SI's Andy Staples on RR/the program
But the fact of the matter is the Bulldogs finished fifth in the SEC West. The football team at the University of Michigan should never, ever lose by 38 points to the team that finished fifth in the SEC West.
It was only one game, but it was an awfully telling one. If you can't come within three touchdowns of Mississippi State, you'll never beat Ohio State.
When you put it like that...
The entire column is really a cold, hard indictment of the program under Rodriguez. There will be many parts that people won't like to hear, particularly him calling the offense "above average" and killing our recruiting.
After Saturday, Brandon can ask some legitimate questions about Michigan's recruiting under Rodriguez. The offense, which looked so good against most of the Big Ten, was smothered after a hot first quarter and shut out the rest of the way. After the loss, quarterback Denard Robinson blamed poor execution. He was correct and incorrect. Michigan didn't execute, but not because of mistakes by the Wolverines. Michigan didn't execute because Mississippi State had better players.
Ouch. For the RR fans, he does talk about how RR worked his ass off and can clearly coach, but it's likely not going to work out for him here. Read on at your own peril...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/01/01/gator-bowl-michigan-rodriguez/index.html#ixzz19tOGLLQk
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
I can't help but think a lot of our fans who think this is a normal progression, have gotten a lot more insular the last couple years. When you look around, a lot of programs that have far fewer tangible advantages than Michigan have been getting a lot better from year to year. Yesterday was an example of how we clearly haven't been improving that much, and what happens when we run into a lesser program that has been.
It was a snapshot of where we are at and it is troubling.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:00 PM ^
It really is striking when you consider that Miss State's coach (Mullin) was in his second year on the job. RR had a year's head start on him in the rebuilding process, but you'd have never known it from the way the game went. And it's not like Miss State is a program loaded with institutional advantages.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
but make no mistake, uncertainty does hurt recruiting, like it or not.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
It is not “blaming the players” to note that Mississippi State had the better team on the field. Game outcomes are the result of talent and coaching, and it is often difficult to tease the two apart. You can certainly point out moments in the game where the players were let down by their coaching. But there were certainly moments where Mississippi State’s guys were simply better.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
Right when Denard pitched the ball to Stonum? I think, and saw that massive wall of MSU players...i knew the game was over.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
I guess I am absurd, but I saw better players on Mississippi State than I did on our team. That's usually the case when one team wins by more than five touchdowns. But like I said, I guess I'm absurd.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
It's not absurd to say that Mississippi State has much better players than we do.
What's absurd is that a place that puts as much into their football program as Michigan has such inferior players to a place like Mississippi State considering what they put into theirs.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
I agree with this.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
that a bad bowl loss doesn't get him this kind of publicity.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
Briles went 4-8 in each of his first two seasons at Baylor, found a talented young quarterback and improved to 7-5 this year but with double digit losses to every ranked team he faced, then got smoked by Illinois in the bowl game (With a whole 15 practices to prepare and everything!).
I'm pretty sure you won't see any Baylor fans arguing that they didn't "really" improve this season or that the offense still sucks because they only scored 14 points against the Illini with a sophomore QB. In fact, they're probably ready to build ole' Art a statue. But of course the super pissed off you guys crowd would never admit that on the day Rodriguez and Briles coached their first game the two programs were on pretty equal footing because our helmets got wings and we were good before then (even though, for instance, Baylor has produced more first day NFL draft picks since that time than Michigan has).
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
The loss sucks a lot but I am not forgetting the youth of the team. Presuming Rich Rodriguez is shown the door the new coach is coming into a defense with a ton of youth but a lot of actual on field experience and this will show over the next season with a good defensive coordinator. The new guy will get a lot of credit.
Our helmets got wings but things been difficult since the Horror. You make a good set of points.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
There were no signs or glimpses, nothing.
If anything, they got worse as the season went on.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:35 PM ^
By the end of the year, the freshmen had played a dozen games. They should have been better than at the start of the season -- they weren't. Either RR recruited duds, or the coaches hired to teach them were duds.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
Not just this season but every season under RR this team limped to the finish line, I don't get it. I think Barwis is top of the line, but for whatever reason Michigan can't seem to finish a season on the up tick. When the going gets tough the tough get going, or so says Billy Ocean, I guess we just aren't a tough team and that hurts to say.
