your efforts to diminish RR.

heartbreakM

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 7:58 p.m.

I would guess that Tressel is preparing for Michigan every day in practice, and thinking that his offense knows what they are doing, and if Iowa and MSU could do it, then so could OSU (stop Michigan's offense). It could be argued that Iowa did not stop M, as they got more than 500 yards but when the game meant something, Michigan was pretty shut down from the middle of the first quarter to beginning of fourth quarter. Yes, M could have won, but they didn't. OSU plays great defense game in and game out (Wisconsin game notwithstanding) and should do the same against M this year. Good defense will shut down prolific offense more often than not. What is most disturbing to me this week, though, is RR's comments that he spends hardly any time on defense. With Calvin Magee in place, RR should be putting all of his attention to hands-on defense until it improves fundamentally. That is a major failure as a HC as far as I'm concerned.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 4:18 p.m.

@ BLUE fan az Thanks for the info on the violation. I hope you're right, be it Coach Rod or not, destroying them offensively and dominating them defensively. Go Blue!

BLUE fan Az

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 4:06 p.m.

RudeJude, The last charge was "a failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program". We will see how that turns out he in the near future, hopefully, so we can put it behind us. And RR was a very successful head coach at WV and will be at Michigan in the near future. It won't be just the pre-conference cupcakes we are destroying but the entire BigTen as well. Soon the sweater vest will be trying to figure out how to seriously slowdown a dominating Michigan offense. My guess is soaking the field in columbus again like he did a few years back.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 3:37 p.m.

Regarding Michigan's offensive efficiency, against Big Ten teams and Notre Dame this season, Michigan needs to move the ball 117.9 yards for every score, and are 1-2 when they need triple digits of offense to score. In other words, they are starting with the fans in the grandstands at beginning of every scoring drive. For reference, Wisconsin needed 67.2 yards per score against Ohio State, and MSU needed 74 yards per score in their victory against Wisconsin.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 3 p.m.

@ P U MSU FYI Michigan has admitted wrongdoing to all but one violation, which they contested that Coach Rodriguez did not have administrative control of the team or something to that affect, and have self-penalized. We are awaiting the NCAA's word as to the determination of the last violation and to see whether the penalty administered is sufficient. We will wait for the official NCAA ruling, but I am puzzled that Michigan can accept responsibility for the other charges but not accept the last, because if Rodriguez were in control of the situation while the other violations occurred, would it not imply that he knew they were being committed? It almost makes it worse. If I'm getting something wrong, please let me know, but that is the situation to my understanding. I'm guessing should the ruling on the last violation go against Coach Rod that the university will use it as an excuse to invalidate his contract and let him go without paying him the remaining years. I wouldn't be surprised if Coach Rod's Michigan career ends in a court room similar to the way his tenure ended with West Virginia. Full-circle. Look, people can redeem themselves and I never believed Coach Rod to be a monster, but I do believe he has acted shadily up to this point in his career. While he has an interesting offensive philosophy, the man appears better fit as a Offensive Coordinator than a Head Coach, but apparently Bill Martin, in all his wisdom, vacationing from his yacht of the Florida Keys, figured otherwise and gave him the job. As I already have stated several times, I have immense confidence in Dave Brandon. Should he find confidence in Coach Rod after the NCAA report is released and the season ends, I will give Coach Rod a second chance. Until then, all I see is an inefficient, undiversified offense, an ineffective defense that has deteriorated over his two and half seasons with a clueless and impotent special teams squad that is so bad the Huron and Pioneer High School special teams squads couldn't do much worse. I understand Coach Rod is putting in a new offense and it takes time to install, and there have been huge strides, however the defense, while using a different system, is not undergoing such a radical overhaul, nor is special teams, and both are worse than ever. Can you say "afterthought?"

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 1:21 p.m.

Rude, To answer your question, I will need to know all the information regarding the violations. The NCAA has investigated programs all over the country. If we were to fire every coach under an investigation there would be over a dozen unemployed coaches. My tune may change once the finding are reported and sanctions are handed out. For now I don't see a need to fire a coach based on an investigation.

BLUE fan Az

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 12:58 p.m.

Also ohio's veteran line receivers and running backs were still there to help with pryor's developement. When Coach Lloyd left everyone afraid of the changes bailed on Michigan. Not to mention the Henne, Hart, Arrington and others were Seniors and no longer able to play college ball. With Henne gone Manningham left for the pros early. So every aspect of Michigan's offense was gone. The D had a few seniors leave also.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 12:58 p.m.

I am well aware it is the first time Michigan has been caught in violation, but as they say, what does that have to do with the cost of tea in China? If anything, it is more reason to fire him. How are some fans able to stomach the NCAA violations so easily and then protect this coach so fiercely? Where were you when they were firing Coach Moeller? To all the Coach Rod supporters, where is the line for you when you would say "enough is enough, fire Coach Rod"?

BLUE fan Az

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 12:49 p.m.

ohio just replaced the qb with a better runner but garbage passer. Michigan has had to replace the entire offense and defense.

loco123

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 12:28 p.m.

Can anyone explain what the real difficulties are in 'a transition to a spread offense"? Pryor walked into Columbus and started as a freshman and I didn't read about Tressell whining that he needed time. Nope. He just had a very talented QB who could run (and not throw very well), he benched his senior QB and they still won a ton of games. No jibberish about a 'pro style offense' disappearing to explain loses to Purdue. How good should a coach be if he's one of the highest paid in America???

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 12:18 p.m.

