Dear Rich Rodriguez,

The University of Michigan players, alumni, and fans have been dying for a win over the hated Ohio State Buckeyes. Please give us a win in what is clearly a “trap game” for the Buckeyes this Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 12:00 pm in Ann Arbor.

The Buckeyes have secured a Rose Bowl appearance and the Big 10 Championship. With all of that already in the bag for them before this game….you never know.

For Michigan, a win would give them .500 record, as they are currently 5-6, with only one Big 10 victory. The Wolverines should throw everything they have into this game that they have available in their playbooks!

Not that I am counting, but the Wolverines are currently on a five game losing streak to the Buckeyes, and have not won since their victory on November 22, 2003. The Wolverines were ranked 4th, and the Buckeyes were ranked 6th. Michigan won 35-21, and countless current NFL players were involved in this game.

For Michigan on that day, Chris Perry carried the load with 154 yards on 31 carries and 2 TD’s in addition to 55 receiving yards. Michigan QB John Navarre threw for 278 yards, 2 TD’s and a pick, and Braylon Edwards had 7 grabs, 130 yards ,and 2 TD’s.

The Buckeyes had Craig Krenzel and Scott McMullen at QB, but the stars of the show for the Buckeyes were future NFL wide-outs Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes. Jenkins had 132 yards receiving and Holmes had 121 yards and 2 TD’s.

Since 2003, the Wolverines have failed miserably against the Buckeyes, as seen below:

• 2004 – Michigan at Ohio State – Buckeyes Won 37-21
• 2005 – Ohio State at Michigan – Buckeyes Won 25-21
• 2006 – Michigan at Ohio State – Buckeyes Won 42-39
• 2007 – Ohio State at Michigan – Buckeyes Won 14-3
• 2008 – Michigan at Ohio State – Buckeyes Won 42-7

Last year, Rich Rodriguez referred to the Ohio State game as “just a game.” This game is so much more than a game Coach, and here is why…

Follow the link to read the rest of Fraschetti’s letter to Rich Rodriguez.

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* – Rich Rodriguez photo credit: CoachesHotSeat.com

The last two meetings between these teams were sloppy blowout games and neither team ended up having a good season. But this year both squads look to be back on track and the rivalry is being revived.

Last week, Michigan coasted to an easy 31-7 victory over Western Michigan, scoring all of their points in the first half. Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier solidified himself as the starter for the Wolverines while fellow freshman Denard Robinson flashed the speed and big play ability that quarterbacks in Rich Rodriguez’s system are known for having.

Rich Rodriguez’s spread option offense was effective against the Broncos, as Michigan racked up 242 rushing yards from 8 different ball carriers. The problem for the Wolverines is they are currently without a go-to running back. Backup quarterback Denard Robinson was the leading rusher with 74 yards.

In Notre Dame’s season opener, the Irish shut out Nevada 35-0 with Jimmy Clausen throwing for 4 TD’s. Claussen showed poise in the pocket, completing 15 of his 18 attempts.

Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish look ready to make it back to another bowl game this year, and possibly even compete for a BCS bid. The offense that was in complete disarray two seasons ago is now finally coming together.

Saturday’s matchup between these two bitter rivals is an intriguing one. Both teams have shown vast improvement from last year, but this will obviously be the first real test for each squad with Rodriguez and Weis both seated firmly on the hot seat to bring their teams back to the elite level of college football.

Before we get into an analysis of the matchup, let’s take a quick look at the particulars:

#18 Notre Dame (1-0) at Michigan (1-0)

• Notre Dame-Michigan Date: Saturday, September 12th
• Notre Dame-Michigan Time: 3:30 ET
• Notre Dame-Michigan TV: ABC
• Notre Dame-Michigan Location: The Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Notre Dame-Michigan Point Spread: Notre Dame -4.5
• StubHub: Michigan-Notre Dame tickets for as low as $95
• StubHub: Michigan football tickets
• StubHub: Notre Dame football tickets
• StubHub: all College Football tickets

Notre Dame-Michigan Preview and Analysis

Notre Dame comes into the game a slight favorite and rightfully so. Clausen is starting to fill in the void that was left when Brady Quinn left for the NFL draft. (Side note to Notre Dame fans: please don’t treat Claussen like the “golden boy” as you did with Quinn. Thank you.)

To win the game, the Irish must provide strong pass protection for Clausen and allow him to spread the ball around. Michigan, on the other hand, needs to pressure Clausen and limit his ability to locate WRs Golden Tate and Michael Floyd down the field. If Michigan tries to get in a shootout with Notre Dame, the Wolverines won’t be able to keep up with the Irish’s high-octane offense.

