Goal Line Stand
Michigan's closed door meeting
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Goal Line Stands
USC's
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A
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The QB
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The
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Alabama's Focus |
The
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The Hot
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The
emergence of Mark Ingram
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Pulling
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The
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Texas
just wins
By Michael Bradley
Michigan captains Mark Ortmann and Brandon Graham called a brief, players-only meeting before Monday’s practice, and about the only thing we can be sure of regarding the pow-wow is that mutiny was not discussed.
We think.
The Wolverines close their regular season Saturday against Ohio State in a rivalry that once captured the nation’s imagination but now serves as a car wreck on the path to the Big College Swindle “championship” game that ABC hopes will attract some attention from startled passers-by. The one-time centerpiece of the last college football weekend is now a mismatch, and unless Ortmann and Graham have discovered Ultra Man’s Beta Capsule, Prince Planet’s pendant or some other means of bestowing superhuman powers on U-M’s players, one would expect the Buckeyes to register their sixth straight win in the series.
When asked whether he had any knowledge of what went on during the meeting, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said he did not, which is probably a good thing, given his volatile personality and tendency to offer a little too much information during press conferences and sideline meltdowns. It wouldn’t be good for Rodriguez to repeat portions of what was no doubt an emotional plea by seniors for just one win over the Buckeyes. Then again, given the recent one-sided nature of the rivalry, it might not be a good idea to let OSU in on the content, since it might make the team even more confident than it already it is.
By now, many of you have heard the dis-honor roll of dubious achievements that will accompany another Michigan loss to the Buckeyes. The Wolverines will finish last in the Big Ten. They’ll miss out on a bowl for the second straight season. They’ll have their first back-to-back losing seasons since 1962-63. They’ll have to change the name of their fight song from “The Victors” to “The Vanquished.” It ain’t pretty in Ann Arbor these days.
Worse, the long-term forecast isn’t so great. One Detroit columnist even declared a mandate that 2010 must produce at least a 7-5 record and a bowl berth. That’s what it has come to? Mediocrity is the goal now. Say what you want about Lloyd Carr and his last days with the program, but things were never that bad, even when Appy State was desecrating the Big House.
The question that hovers over the program like a nuclear cloud is whether Rodriguez deserves to return for a third season. From a purely fiscal standpoint, Michigan has no choice. With four years left on a contract that pays him $2.5 million annually ($300,000 base, plus TV, shoes, etc.), it would be hard to buy him out in this economic climate. You’ll see some other coaches around the country (see Hawkins, Dan) remain in their positions next year, even though it seems as if they’re ready for the bread line. So, Rodriguez has that going for him.
The bigger question is whether the program is headed in the right direction, and that’s where Michigan’s escape hatch could be. The revelations that Rodriguez’s staff did not keep logs (per school directive) detailing practice times during two separate periods in 2008 and ’09 are damaging to his reputation and to the school’s carefully-cultivated image as cleaner and better than the other guy. If the NCAA finds that Rodriguez knowingly violated the 20-hours-per-week rule and deems that “major” in status, it would bring big shame to the school and could be cause for dismissal. Of course, if the slow-moving gumshoes in Indianapolis don’t render a decision until next spring or summer, it will be too late to get a spot on the coaching carousel.
Furthermore, Michigan AD Bill Martin’s decision to retire next September complicates any removal scenario, since a new athletic director won’t be in place in time to participate in the selection process of a new coach. Forcing the next AD to accept someone else’s hire in the highest-profile job on campus could lead to future problems.
Put it all together, and Rodriguez is in a pretty good spot, 5-7 record or not. His supporters can say that firing him after two years of sub-standard football is unfair. They can point to the money aspect. They can also say the NCAA won’t consider the extra practices (if they took place) grounds for serious punishment. They can even slough off his alleged defaulting on a real estate deal as a dispute among business partners.
But no one can ignore the awful play on the field. Say what you want about the ancillary conditions that will influence Rodriguez’s future, but watching Michigan play, especially on defense, is sheer agony for Wolverine fans. After last year’s 3-9 disgrace, we were reminded how Rodriguez’s teams always performed well his second year, whether he was the big boss or an offensive coordinator. That hasn’t happened in 2009. Michigan may not have lost to a MAC team, but its 1-6 Big Ten record is a huge blotch on the school’s permanent record.
Compounding matters is the availability of former U-M quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who is resurrecting Stanford’s program and could be in demand once ADs start looking for new coaches. Harbaugh played for Bo Schembechler and has proven he can win. The only black mark on his resume is a set of critical remarks he made about the academic side of the Michigan program, which has upset some influential alums enough that they have said Harbaugh has “burned his bridges.” While they get over their bruised egos and realize he was correct, to an extent, Michigan must decide to pull the trigger on Harbaugh or risk that he will be snapped up by another program.
It’s all very messy and complicated and nothing that a huge upset win over the Buckeyes won’t cure. But should the Wolverines lose for a sixth straight time to OSU and finish the year in the Big Ten basement, the school needs to decide whether it can live with another year of shrinking national esteem and take the chance that Harbaugh might not be around in 2010, or if it can limit the damages and move forward. Rodriguez is likely to be back next season, but Michigan is taking a huge gamble that no number of team meetings can overcome if the bet doesn’t pay off.
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GAME OF THE WEEK: Kansas State at Nebraska, November 21, 7:45 p.m. (EST) ESPN. Remember when the Saturday before Thanksgiving meant a huge harvest of great games? This year, we settle for the battle to see who gets to be steamrollered by Texas in the Big 12 title game. The surprising Wildcats may have gotten whacked last week by Missouri, but should they beat the offensively challenged Cornhuskers, they get a date with Texas. Expect Nebraska to rely on its stout front seven, while KSU will try to stick with its formula of winning the time of possession and turnover battles.
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BUMPS AND RUNS: Talk about Charlie Weis’ successor is centered on Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, and for good reason. Sources say that last December, when ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick was trying to decide Weis’ future, he met clandestinely in a Cincinnati hotel with Kelly. Nothing happened then, but it could be the basis for the beginnings of negotiations next month…Houston’s loss to Central Florida just about dooms the Heisman hopes of QB Case Keenum, who had a thin margin for error to begin with and certainly couldn’t handle a below-par performance against a team like the Golden Knights…The firing of UNLV coach Mike Sanford brings the number of deposed bosses to three, with Weis, Virginia’s Al Groh and Akron’s J.D. Brookhart atop the most endangered list.