RudeJude, That's a fair comment and I respect your opinion. An NCAA violation is a big deal because our program was free of them. With that said, we must not be blind. This is only the first time Michigan has been caught. I know for a fact other violations have occurred long before RR came to town. What happened here is a disgruntled transfer brought up violations by RR, which lead to the investigation. Point of the story is that it is a big deal, BUT this is only the first occurrence where Michigan has been caught.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : noon

@ Skipit I surely do not question your loyalty to michigan by supporting Coach Rod, just as the many Coach Rod supporters should not call into question the loyalty of those who believe he is a blight on the program, or resort to "Walmart Wolverine" namecalling. Regarding the fans of other schools that join the Michigan discussions, I really don't care what they say or the enjoyment they take from the malcontent manifested by the Coach Rod Question among the fans. I don't believe in agreeing for the sake of agreeing either, and I could make the same argument that you should support the firing of Coach Rod to "Keep the house together." I have plenty of patience for Coach Rod for his on-the-field results, but none for the NCAA violations and other off-field shenanigans. As far as I am concerned, unless Dave Brandon finds reason to keep him at the end of the season, Coach Rod should be fired, even if he wins out the rest of the season.

umgoblue47

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 11:46 a.m.

skipit3... also don't forget msu's coach... this is his 4th/yr i believe? his first 2/yrs were nothing to write home about, his 3rd/yr showed some improvement and his 4th/yr it look's like he has hit paydirt... what the negative fan's just can't seem to understand is this is not a reload it's a complete rebuild from top to bottom... GO BLUE...

Skipit3

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 11:31 a.m.

RudeJude, The failure of any organization starts with the leader and I fully understand that. However, being supportive of a leader does not necessarily make one a blind follower of that leader. One can be loyal to an organization by being supportive of its leader no matter how unpopular that leader may be. Remember what happens to a divided house? We know that OSU & MSU fans visit this site. How do you think they feel when they read those divisive and negative posts? Heck, if I were an OSU or MSU fan, I would be cracking up and I would most definitely stir up the pot even more every time the complainers give me the opportunity. Being supportive of RR does not mean that I blindly agree with everything that's going on with the program. Heck, I could more or less tolerate the Iowa loss, but the day we lost to MSU for a 3rd straight year, I could hardly sleep that night; I was not my normal self the following day either. The point is; RR is the coach and I am willing to be a little more patient and to give him the benefit of the doubt regardless of what transpired in the last two years. After all, this is only his 3rd year and some of you wanted him fired since his first year. To answer HeartbreakM's question regarding how long it should take a coach to gauge his success or failure, well the quick answer is: Kirk Ferentz of Iowa. He certainly did not get Iowa to be this good overnight. Some coaches produce wins right away while others take longer.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 10:57 a.m.

@ Skipit What you say makes a lot of sense. I would agree with you if it weren't for all the NCAA violations nonsense. Coach Rod is not quite a Moses in my book. In my opinion, the closest person to a Moses is Dave Brandon. If he decides it is best for the team to stick with Coach Rod at season's end, and after the NCAA rules, it is something I will accept because I trust him. I do not see how a team can succeed by focusing on one aspect of one side of the ball and seemingly ignore a majority of other vital factors that have been necessary for a team to win since, well, forever? Said in a very lighthearted way, I'd say Coach Rod is less a Moses and more a corrupt King George. I'm not loyal to a coach, but the program and school, and when I smell cow manure, I'm not going to tell you it smells like roses out of loyalty for a coach that has done more negative than positive with his position and power. Remember, it is Hail to the victors, not Hail to Coach Rod. The two are not synonymous.

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 10:17 a.m.

Heartbreak, Thanks for the comment. I, too, love this school and this football team. We are truely fortunate to be Michigan fans.

heartbreakM

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 10:03 a.m.

P U (not a comment on your smell!!) Thanks for actually giving a rational, sensible, nice response and discussion. ( I think I am about to faint!!) I hear you and while i have a different perspective, I think you make good points, and I can't say I totally disagree. (BTW, I do think the Shafer firing was warranted if Rod did not feel comfortable with him, but I think Shafer had his hands tied and probably was better than credited, as his current stats at SU are showing). I look forward to continued debate, all in support of our fine school!!

D21

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 9:41 a.m.

heartbreakM, Carr has said in an article that he wanted to retire after the 2006 season but was asked by then AD Martin to postpone for another season. Besides, Lloyd wouldn't want to retire and leave the football program in a disarray. Bill Martin and Mary Sue Coleman are the persons to blame for that mistake (RR).

umgoblue47

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 9:40 a.m.

skipit3... your post does not offend me... i feel the same way as you. your post and pu msu's post are very refreshing and very objective... GO BLUE...

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 9:37 a.m.

RudeJude, You are correct in pointing out the efficency of the offense. 2 endzone turnovers. 1 fumble on the 1 yard line. And 2/8 on field goal attempts. We can move the ball but we need to put points on the board.

Skipit3

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 9:15 a.m.

What I'm about to post may offend some of you, but it's interesting that our current situation reminds me of a bible story where the Israelites were excited after being freed from Egypt. However, when things started to get tough on the way to the promised land, many started to complain and eventually turned against their leader Moses. The complainers even blamed Moses for taking them out of slavery and wanted to go back to Egypt. I also remember that the Israelites ended up staying in the wilderness a lot longer than intended because of the few boneheads in their midst. RR is on his 3rd season at UM. I'm willing to bet that UM will be in the wilderness a lot longer if we fire him this year. If the team doesn't improve significantly next year, I will be one of those advocating for a coaching change. However, I will never complain and I will support whomever the UM football HC is until he is no longer the coach.

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 9:10 a.m.