If Claussen can put up 300-plus yards passing Michigan won’t have a chance. Tate, a speedy and talented young receiver, could be the X-factor with his big play potential.

Michigan needs to control the pace and the clock by running the football over and over. Forcier looked good passing the ball last week, although he only put the ball in the air 20 times. He completed 13 of those passes for 175 yards and tallied 3 TDs. You might look at those stats and think the Wolverines should throw more.

On the contrary, Forcier’s efficient passing was set up by 50 rushing attempts at 4.8 yards per pop. Michigan would do well to follow attain a similar run:pass ratio. Forcier will have to be smart with the ball again when passing plays are called. An improving Irish defense picked off two passes last week and will be licking their chops going up against a freshman making only his second start.

Notre Dame-Michigan Prediction

This game can go either way and will likely be decided by one or two key plays. Notre Dame comes in ranked #18, but when playing in the Big House all rankings go out the window. [Editor's note: as do Division 1-A and 1-AA classifications...right App State?]

Rich Rodriguez will have the Wolverines amped up to start the game and the Irish will have to take the fans out of the game early. Luckily for Notre Dame fans and the embattled Weis, the Irish have an experienced quarterback to rely on in Jimmy Clausen, who is no stranger to pressure, expectation, and hostile environments.  

In this high profile matchup between two of the all-time giants of college football, Clausen’s experience will most likely be the difference.

My prediction for this game: Notre Dame- 31 Michigan- 24

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* – Notre Dame / Michigan helmets image credit: The Onion

* – Charlie Weis photo credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio via WSBT-2

* – Denard Robinson / Tate Forcier photo credit: Said Alsalah/Daily via Michigan Daily

* – Jimmy Clausen in high school photo credit: Pre Pro Sports

Tate Forcier is only the third freshman quarterback to start for Michigan in the school’s history, with the others being Rick Leach and Chad Henne. He looked sharp and passed for three touchdowns in his debut. 

Even better than his three touchdowns, he had no completions to the other team, finishing 13-20 for 179 yards.  He also rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries.

Denard “Shoelace” Robinson was 2-4 for 18 yards through the air, but his running game was more impressive.  Robinson rushed 11 times for 74 yards, with an impressive touchdown run of 43 yards. The video of Robinson’s incredible debut run is below.

Denard “Shoelace” Robinson Runs for TD Against Toledo

The only letdown in this game was Rodriguez’s thought that putting Nick Sheridan into the game was a good idea.  Sheridan continued his stellar quarterbacking abilities that he so finely displayed last year by going 0-2 with a completion to the other team.  I had instant flashbacks to every game he played in last year. It seems that some things will never change.

This win was nice, but basking in the glory of a Week 1 victory is something that Michigan cannot afford to do, as they have a real test at home next week against Notre Dame, who rolled Nevada 35-0.

Kurt Fraschetti

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* – Denard Robinson / Tate Forcier photo credit: Said Alsalah/Daily via Michigan Daily

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We are just over one week away from NFL kickoff 2009, less that a week from College Football, and coming down the stretch in Major League Baseball. Here are my top 5 stories for this week.

1 – LA Dodgers Make Deals to Solidify Playoff Roster

As the waiver deadline approaches the most active team seems to be the L.A. Dodgers, picking up White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Diamondbacks’ hurler Jon Garland. As of today the Dodgers hold a 5.5 game lead on Colorado, who also made a move trading for White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras.

I’ll tell you this: the Dodgers are putting together a team that will compete with the Yankees in the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League, save for maybe (and this is painful for a Cub’s fan to admit) the Cardinals.

2 – A Tale of Two Cities: Minnesota and Philadelphia

Brett Favre and Michael Vick have made their comebacks and the inevitable debates have followed.

In Minnesota, talk of team mutiny was rumored, some sources saying that the locker room was split. These rumors were put to bed quickly, but Viking Nation may see it differently. One Vikings fan was found to have a live goat in her trunk painted purple and gold.

Vick has also been met with equivalent praise and disapproval, with Donovan McNabb going on record saying that Vick’s presence and the style of play-calling involving Vick was “a gimmick” and a distraction from their game plan.

I’ll tell you this: Like it or not, the Vikings became a contender when they signed Favre. However, Vick brings quite the distraction both on and off of the field. It will be interesting to see, but if McNabb is already skeptical about Vick’s role, then that can’t be a good sign for the Eagles.