I have maintained RR should get a 4th season, but after what went down 1-1-11, I can't put up much of a argument should Brandon fire RR.
January 2nd, 2011 at 4:51 PM ^
#1 culprit being your namesake. Roh put on 20 pounds, and actually had LESS sacks. He was invisible yesterday. He just isn't that great at getting off blocks (as is the problem with the entire defense)
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
FWIW, they only lost to Texas Tech by 7.
Otherwise, good points. I didn't see those similarities before. The only problem I see is you're comparing a program with essentially no history and no expectations to the winningest program in college football history. There are more expectations for us, and maybe there should be - I doubt there are too many kids growing up Baylor Bears fans who just can't wait to play football there.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^
This is only relevant if you think that Michigan's aspirations should be on par with Baylor's. If we are going to claim to be an elite football program, then we should be outperforming Baylor. Furthermore, Michigan has a massive institutional advantage over Baylor, so Briles performance is, in my opinion, superior to Rodriguez's.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^
I'm pretty sure you won't see any Baylor fans arguing that they didn't "really" improve this season or that the offense still sucks because they only scored 14 points against the Illini with a sophomore QB.
That's because they're Baylor - a school that hadn't gone to a bowl in 16 years. For them, seven wins is like heaven. The fact that we've reduced ourselves to comparing our program to Baylor just underscores how badly RR has failed at this school. Give it up.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
Right, because this wasn't three years in the making. It's all because of some hatred for the coach. And anonymous sources.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:12 PM ^
We've gotten better each of the last two seasons. The day Rodriguez coached his first game at Michigan this was a terrible football team/program. Now after getting through all that hard shit that comes with rebuilding a terrible team (losing to Toledo, getting blown out by Illinois teams with a losing record, delusional fans expecting we'll be competitive with top 10 Jim Tressel teams just because of "rivalry mojo" when we didn't beat them even when we were good and then calling for the coach's head when we aren't) and reaching the point where this team is poised to have a ton of returning starters and no gaping roster holes (yes, having one healthy upperclassmen on the entire roster in the secondary is a huge hole that would doom most teams to far worse than a New Year's Day bowl loss) people want to bail because we lost our bowl game to a top-20 SEC team whose only losses on the season were to two BCS Bowl teams, the defending national champions, and a ten win LSU team that has won two national titles in the last decade.
Serenity now!
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
Tim Jamison, Brandon Grahm, Terrence Taylor, Will Johnson, Donovan Warren, and Morgan Trent. With all of that returning talent that stifled Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators, the best he could do was a below average defense. This was not a terrible program by any stretch of the imagination. Instead of implementing a real passing attack when his running backs were banged up and he had an above average pocket passing quarterback, he rammed his WVU scheme down their throats. He's responsible for the results of 2008, there were pieces there, but not unlike the rest of his tenure, he didn't execute.
This team isn't just losing, we're getting bombed week after week, and without Tate here to lead a comeback to make the box score look less disastrous, we put up fourteen points against one of the most predictable defenses in the SEC. There is absolutely no indication that this team will improve next year. Linear approximations no longer apply, because the only teams left to beat are real football teams, and we've yet to compete with one. Three years in, and it's the same speech every week "Well we didn't execute very well." And do you know who that falls on after three years? Rich Rodriguez. We don't have unreasonable expectations, all I expect is not to get thrown around like a rag doll in the big ten, and to not get ripped apart on New Years day versus a 2nd tier SEC team. I don't expect championships, I expect to win at least one or two real games a year. At least our offense gets a lot of yards, I heard we can trade those in for something some day.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
I notice you don't mention any one on the offensive side of the ball since that was a complete smoking crater at that point. Steven Threet, who you identify as an above average pocket passer, threw 18 TD's this year for ASU. He also threw 16 INT's. Four years out of high school. But keep telling yourself that we were bad because Rodriguez didn't tailor the offense around him as a RS Freshman. Also, your list includes one first day NFL prospect (like I said, fewer than Art Briles inherited at Baylor) and no one who has made any sort of impact in the NFL.
Contrast with the 2005 Michigan defense which featured junior David Harris (now a perennial Pro Bowler in the NFL), junior Leon Hall (now a perennial Pro Bowler in the NFL), junior Lamar Woodley (ditto), senior Gabe Watson (5-star recruit and 4th round draft pick), sophomore Alan Branch (future 2nd round pick, regular contributor/starter for the Arizona Cardinals), junior Prescott Burgess (6th round pick, ST contributor for the Ravens), as well as the younger versions of the Tim Jamison's and Morgan Trent's you mention above.