Heartbreak, I will not argue with you about Shafer. I think RR made a mistake on that decision. There was a ton of pressure on him and the team because of the very poor season. The transition was very rough. Do I feel Shafer got the shaft? Yep. Nehlan was a good coach at WV. I did not be to say that WV is a nobody. Prominent may not be the correct word, but a solid team is fair to say. When RR left was WV dominate? I think so. How long do we give a coach? - This depends. If Michigan had hired a pro-style coach and produced the type of results as RR has produced I would say that 3 year is enough. Had we hired a pro-style coach, we would still have the likes of Ryan Mallet and other top teir players on the team. This same belief would apply to a spread coach going into a program that already ran the spread. - In RR's case it is a bit different than the above. (Let me stress this again,I was against bringing in RR.) With this type of transition I believe the coach should be given at least 4 or maybe 5 years. Most of the top tier players that were on the team when RR came left the team. I cannot blame the players, but then again I cannot blame the coach. Recruiting players begins after their Junior season in High School. With that being said I'd say that RR has only had 2 and 1/2 years of recruiting even though this is his 3 season as coach. Sheridan was the starting QB for the first year. I mean come on lol. So to answer your question, the best I can give you is that it depends on what type of coach is being hired and what type of coach was previously running the program. What standards do I base a coach off of? - Try to look at the situation as a whole and analyze the situation. OFFENSE: I believe that our offense is very impressive. Minus a few VERY key mistakes, we have moved the ball pretty well. The leader of the offense is a sophmore. They only lose 2-3 key players on the offense so it is safe to assume they will only get better. DEFENSE: The defnese is bad, there is no getting around it. But again looking at all of the circumstances, I know they will improve. 11 of the 46 players listed on the defensive roster are upperclassmen. We are left with 35 freshman or sophmores. 6 of the 11 committed recruits come in on the defensive side of the ball. This number is grow as we apporach signing day. I am not a fan of the 3-3-5 and I certainly have my doubts. There have been some big hits the the defensive backfield. Names like Cissiko, Dorsey, and Wolfolk come to mind. From a glass is half full aspect, the defense will get better because they cannot get any worse. SPECIAL TEAMS: Again another sore spot in the situation. I believe RR understands the importance of special teams because he was the first coach in many many years to offer a scholarship to both a punter and kicker. I think that the punting team has done a great job this year. The field goal team has been awful as we all know. PENALTIES: There have been some penalties that I do believe fall on the coach. There are some lack of discipline issue that I have noticed with the team. Some of the penalties I will blame on young players. Two offsides by our left tackle last week is an example. This is a true freshman lining up across from the best defensive end in the country. He was pumped. I cannot blame the coach for those types of penalties. These are not professional players, they are 18, 19, and 20 year old kids trying to prove something. WINS-AND-LOSSES: Sure they play into it. We have improved in the win column every year since the first. If the season finishes as I predict it will we will finish 7-5 or 8-4. This is am improvement and also where I predicted the team to finish at the beginning of the year. I refuse to put outragous expectations on the team just because they play for Michigan. Give the talent and maturity of the team, they on track to beat the teams that should and lose to team better than them. These expectations will increase as the team matures. I hope that i answered all of your questions and have a better understanding of where I am coming from. I am not a RR lover by any sence of the term. I am merely trying to be rational about the current situation.

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 8:52 a.m.

Maybe someone else has the time to do the research, but I'm curious if there is a more inefficient offense in the BCS conferences. I'm scared to think Michigan takes the cake as King of Inefficiency. Go Blue...

RudeJude

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 8:41 a.m.

Here is an interesting stat on the efficiency of offense of some top teams. Oregon - 77.3 YDS per score LSU - 71.8 YDS per score Ohio St. - 69.0 YDS per score Boise St. - 73.1 YDS per score Auburn - 73.2 YDS per score Oklahoma - 78.5 YDS per score MSU - 76.4 YDS per score Michigan - 100.6 YDS per score Yes, this includes field goals, which could inflate the numbers for Michigan, but whatever the reason, it takes Michigan approximately 30 more yards than these teams to get points on the board. If Michigan is going to be ALL about offense, they better start doing more of it if they plan on winning championships again.

heartbreakM

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 8:17 a.m.

Just to play devil's advocate.... PU: Given what you are saying about needing time, turnover, etc: Should RR have given his defensive coordinator (Shafer) more time, since RR admitted that he does not spend any time with defense, essentially making any defensive coordinator in Rodriguez's system a 'head coach of defense'? I think he was more impatient with Shafer than any fan and supporter of Michigan is with Rodriguez!! Can you support the team but hold your nose about the coach? And by the way, have you ever heard of Don Nehlen? The coach preceded Rod as WVU coach, and WVU was a prominent team through much of the 80s and 90s. Rod created a good thing at his alma mater, true, but it's not like WVU was a nobody before he came. And you did not answer any of my objective questions. How long do you give a coach? 3 years? 4 years? 5 years? What standards do you base a coach on? Wins-losses alone? Defensive performance? Poor penalties?

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 7:57 a.m.

Azwolverine, As I said in a previous post. I based improvements on the win/lose column. We should beat Purdue and Penn State. IL is a toss up. (They have a freshman quarterback but thier defense is solid.) We will probably lose to Wisc and OSU. If we finish 7-5 or 8-4 then that is improvement. It will be the exact record I predicted them to have at the beginning of the year. "Well how can you just expect to lose games...." - Im reasonable. I see that the team is very young and it would be difficult for any coach to win against those opponets. Let alone a coach starting nearly 20 underclassmen. Sidenote: Iowa started 14 seniors last week. More than the total number of seniors on Michigans roster. My expectations will increase for next year as they should. This is Michigan and we are winners. With that said some of us are also rational. The team is simple too young right now to expect or demand a championship. If things do not turnout as I predict they will above, I will probably change my tune. But for now I will continue to support my team, as any fan should.