3 – Trouble in Ann Arbor

In what has been a tumultuous summer of violations in College Football, one last situation has raised its ugly head right before the season’s start.

This week some former and current players accused Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff of exceeding the NCAA’s practice guidelines and complained that the staff was over-working student athletes beyond the maximum weekly and daily hours limitations. Rodriguez responded with an emotional press conference, completely denying the allegations by saying that they were “miscommunications” and “just not true.”

I’ll Tell You This: The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first year at the helm. While it would not surprise me that these players were over-worked, I think the bigger issue is that, to save his job, Rodriguez has to find a way to bring Michigan back to being one of the premier teams in the NCAA.

4 – Injuries in the NFL Preseason

With the NFL preseason coming to an end, injuries have already begun to raise their ugly heads at big-time positions for teams.

Patriots QB Tom Brady injured his shoulder when Redskins $100 million dollar man Albert Haynesworth crushed him in the second quarter of their game last week. The master of masking issues, Bill Belichick, down-played the injury saying that Brady would be ready for the regular season.

Brett Favre has said that he has a cracked rib, but played in the Vikings’ preseason game against Houston without any protection. Could it be that Favre is preparing an excuse for what might become a disappointing season?

Finally, all of Kansas City stopped breathing for about 24 hours when off-season acquisition QB Matt Cassel went down hard with a knee injury. At first the prognosis was 4-6 weeks, seemingly a finishing blow to KC before the season even started; however, now reports are saying that the MCL strain that Cassel suffered was minor and he would return to the lineup possibly sooner rather that later, maybe even for the season opener.

I’ll Tell You This: Nothing can kill a team’s season faster than an unexpected and unnecessary preseason injury. Hopefully all of the above stay healthy so we can watch as many teams battle it out for the playoffs at full strength as possible. A healthy NFL is a more fan-friendly NFL.

5 – The Return of Pacman

Adam “Pacman” Jones has returned to football. But this time it’s not in the NFL. It’s not even with the upstart AFL, which launches next month. 

No, Pacman Jones is headed to the Canadian Football League. He has signed “in principal” a one year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’ll tell you this: Who cares?

Apparently no-one in the NFL is ok with giving Jones yet another chance to prove that he can’t control his personal life, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Jones is just one of those players with all the talent in the world but no self-control. And playing professional sports is a luxury. He can’t control his life, he is a thug, and he is not a role model like we want our athletes of today to be.

Good riddance Pacman. Canada, you can have him.

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

Deerfield Beach Head Coach Art Taylor stated that Robinson picked Michigan over the University of Florida, and other schools as well. Robinson was described by Taylor as a 6-foot, 179-pound quarterback with a 40-yard dash time of 4.3 seconds. Taylor stated that playing in a spread offense was something that Robinson really wanted, adding that the chance to compete for time as a freshman was appealing to Robinson as well.

Taylor was also quoted as saying, “Oh my god, Michigan is going to get an explosive, explosive quarterback.  He is a leader, he pushes his will to win on others. I’ve never seen a kid so competitive.”

Robinson will face competition from Tate Forcier from California, who is currently enrolled in classes at Michigan. Both of these guys should be a huge upgrade at the quarterback position for the Wolverines from last year.

This news should be pleasing to every Wolverine fan who had to endure the mess we called an offense last year. Last year’s offense looked like they were in a constant race to punt the ball as fast as possible. I have never seen a team go 3-and-out with the speed that the Wolverines pulled it off in last year. My heart went out to the Wolverines defense that played its ass off, only to have to go back onto the field 45 seconds after forcing a punt.

I have faith in Rich Rodriguez and his system. This was a talented football team last year that was missing, in my opinion, only one key element: a quarterback. Yes, Steven Threet grew on me over the year, but was way too inconsistent. Nick Sheridan just grew on my patience. His uncanny ability to complete passes to the other team with great regularity that  made me want to gouge my eyeballs out every time I saw #8 take the field. The only time #8 did not offend me was when Michael Phelps wore a #8 jersey and walked onto the field.

At any rate, I am looking forward to the Wolverines returning to the top of the Big 10 in the near future so I can walk the streets of Ohio again with my head up high. God I miss John Cooper in Scarlet and Gray.

Go Blue!

Kurt Fraschetti, fraschetti@midwestsportsfans.com

Robinson signing information courtesy of John Heuser at annarbornews.com.