The offense had guys like Breaston, Avant, Henne, Hart, Manningham, and Long, blue chip recruits who have all made contributions at the next level.
That is a talented football team. They won seven games too.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:19 PM ^
that team suffered a historical number of injuries that year. yes, they had a crap ton of talent but it's still a bit unfair to compare those seasons
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^
Long and I think a few other o-linemen got dinged, Hart missed 4 games, and everybody else I mentioned played the bulk of the season (at least 11 of the 12 games). I don't see that as a "historical number of injuries." This year's team lost Jones, Woolfolk, and Williams for the whole season, Odoms for 5 games, Floyd for the last 4, etc.
But my point wasn't, oh look, somebody screwed up in 2005. More that "this is what a talented team looks like", not RS freshman Threet, Brandon Graham, and a couple guys who were just okay players at Michigan on defense who haven't done anything in the pros.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:11 PM ^
That team had more injuries on the Offensive line and more games missed than any team in modern Michigan history. They didn't have the same line-up two games in a row. You add Hart's problems, and subtract Braylon, and that was an offense with problems. (I mean, you include freshman Manningham?? I thought freshmen can't be expected to show flashes and contribute....oh, that's only now). The defense which you're saying lost all these gave up 17, 23, 23, 25 and 32 (bowl) in the losses, all but the last an acceptable amount against good teams in current college football to expect a win If your offense is scoring less than 24 a game today, you're probably not going to win a lot of games. Let we still managed to lose all those games by 21 points, total. We were just a TD shy of double that in our bowl game alone.
The problem isn't that we're losing a lot of games. The problems is we're not even close. And 3 years of recruiting hasn't gotten us any closer. 2008 Michigan loses to OSU by pretty much the same amount as 2010 Michigan. Maybe Baylor was left with more talent than Michigan (which I think is a crock, but I'll roll with it); the fact that you equate recruiting to Baylor as equal to recruiting to Michigan says how far the program and dropped in everyone's eyes. And it's not getting any better. It's obvious Rich can't overcome "whatever" in recruiting. And the only way to fix that is to have someone who can.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
that team suffered a historical number of injuries that year.
We definitely didn't have that problem this year, nope. Combined with freshmen everywhere on defense. What? No big deal.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 6:12 PM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^
is IMO a very valid gauge.
But while touting the close losses w/ Auburn & Arkansas, an honest comparison will also note the two blowout losses, 29-7 to LSU & 30-10 to Alabama.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:49 PM ^
Mark Dantonio doesn't get this kind of publicity because he doesn't coach at Michigan.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
Bailing on a sinking ship. Unfortunately, the water kept coming and he couldn't plug the holes.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
We do not have great players. Where have you been the last three years. We have one great player, a few good players, and a bunch of really young players. It is sad that UM got outplayed by an SEC doormate. It should never happen.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
I am by no means excusing what happened yesterday, but disrespecting Miss St. is not called for. Last I checked, the are in the top 25 ( and more likely to finish higher now), and Diaz and Mullen look like they might be on bubble there, not to mention they gave a couple of the upper tier SEC teams a run for their money. I don't think we should be playing the "we shouln't lose to so and so card." Especially in light of what happened that fateful afternoon in September of '07
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
They finished fifth place in their six team division. Was he supposed to call them champions?
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:53 PM ^
Losses to Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU will make you 5th in that division. Losing to those teams, 1 by 3 and 1 in OT does not make you a bad team. It just so happened that this year the SEC west was EXTREMELY stacked, as opposed to just mostly stacked in most years.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
great players do not drop passes at crunch time, great players don't miss tackles at the point of attack clearly when the scheme puts in place to make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage. go back and look at the games. Great players make chip shot field goals, Even Denard passed when he had the first down and possibly more he ended up throwing the ball too low for Odoms to catch. People say scheme is bad, but reviewing each game I found that more often the missed tackles missed sacks are all physicality, unfortunately it is execution, and I trust Denards opinion more than random internet guy (I include myself in the internet guy crowd)
These are gritty players, but in some cases their football IQ does not match with their physical talents ie. vinopal, and the walk ons and Cam Gordon great physicality but football IQ is lacking.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
Did we watch the same game? We have some excellent talent, with emphasis on "some". RichRod helped create his own perfect storm. Who hired Robinson? It sure as hell was RichRod. Who recruited kids who dropped out or never showed up? Happens to everyone, right? Well, not everyone to the extent it happened here. Then the special teams, or lack thereof.