P U MSU

Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 7:28 a.m.

Tell me what below is not correct. - RR and the team have improved every year thus far. (assuming that we win at least 1 or more for the rest of the season) - 35 players on the defensive roster are freshman or sophmores. 11 are juniors or seniors. - RR overall win record for surpasses his losses. - RR turned an unheard of WV team into a BCS bowl team. - More than a dozen players transferred when RR became coach. - There are 4 seniors total who start on either the offensive or defensive side of the ball. - The spread offense is completely different from our previous offense and requires player with a different skill set than the player who were on the team when RR came. - No coach could come into a Big 10 program, face the type of adversity as RR has here and done a better job. I did not want MIchigan to hire RR because I seen all this coming. Who likes to lose. BUT he is here. They have improved every year. And they are very very young. No team in the country start as many freshman or sophmores and have a winning record. LOOK IT UP. Your sence of entitlement and you someone deserve wins as a Michigan fan is pathetic. Open you eyes and look at the big picture. Some of you will continue to compare RR's result with that of previous coaches. But you are wasting your time. You would be comparing apples and oranges. No other coach has made the type of changes. Michigan will turn into ND if there is not any stability in the program. What recruit would want to come to Michigan if the coach is on the chopping block every three years. If most of you get your way and RR the next coach will struggle with the currently players. (unless it is another spread offense coach). Then most of you will be here calling for his head.

lawrencelaundry

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 11:40 p.m.

If RR loses to purdue for the third time I think its over. That just means we are not getting better at all after 3 yrs. Purdue and Penn state will be a test. If we lose them its time to move on with this coach. PETERSON HARBAUGH OR MILES will be a huge improvment. Mchigan has the talent its just not getting coached well. An example of that is we should have beat a really bad toledo team with talent alone in 08. And that's when we had warren, graham, and brown. We will see soon folks let's be patient for two more games and then we will have an idea of the rest of the season and whats going to happen next yr.

lawrencelaundry

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 11:39 p.m.

If RR loses to purdue for the third time I think its over. That just means we are not getting better at all after 3 yrs. Purdue and Penn state will be a test. If we lose them its time to move on with this coach. PETERSON HARBAUGH OR MILES will be a huge improvment. Mchigan has the talent its just not getting coached well. An example of that is we should have beat a really bad toledo team with talent alone in 08. And that's when we had warren, graham, and brown. We will see soon folks let's be patient for two more games and then we will have an idea of the rest of the season and whats going to happen next yr.

azwolverine

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 10:48 p.m.

PUMSU...you say "continue to make improvements and you will have my support." What improvements, exactly, are you talking about? Last year we beat both ND and Indiana in the last seconds...just like this year. Our defense is WORSE than last year. Last year we lost to MSU in OT...this year we got blown out by 17. Last year we lost by 2 on the road to Iowa...this year we lost by 10 at home. Sure, we'll beat PSU this year but noot because we're so much better, but because they are so much worse. So again, what improvements are you talking about? I'd truly like to know.

lawrencelaundry

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 10:32 p.m.

Also, if this team is getting better, then why did we get smoked by a basketball school like MSU when last year we almost won it in OT. And now we have a faster QB like RR needs. AND our special teams are waaaaaaaay!!! Worse then last yr. Did he forget he will need one this year.

Sevans68

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 9:50 p.m.

Jalittle12 - Do you realize how rediculous your comment is "Carr was great at winning 9 games every year, but was getting tired and old". 9 wins isn't as old as sub 500 seasons and the worst 3 defenses in the history of Michigan football. I just don't think Rich understands that the big ten is a hard hitting, tough conference. He's mentioned they don't hit more in the big ten than in any other conference. It that's true why don't his QBs hold up to the pounding? I'm tired of hearing excuses as to why he isn't ready/able to win yet. His teams have looked ill prepared and he has looked out coached. Other schools (MSU) see Michigan floudering and are licking their chops while Rich says, We don't have the players. I'll agree Carr was an average coach, not great but he understood what was exepected and so did his players. I don't see that with the last couple of teams with the exception of 1 or 2 players. They seem to lack toughness and don't seem to improve. That is a reflection of the coach, his personality and his ability to teach players. By the way, a head coach is responsible for what his defense does, if he doesn't want to take the time to be involved with the defense (biggest area of concern) then he should go..

heartbreakM

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 9:36 p.m.

Furthermore, jalittle: I think 4 or more transfers who are now starters and succeeding elsewhere would go a long way to making our team better. That's just under 20% of starters--people who somehow succeeded despite the so-called 'country club' atmosphere that puts us '15 years behind the times'. Apparently, other programs disagree, including 5 time B10 champ OSU which says something.

heartbreakM

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 9:33 p.m.

Jalittle: I personally do believe that it was time for LC to go when he did. He retired at the worst possible time, without having worked out any succession plan, and left the Michigan program in the lurch. It is impossible to look for a reasonable replacement game during bowl season, (without making the potential coach look disloyal to his old team) and recruiting season gets messed up. The way Oregon did it was the ideal way, IMO. Also, LC's record in bowls and OSU games over his last 6-7 years was not good. So he was not perfect, and Henne's and Hart's record of 0-4 against OSU was pitiful. However, he never failed to field a competitive team, pretty much always in the top 2-3 of the B10 and nationally tough. A top 10 program, but not always a top 5 program. Our replacement coach was supposed to have been able to elevate the program and get us there, according to all the pundits. Also, we would have loved somebody with some understanding and tie to Michigan. Well?? Was recruiting all that bad that the bottom fell out? Should it matter? WHat about Boise State's recruiting? Are they top notch or is their talent developed? Or Utah? Or Illinois (who has whacked us twice)? Or any number of schools. And again, though my answers were not answered on Sunday (nor do I expect them since certain loud 'defenders' never answer any questions): What record does Michigan have to have to prove failure or success? What type of defensive performance proves success or failure? How many years to give any coach before deciding whether it is failure or success? Does being at Michigan rather than, say, Northwestern or Purdue, shorten that time horizon or increase expectations? Rather than criticize RR or promote him, let's see what your answers are and then see if this particular coach, or LC, JH, MB, DB (any set of initials) fits.