In 2006, it was the first #1 vs. #2 match up in The Game’s rich tradition. It was the first time the two teams entered the game undefeated since the 1970s Bo vs. Woody days.

Only a day after the passing of Michigan great Bo Schembechler, The Game ended 42-39 with Ohio State being victorious and it was the highest point total in the history of the rivalry. And easily one of the most exciting, regardless of which side you are on.

Now we have a plethora of firsts in this weekend’s Ohio State-Michigan game, even though it is nothing College Game Day would set up shop for, as they did in Columbus in 2006.

One reason is that the 19 point spread in favor of the Buckeyes is the largest spread in the history of The Game. Two, win or lose, at 3-8 it is already Michigan’s worst record in the football program’s history. Three, Ohio State is going for their fifth straight victory over for the team up north which would be a first in Ohio State’s rich history. Four, this is the first time these two teams will both start Freshman quarterbacks: Terrelle Pryor and Steven Threet (though Threet is questionable with a shoulder injury). That fourth historic first might bring out the over used but realistic saying, “Throw the records out for this one.”

I would never miss this game no matter what the situation is and I have often gone into this weekend (always the weekend by or on my birthday) on the other end, salvaging the season by busting Michigan’s Rose Bowl berth with an upset. That is what Michigan has to play for this year and if you don’t know, Jim Tressel-coached teams always seem to have trouble defending against spread offenses. Last week, Illinois’ spread offense diced up the Buckeyes defense with 455 total yards of offense.

If you are laughing at my cautioned tone about the game this weekend I have two words for you: John Cooper. Coop’s 2-10-1 record versus Michigan is branded into my head and I know all too well the better team doesn’t always in this one. Since polls were started in 1936, the lower ranked team has won 21 times, most recently in 2004 when the unranked Buckeyes won 37-21 over #7 Michigan in Troy Smith’s first season.

We know John Cooper is no Jim Tressel, when JC called the rivalry with Michigan “Just like any other game” and called the established 1922 Ohio Stadium, “Buckeye Field.” 2-10-1, it still burns doesn’t it Buckeye fans?

And Michigan’s 57-41-6 advantage will make us feel like the underdog for at least the better part of this century won’t it?

Ohio State I know cannot wait to beat Michigan now when they are down. And say what you want about Rich Rod, Michigan cannot wait to beat Ohio State now when they are flying high.

See you Noon EST on ABC live from Columbus.

Click here to F*ck Michigan

[tags]college football, rivalries, ohio state buckeyes, michigan wolverines, big ten football[/tags]

Yesterday, Michigan had a lead at the half over the #3 Penn State Nittany Lions, in their house! Michigan had momentum and the ball after the half. Then Rich Rodiguez had a brianstorm and placed the one person who when he walks on the field, his whole team collectively knows regardless of the score, the game is now officially over.

Once the Big 10 player of the year entered the game, he did what he does best, score for the other team. He gave up a safety after sitting in the pocket for far too long without throwing the ball away, only to complete a pass to his lineman two feet infront of him while falling into the end zone.

I think that Sheridan has naked pictures of Rich Rodriguez because for the life of me, I do not understand how else this turnover machine could take snaps for the Wolverines.

Here’s Sheridan’s stat line year to date; 29 of 54 for 262 yards, 1 touchdown 5 INTERCEPTIONS AND A SAFETY!

Opposing Sheridan is Steven Threet, far from a football God, but leaps and bounds better than Nick Sharetheball, I mean Sheridan. Threet is 67 for 132 with 708 yards, 6 TOUCHDOWNS and 3 interceptions. I am not a college mathematics professor, but the statistics are in glaring favor of Threet. I would rather see the Miami Dolphins Wildcat formation than the Michigan offense with Sheridan under center. Please, tell me I am wrong, but if you are a Wolverines fan, you feel the same way I do whenever #8 takes the field. When Rich Rodriguez lost Terelle Pryor to Ohio State, he lost more than a recruit, he lost the Wolverines 2008 season.

Kurt Fraschetti

profootballinsight@live.com

[tags]michigan wolverines, rich rodriguez, big ten, nick sheridan[/tags]

But, one thing should be clear: I absolutely think that Rich Rodriguez will win games, and plenty of them, at Michigan. That is why I was not surprised to read this article on ESPN.com regarding Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin voicing full support for Rich Rodriguez despite a 2-4 record and a home loss last weekend to Toledo.