Adjustments? He never adjusts. We may make a minor run in the second half when the game is virtually over...guess that is an adjustment.
Yeah, Rod got hit with a barrage of stuff that wasn't his fault, but in three years, we are still inept in two phases of the game and partially inept in the third phase except when we play unranked competition, and then barely win.
Time for a change.
January 2nd, 2011 at 4:49 PM ^
We rolled through MSU relatively easy in the first quarter, they adjusted, we didn't, end of the offense.
And so the obvious question to Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was whether or not he made any tactical adjustments after the first quarter. Diaz smiled at the question, before answering, “We adjusted our chinstraps.”
http://www.freep.com/print/article/20110101/SPORTS06/110101034/Mississi…-
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
. . . a single media article making the argument for retaining RR another year. Yes, yes, I realize Brandon doesn’t take media polls before making his decisions. But usually you can find somebody that takes the contrary view, if the argument can rationally be made.
There just is no sane defense of the Rodriguez program after ending the season with three straight games in which the team not only lost, but really never had a chance.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:05 AM ^
You gotta understand: the media is slanted. They are tired of writing about RR being on the hot seat. They want to see a change just so that they can write about something new.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
You mean like the next coach being on the hot seat? After all, that gets clicks.
Ooh, look--Brian Kelly lost a game! Hot seeeeeeeeeeeeat!
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
I'm clearly not MSM, but here's the best argument for keeping RR:
This was effectively only his second year at M. One shouldn't count the first year b/c he was (stubbornly) running 100% his system with mostly Carr's players - no remotely qualified QB. In his literal second year, with true freshmen at QB, he was a few bad bounces from a bowl game (or at least a .500 record). We all saw Denard's progress this year - in functional year two. RR deserves at least 3 functional years to prove himself and thus RR should come back next year for functional year 3.
I'm not saying this argument should convince you (as it clearly doesn't convince most people), but I do think this is the best argument to retain RR - and if this was the argument DB uses to keep RR with a whole new D staff, I wouldn't be that upset.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
Frank Beamer was 24-34-2 in his first 6 seasons at Va Tech. That was 6 years. He has gone on to win 10+ games in 12 of the next 18 years, will 0 losing seasons. Firing a coach after 3 years, especially one who was changing the program so significantly as Rich Rod was doing just doesn't make sense.
The results haven't been there to date, but I think everyone thought at the time that the ceiling was very high with RR and Co. I would much prefer a program that goes through a rough time and has MNTs in the future, than win 8-10 games a year and never seriously contend for a MNT. It is looking like we will never find out if he could do it here or not. 3 years was not enough time
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
He should have ran a different offense with Threet, period.
You can't pretend 3-9 didn't happen, sorry.
They had a defense that year.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
... DB has an easy decision and a hard task:
1) Fire RichRod.
2) Land a Better HC.
I supported RichRod up until about halftime of the OSU game. I really started to break bad after the Footbal Bust. We really learned something about RichRod at that event, none of it was good; and I'm not talking about channelling Josh Groban.
By the second quarter of the Gator Bowl, the poor UM faithful in the stands were on their cellphones trying to get an earlier flight out of FLA, and seeing if they could stop payment on that last 2010 donation to UM.
At this point, DB would face alumni/fan mutiny if he keeps RichRod, hell Barwis might be a better interim.
As the diary poster inferred about DB's experience with private equity, RichRod isn't worth the continued investment. He shows no sign of ever providing an adequate return. He is not Big Ten, Big Progam material. He will return to the Big East (Pitt?) or the ACC (Clemson?).
DB's legacy as AD will be defined within the next 10 days. If it's not JH (who is clearly the first choice), and it turns out to be Brady (NNTB) then I'm all in, because I know damn sure DB is.
If there's one bright spot in yesterday's B1G results (and UW's trashing of Nebraska), it's that the conference is not that strong right now. We know that tOSU would lose Tuesday without Terrelle and the Tattoo Crew. Maybe this reality and 4 million other reasons could convince JH to return home.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
You had me until you started with the Brady Hoke talk.