BornInA2

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 9:20 p.m.

Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over (start underclass players, move them around, change defensive coach, blame Carr, blame players, ad nauseum) while expecting a different result (i.e. winning with integrity). So we fire Greg Robinson. Fast forward another year and we're sitting here sucking again, RR is saying we're not good enough to make mistakes and win, NCAA sanctions, starting undersized, poorly coached freshman and sophomores and we can't blame RR because it's not his fault that we changed the defensive coordinator (again) and he lost kids because of sanctions and shucks, he's not the one dropping punts and missing tackles and kicking out of bounds and throwing interceptions and breaking NCAA rules. He's just the head coach after all. My new nickname for him: Teflon Rod.

loco123

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 8:29 p.m.

many people are missing the point. In 2.5 years this Michigan team can't win in our conference. Throw out all the Bowling Green games to see that we are outplayed, outskilled, and outcoached in Big 10 play. To be on top of the Big 10 you have to have a good throwing game AND a good running game, AND a good D line, AND good field goal kicking AND be able to punt AND seniors. The other coaches don't care if you run up 500 yards of offense, they'll find a way to beat you anyway. Maybe that worked in Tulane's conference but not here. Not in the SEC. UM is outcoached. Our reaction is desparate changes like moving a fullback to linebacker and D linemen to the O line. THIS IS BIG 10 FOOTBALL! These desparate moves won't ever beat OSU, MSU, etc...

3 And Out

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 6:56 p.m.

+1 on Jaxon, D21, Heartbreak and everyone else with sanity... the "blame Lloyd Carr" "Cupboard was bare" and "Country Club" excuses for Rich Rod jumped the shark a long time ago....not only were they not true, ever....they are just a little too soft of excuses for a coach that is in his 2.5 year and has won 4 Big Ten games. BTW, a lot of this type of inane drivel comes from the guy who does mgoblog.com...it is uncertain whether his ties to the UM athletic dept. which allows him full press access influences his continuous propaganda drive...or perhaps he is just plain ignorant when it comes to football...either way the guy has his followers like tater who spit out whatever mgoblog's current garbage excuse for RR is.

jalittle12

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 6:54 p.m.

Carr was great at winning 9 games every year, but was getting tired and old. And lets not forget he was recruiting at UM. Not a hard sell, when nothing needs changing. And you mention 4 recruits. Mallett, Boren, Graham, etc....4? It takes a lot more than that guys. There was no depth, but more than that, change takes time. I guess most of you get what you want, when you want it, instantly! Must be a good life.......

jalittle12

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 6:48 p.m.

What was Loyd Carr's record once Tressel landed at Ohio State? What was his record in Bowl Games the last 8 years. How long was he at UM to build his program? How many of you were tired of him until the Florida win to end his career. Oh ya, he didn't have to change anything, he came in after Moller.....I agree RR has taken a while to get this thing going (and I'm not sold on him), but wake up. A change right now would be a huge mistake unless you brought in another spread guy. Why? Because the new coach would have to make tons of changes and we would lose many of the recruits we have already landed. Get it? Change takes time. I will say again, I would have preferred Les Miles or Jim Harb, but they didn't want the job. We need a new D Coordinator, but RR basically invented the spread option. And yes it is confirmed, Loyd Carr did not do home visits the last 3 years at UM. One foot out the door.....how's that for a michigan man? Carr was mediocre most of the time (outside of 97). Let's be honest with ourselves!

coldtoes

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 5:41 p.m.

Note, all the offensive players made NFL rosters. So they must have been big and slow.

coldtoes

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 5:39 p.m.

If anyone says that we needed a new offense at the tail end of carr's era are just ridiculous. Big and slow is not the case. Henne threw the ball all over the place. Does anyone remember Edwards, Manningham, Avant, Breaston, and Hart? None of them were ncaa sprint champions but they did their jobs, and well. If anyone can remember the crux of the frustration with carr was the Defense not being able to defend the spread/mobile qb (appalachian st./oregon/troy smith's buckeye teams.) So what does brilliant Bill Martin do,,,,,,, hire a coach that runs a spread (run) offense, with little or no idea how to coach defense. Yeah it was hard to see this coming.

D21

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 5:15 p.m.

Q. Which is worse, RR or his supporters? Answer: His supporters. Nuff said.

chiro19

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 5:04 p.m.

That big and slow offense went 6-2 against the SEC in bowl games since 1990. Since 2002 there has been one recruiting class not in the top 15 and that was 2002 (its as far back as I could see with scouts.com). That class had Steve Breaston, Gabe Watson, Reuben Riley, David Harris, Jeremy Van Alystyne, Jason Avant, Carl Tabb, Rondell Biggs, and Mark Bihl as the headliners (ranked 19th). 6 of those guys where a 3 star or NR and if I am not mistaken all where starters and have played or are still playing in the NFL. I can go through each of the last 7 recruitment classes and do that so sorry Im not buying your feelings on lloyd. Thats not to say the old didnt have problems (explosiveness when they needed it, having the first 15 plays scripted during the regular season games, etc.). The bottom line is you are a high profile coach (RR), make tough decisions look easy by getting better at evaluating what you have around you and adjusting to it!

johnnya2

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 4:59 p.m.