(Note: in an effort to be fair to Rich Rodriguez considering the posts I’ve written the past few days, this article from mgoblog.com gives a good overview of Rich Rodriguez’s history at West Virginia and how it likely portends good things for the on-field success of Michigan in the future.)

Now, obviously Bill Martin will express support because Rich Rodriguez was his hire. And we’re only halfway through the first season of what Bill Martin and the Michigan faithful hope will be a long and glorious Rich Rodriguez era in Ann Arbor. Furthermore, the style that Rich Rodriguez plays will compel him to recruit the kind of speed and up-tempo athletes that the Big Ten has been lacking in recent years. With a couple of years to get his spread offense properly installed, and to acquire the right talent to run it, Michigan will again be a legitimate contender with Ohio State for Big Ten supremacy

All this being said, I still think Michigan has made a deal with the devil; and being an Indiana basketball fan, and enduring the short and destructive Kelvin Sampson era, I think it is necessary for Michigan fans to at least be cautious. I have found nothing online about Rich Rodriguez being involved in specific recruiting violations, as Kelvin Sampson was before IU foolishly hired him. But Rodriguez and Sampson do seem to have the common trait of not minding playing guys who are prone to getting in trouble. Rich Rodriguez has proven that he will recruit and play unsavory characters (Pacman Jones, Chris Henry) in the name of winning. As a lifelong Big Ten fan, that seems to me to be in contrast to what Michigan has stood for over the years.

So I think it is great and absolutely expected that Bill Martin is supporting Rich Rodriguez. It’s only Year One of the Rich Rodriguez Era, so there is no need to panic about the product on the field. Michigan will be good; maybe not by the end of this year, but soon enough. The dilemma for Michigan fans, and perhaps down the road for Bill Martin, is will the wins come at the cost of the integrity and traditional values of Michigan football and the university itself.

Rich Rodriguez is a devil of a coach, a damn good one who has a proven track record of success. For Bill Martin and Michigan, they just have to hope that their deal with this devil does not end up burning them in the end; or that the actual price of success was the soul of a program.

[tags]michigan wolverines, rich rodriguez, college football, big ten, ncaa[/tags]

Well, other than when he was shown in the pre-recorded interview wearing a Penn State shirt (picture, left).

Thanks to Deadspin.com for the tip on this one. I wonder if this was Braylon’s subtle way of trying to ingratiate himself with the Browns fan base, most of which are rabid Jim Tressel butt kissers and Ohio State Buckeye fanatics. Something tells me that even though Braylon Edwards was in the midst of a stellar night, someone at the Browns Backers gathering where I watched the game would have booed if the dirty maize and blue “M” had been emblazoned on Braylon’s shirt.

As it was, when Braylon got caught from behind on the deep pass early in the game, one of the Browns (and ostensibly Ohio State) fans seated near me muttered, “No one catches him if he was a Buckeye.”

(Yes, because as the last two National Championship games and this year’s USC game have proven, Ohio State is renowned for their speed.)

Anyway, the way I see it, now that Rich Rodriguez has come in and begun the process of urinating all over the great tradition of Michigan University football, Braylon might as well make his life easier and just switch allegiances. Sure, the Browns/Buckeyes fans will still have the bad memories of Braylon in the maize and blue #1 jersey, but I think most would welcome him with open arms if he started pasting buckeye logos on his helmet for every big play or sported a gray sweater vest and spectacles in post-game interviews.

I think the Penn State emblem was a subconscious manifestation of the jealous little Buckeye inside of Braylon Edwards screaming to be let out, sick of the annual November rivalry beat down and the arm’s-length love he gets from Browns fans because of his affiliation with the Wolverines. You’re a Cleveland Brown now Braylon. And soon you won’t recognize your alma mater anyway because integrity, academics, and tradition mean nothing in the Rich-centric, damnit-I-will-run-the-spread-with-white-guys-anyway-because-I-have-to-prove-that-I-am-a-genius vision of the world possessed by the Wolverines’ megalomaniacal new head coach/loser.

So this week Braylon, when you get interviewed for the pregame shows talking about the resurgence of the Browns and your incredible performance against the Giants, just let it all out and wear your scarlet and gray. A nation of Buckeye-loving Browns fans is ready to finally embrace you as truly one of their own.

[tags]braylon edwards, nfl, football, ohio state buckeyes, michigan wolverines, rich rodriguez, cleveland browns[/tags]

(Photo art by Midwest Sports Fans)

It was not a good weekend for fans of Tennessee, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. All four teams lost huge games that will have negative ripple effects for the rest of their seasons.