Can PU and tater tell any more lies. Let's look at the RECORD the last 15 years that Um was supposedly "behind the times". How may National Championships did the anointed one win? In 2006 that 'country club" mentality took the team to number 2 in the country. Must be horrible to be playing in the one versus two game OSu versus UM. The "bare cupboard" theory is just stupid. Would you like to check the numbers of the QB who he ran out of town? Maybe if RSquared had realized the program did not need to rebuild. It required tweaking. He threw out all the fundamentals that had been taught to bring in a system that has never produced anything. THEN he brings in a QB who is has left the games due to injury at least 4 times. If you recall his big chance to enter the title hunt was a loss to PITT. How many did this overpowering offense score (he had been at WVU for 6 years at that point so I think they had it down). A whopping 7 points were scored on offense, the final score 13-9. The next excuse is my QB got hurt. Well a better coach realizes people get hurt. I recall there was a QB that was scheduled to start the season and got hurt. His replacement is now the starter for the Miami Dolphins. There was also a mention of people who left, and lets look at FACTS. Justin Boren, all Big Ten, starter on a team that won 11 games last season, and will likely win that many this year. FINALLY, a 5 star recruit on DEFENSE and the guys in front of him are too good? There is nobody too good on that defense. I thought OLine was the strength of this team. I guess the wonderful coaching staff can not teach Will Campbell to play defense, or the guy who believes his own hype about his strength and conditioning can not get him to a weight that allows him to play another position? It means either the coaching staff stinks, or they recruited the wrong guy at the wrong position. Both make the coach incompetent to lead a Big Ten football program.

D21

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 4:48 p.m.

Vince Lombardi to RR's supporters: "What a bunch of pithy fools, just get out of here lest I send Ron Kramer to pummel all of youse on your behinds at once".

heartbreakM

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 4:48 p.m.

"I don't think we're that far off. We've just got to play better. I've said it many times, we're not good enough to play poorly and win," Rich Rodriguez said. "We're not right now." Anyone care to guess the date of the quote? (I'll give a hint. It was after his second game as Michigan's coach, 9/13/08.) Not much has changed apparently, (repeat same quote after Iowa loss, 2010).

heartbreakM

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 4:46 p.m.

"Michigan football will be back", Rich Rodriguez on Sep 13, 2008 (second game as coach). I am personally glad that those who will not engage in real discussion with those who they disagree with, make such definitive statements of fact, to clear it up for me. A 'country club' environment, a program '15 years behind the times', 'coddled players'. All interesting "facts". Maybe I'll just check with the 40 or so NFL players who played at Michigan to see if that is the case. Maybe I should just check with Boren at OSU, Mallett at Ark, Threet at AZ State, Toney Clemens at Colorado to see if that is correct. Maybe we should check with the defensive coordinators who allowed Mike Hart to be the all time leading rusher while allowing Chad Henne to become the all time leading passer in the same 4 year period, to see if michigan's offense was predictable, staid, and 'behind the times'. Yup. Maybe instead we should check with the head coaches in the Big Ten about the Michigan defenses who actually used to stop teams, if they were behind the times. Of course, now that we are 'up to date' with our current stellar coaching, we are leading the nation in all stats, especially championships, wins, and bowl appearances. Oops. Country Club environment? HA! Rebuild what? A perennial top 10 program? Rebuild it into an also-ran!!! More like deconstruct it. "Michigan football will be back". We are all waiting.

Jaxon5

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 4:37 p.m.

With the money they are paying coaches like RR, I have no problem with them switching jobs every few years. That's what they signed up for. They knew it when they took their positions in Div 1 NCAA football. RR knew it when he accepted the millions to come to UM. It is not unreasonable to expect RR to respect the winning tradition at Michigan and keep it going. It is not unreasonable to expect him to put the institution above his own interests. His own interests have been well-covered with the millions of dollars he is accepting from UM. It is not unreasonable to expect a team that is at least respectable and not a push-over in the Big 10 conference. I am hoping we can win the Indiana championship this year by beating ND, Indiana and Purdue all in the same year. That is a reasonable goal for this team. It would put the season at 6-6 overall and 2-6 in the Big 10. If they happen to pick off one of the other teams, then that's exceeding expectations at this point (because expectations have sunk to record lows).

3 And Out

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 4:36 p.m.

ggezus what a waste...these coaches have no clue and are just throwing things up to see if they stick...even if Will ends up at Guard he will be 3rd or 4th team for at least another year and a half... crazy... just crazy... hope Will sticks around through this mess to the next coach.

braggslaw

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 3:42 p.m.

Campbell. Has been a huge bust

jalittle12

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 3:36 p.m.

First of all, I would have preferred Les Miles, but he DIDN'T want the job. So here it goes.......Sorry BlueMom, I'm not buying it. Mallet left because he was a pro style QB. Recruiting had fallen off BIG time before RR came on board. Loyd Carr didn't even do home visits the last 3 years at UM. LOL! Seriously?! What a joke. Which family would actually take him seriously? Everyone knew he was going to retire the last two years, so he had ZERO street cred. He left the cupboard extremely bare. Anyone that can't see that is wearing blinders. Carr did have a few top 20 classes at the end, but only because he would land a few big 5 star recruits and that was it. All sizzle, no steak. Absolutely no depth at all. So when Mallett, Boren, Warren, etc, left, the class probably wouldn't have been top 50!!! Plus, we changed the entire offense. From big and slow, to small and fast. That take time. Look at Alabama.....it was rebuilding for like 10 years before Saban. Now everyone wants to anoint him King. Get it? Everyone needs to just settle down and let him do his job. The worst thing we could possibly do is fire RR now and start again. It would set us back 10 years!

jalittle12

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 3:34 p.m.

First of all, I would have preferred Les Miles, but he DIDN'T want the job. So here it goes.......Sorry BlueMom, I'm not buying it. Mallet left because he was a pro style QB. Recruiting had fallen off BIG time before RR came on board. Loyd Carr didn't even do home visits the last 3 years at UM. LOL! Seriously?! What a joke. Which family would actually take him seriously? Everyone knew he was going to retire the last two years, so he had ZERO street cred. He left the cupboard extremely bare. Anyone that can't see that is wearing blinders. Carr did have a few top 20 classes at the end, but only because he would land a few big 5 star recruits and that was it. All sizzle, no steak. Absolutely no depth at all. So when Mallett, Boren, Warren, etc, left, the class probably wouldn't have been top 50!!! Plus, we changed the entire offense. From big and slow, to small and fast. That take time. Look at Alabama.....it was rebuilding for like 10 years before Saban. Now everyone wants to anoint him King. Get it? Everyone needs to just settle down and let him do his job. The worst thing we could possibly do is fire RR now and start again. It would set us back 10 years!

P U MSU

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 3:31 p.m.

Sean, Go back and watch the games. Both passes int he endzone the ball was thrown behind the receiver. It was a give from Denard tot he State defense. I'll give you the defense argument. I have never said I like the 3-3-5. I am willing to wait to see if it will work with some more experienced players, but I agree and do not think it will work. But for now I will defer to our coach. RR stated that he was willing to adjust the offense for Mallet or Threet. Remember Shawn King? He was a passer in a RR offense. Mallet - and I do not blame him at all - never allowed RR the change to form his offense around him. I base progress off of wins. We have progressed thus far. I projected we would finish the season 7-5 or 8-4 and I believe we will hit that mark. If we fail to win the games we should win I will join you Sean and ask for a coaching change. I believe that we have won the games we should have and lost the games we should have. State is #8 and Iowa is #12. Er are playing with a bunch of talented young kids and that are playing their hearts out for your team. I just ask that you support them and hold your distaste until after the season. When they have won those games or lost those games. But as of right now they have one what they should have and lost what they should have.

Sean T.

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 3:13 p.m.

PU MSU, That's exactly what I'm talking about. He had two players that are starting on other D-1 programs in good conferences. How is it he couldn't adapt to the talent he had? Threet, certainly isn't Denard Robinson in terms of speed but he is a better passer than Tate and Denard. He also is a capable scrambler when needed and would've been a great asset to the team. RR had a stable of runningbacks that can move the pile and should've used the power-sets he used since WV. He used those power-sets against Iowa this year so why bother mis-using the talented RB's he had? Those RB's aren't any slower than a 5-7 170lbs RB's he uses now. He could've easily implemented his scheme as he got the players to use his system. Then the defense in which he admitted that he does very little with, could've played a scheme that his defensive coordinator was comfortable with and couldv'e built a decent defense by now.(3rd season) Then there's special teams in which I believe he has a talented punter in Hagerup but there's no excuse for our poor efforts except coaching. I believe many fans would be more patient if RR showed adaptablity instead of being stubborn and making excuses. Urban Myer took over Florida with a new scheme and so did Dantonio and many others. Each they showed some improvement in all facets of the game. We should be on that same pace whether the players are freshman or seniors. Putting up a bunch yards with one player in your non-conference schedule isn't improvement. Not when the first decent defense we face can slow our progress. Those interceptions were from the defense they played not because of youth or he would've thrown them very early in the season.

81wolverine

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:35 p.m.

I think hoppy is onto something. I think where Rodriguez does need help is in picking defensive coordinators. He had a good one at WVU, but couldn't get him to come with him. But, I don't think either of his choices since then are good. Brandon may need to help him find THE best DC in the country and pay him what it takes. And yes, I do think we'll find a kicker and fix the special teams problems. But, the defense is going to take a while to fix. Our recruiting, starting in the later LC years, has been not good for the most part. Although Chiro19 is right to point out our total def. rankings weren't bad through '07, the talent we were bringing in had already started to fall off. Whether it was negative recruiting from other schools in advance of LC's retirement, or the "country club atmosphere" described by Tater, I don't know for sure. But, our linebacker recruiting went down the toilet for one thing. Brandon Graham was the last really good one we brought in and they shifted him right away to def. line. Our defensive linemen started to see big attrition partially due to academically unqualified people LC had gone after (Slocum and Germany for example). And we just didn't get enough defensive backs. All this hit the fan after RR got here. And losing a 5 star recruit like WC to the other side of the ball doesn't help our defense any right now. At least he's not transferring like many others. Still RR is not completely off the hook, as I don't think our defensive recruiting has been that stellar the last few years either. Our two 5 star guys from last year now look to be gone from the team or defense (Turner and WC) as well as one 4-star guy (Lalota). And other than maybe Marvin Robinson, Josh Furman, or Jabreel Black, there are not a lot of sure, impact players. As hoppy says, Michigan fans will simply need to lower their expectations for a few more years given the defensive challenges and tough schedules coming up.

bigfella

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.

Martin is a junior, which means he can go pro if he so chooses that he has had enough of this circus. With RR's top 2011 recruit (to date) being a RB, the future holds more of the same on the defensive side under his watch. spare me the "you guys callin for rod's head right now are wal-mart wolverines" this defense has gotten tangibly worse every year. it will take at least 3 more recruiting classes under rich to just get the depth it will take to make this D even respectable again. firing him now does nothing, but at seasons end it will be imperative. rich rod wins.....in september....go blue

P U MSU

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:27 p.m.

Rebuilding in needed when that top 10 recruiting class leaves when you get hired. Don't you remember all of the people that left? I sure do. 2 of the quarterback are starters at other schools. You cannot fault RR for those kids leaving. You cannot fault the kids for leaving. They were recruited to play in a pro-style offense and Michigan (for some reason) recruited a coach who runs the spread. You cannot blame the coach here. He was left with basically nothing. The upperclassmen who stayed were not good enough to go elsewhere. Why do you think we are starting so many underclassmen. Guys that stayed include James Rogers. Bless his heart but the kid is not good. RR is forced to start a kid like JR because the defensive backfield was decimated by injuries, kids making bad decisons, and the admissions office changing their mind. All of these thing are outside the coaches control. Let the young kids develop before you pass jusdgment on them. Not many programs are forced to have to start these young underclassmen. It is what it is. Go Blue.

Lorain Steelmen

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:24 p.m.

Tater & P U MSU.....'right on' guys! Coach Rod is here to stay! But, he needs to take a looooooong look at the DC, and Special teams coaches. As I once said to RR, 'Those that stay, WILL be champions!, and that goes for coaches, as well as players! UM will make a nice run over the balance of this season. Teams that overlook the Wolves, will pay the price. Go Blue!

P U MSU

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:19 p.m.

Mike Martin is a junior. He will replace himself next year. He was not a 5 star eventhough he plays like it. Who knows who will replace him. That is two years away.

coldtoes

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:11 p.m.

2nd time..who is gonna replace mike martin next year a 5 star recruit junior or a freshman?????

chiro19

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:10 p.m.

It has to be tough rebuilding a program with top 15 recruiting classes from the last 25 years and taking over for a coach and program during his tenure that had the 3rd highest winning percentage in program history at.779% (in conference), 5 conference titles, one national and 70 active players in the NFL. It really sounds like a country club to me! Maybe the country club down in Georgia where they have a pretty good tournament every year in early April. We fans are ruthless because we expect good football, and thats because we have seen it from 69'-07'. Over Carr's last 4 seasons the total D went 33rd in 04' to 36th in 05 to 10th in 06 to 24th in 07' (rr era 67th in 08', 82nd in 09', and 105th in 10'). What exactly are we suppose to be supportive of with this? Where is there something lacking? Recruiting? Coaching? Youth? The D has a So. Jr. and Sr. on the line, 2 Sr. as LB, and the d secondary is incredibly young (does it make sense to anyone to put more inexperienced guys on the field, no so dont put 5 or 6 of them on the field!). At what point do the RR fans say he is a failure at bringing in the right coaches to help him? What people here expect is the same that has happened at Florida, Alabama, USC, Ohio State, Nebraska over the last 10 years and that is WIN anything else is unacceptable!

michboy40

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1:58 p.m.

I don't understand why RR hired Greg Robinson. At first I thought it was a great idea to let him come in and run a 4-3, and our personel fit that mold. Then we change the scheme to 3-3-5...what does GRob know about the 3-3-5? I assume not much! Either let the guy run his D, or get a 3-3-5 guru, if one even exists. My fear is that RR is a dictator to his coaches the same as he is to his players, and many coaches won't deal with that. The coaches who have been with RR all along appear to be yes men for the most part. I would love to sit down with Fred Jackson and get his Honest take, since he is the only holdover from the pre-RR era.

BlueMom

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.

I have watched Michigan football for almost 40 years -- some great seasons, some good seasons and even some bad seasons. But -- even the bad seasons under bo/gary/lloyd are preferable to the 2+ seasons with RR. RR was suppose to be this "offensive genius" who could work his system to fit the players he had. So -- what did he have to work with? Heismann trophy candidate (Mallett), NFL prospects (Graham, Trent) and the Big 10 freshman defense player of the year (Warren) -- and he ran them off or under-utilized them. Instead he tried to recruit players that could not be admitted (Dorsey).

umgoblue47

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1:47 p.m.

i hope you and your date enjoy the movie... btw she has a little drool on her lip... GO BLUE...

hoppy

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1:30 p.m.

RichRod isn't going anywhere! It sounds as though it was Brandon's vision to play Alabama at Jerry World to open up the 2012 season. Do you make that decision if you really think that you will fire your current coach, bring in somebody new and tell them, oh by the way you've got a year to get this machine humming because we've got Alabama, Notre Dame and OSU on the road your second season. I don't think so. And if he didn't think about that then I am deeply concerned about where his head is at as the CEO of Big Blue athletics. If you really want to destroy the program fire Rich, shuffle the entire deck again and take your show on the road to Texas for a primetime match-up with Alabama - That will help with recruiting! Brandon will hopefully insist on moves regarding the defensive coordinator and how special teams are handled but I think the die is cast regarding Rich. Rich needs a good recruiting class this year, including a placekicker, to keep his current young guys who are gaining experience under fire this year, get a top notch D-Coor and have special teams coached as if it really is a third phase of the game and he'll be okay. I will say this though, with the addition of Nebraska to the Big Ten, Michigan fans better lower their expectations for the next few years!

coldtoes

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1:29 p.m.

I heard that Oliver stone is directing a new movie called rr the country club conspiracy. I know that at least 2 tickets will be sold.

P U MSU

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1 p.m.

Love it Tater, love it.

2000Blue

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 12:48 p.m.

Interestingly enough, WC was recruited by a few other schools to play O, but he really wanted to play D, so RR gave him the opportunity. I guess it's not working out so well, but at least WC had his opportunity.

P U MSU

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 12:29 p.m.

I feel ya RR. Michigan fans are ruthless and without common sence. They don't understand the what it is to rebuild because they havn't seen it before. Continue to make improvements and you will have my support. Go Blue.