Tennessee feel to 0-3 in the SEC, and 2-4 overall, with a 24-16 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. Phil Fulmer is now squarely on the hot seat and the Volunteers are showing no signs of being able to turn their terrible season around.

Michigan lost for the first time ever to a MAC team as they fell 13-10 to Toledo in the Big House. Rich Rodriguez is stubbornly trying to run the spread offense without the personnel to do so, and proving that he has the biggest ego in college football north of Gainesville, FL. Looks like the bad karma of his unceremonious exit from West Virginia has followed him to Ann Arbor.

Bob Stoops lost for the third time in four years to Texas coach Mack Brown as the Oklahoma Sooners let an early lead disappear in a 45-35 loss to Texas. Bob Stoops proves yet again that he simply can’t win the big one, and is now being sarcastically referred to as “Big Game Bob.” At least the Sooners are still a top 10 team and a couple of Texas stumbles from being right back in the Big 12 race.

And Wisconsin…oh Wisconsin…they were trounced 48-7 by a Penn State team that is playing incredibly well. Brett Bielema has now seen his Badger team fall to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten. Luckily for him, there are no other good teams in the Big Ten, so the Bielema and the Badgers have a good shot of finishing 8-3.

All in all, each of these four coaches was a huge loser this weekend. Phil Fulmer and Rich Rodriguez were bigger losers, as their team’s seasons are pretty much in the tank. However, Phil Fulmer takes the award for Biggest Loser as the latest misstep by the Tennessee Volunteers may in fact be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and forces Fulmer to find a new job.

[tags]college football, michigan wolverines, rich rodriguez, tennessee volunteers, phil fulmer, wisconsin badgers, brett bielema, oklahoma sooners, bob stoops[/tags]

Let’s begin with the most obvious statement of today:  Rich Rodriguez sucks.

Toledo upset Rich Rodriguez and Michigan in the Big House. I think I heard that this makes Toledo the first MAC team to beat Michigan. So, in the last two years Michigan has been defeated by Appalachian State and by Toledo at the Big House. What is that KVB always says? Michigan sucks? Muck Fichigan? Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and relive Michigan’s pathetic performance last year, in light of their continued patheticness this year.

(From last season):

Obviously, Michigan fans and haters can no longer blame Lloyd Carr for the Wolverines’ fall from grace. Nope, there is a new culprit: Rich Rodriguez. And he sucks.  Bad.

Will he eventually win at Michigan? Probably. He is, after all, a soulless egomaniac who is a whore for victories, money, and personal prestige. He’ll find a way to get it done; not for Big Blue, but big for Big Rich.  However, at least for this year, it looks like Rodriguez will fall flat on his face. As far as I’m concerned it serves him right. He ditched his alma mater, he abandoned his senior QB Pat White, and he pissed on Michigan tradition when he first moved to Ann Arbor.

Say what you want about Michigan if you’re a hater (I am), but they do have great tradition. How arrogant do you have to be to come in and not respect the greatness before you? He says he pleads ignorance. Riiiight. What college football fan over the age of 20 doesn’t know that the #1 is worn by the top wideout at Michigan? Good thing Braylon Edwards bitched at Rodriguez. Rich might have saved the #1 for himself.

I say that every loss for Rich Rodriguez this year is deserved. And Michigan deserves it to bringing Rodriguez and his massive ego to Ann Arbor. It’s just like when Indiana hired Kelvin Sampson. When you hire a coach who is more concerned about himself, about money, and what a school can do for him as opposed to it being the other way around, karma will ultimately come back to bite you in the ass. I’d say losing at home to Toledo is a pretty big chomp on the asses of Michigan fans everywhere.

In other news around the college football world today:

#1 Oklahoma jumped out early on #5 Texas, but Colt McCoy and the Longhorns came back to win 45-35. Sam Bradford and McCoy were oustanding, and it now marks the third time in four years that Texas has beaten Oklahoma. Maybe it’s actually Mack Brown who has Bob Stoops’ number now.

Illinois lost to Minnesota. But it’s the Big Ten, so no one really cares.

Ohio State just blocked a punt off of Purdue and returned it for a touchdown. Yeah…Purdue and it’s overrated quarterback Curtis Painter have no chance of going into the Horseshoe and escaping with any besides their head coach’s mustache and a big, fat, demoralizing loss.

[tags]michigan wolverines, rich rodriguez, college football, football[/tags]

This isn’t Bo Schembecler’s Michigan and it’s not Llyod Carr’s, either. It’s a talent loaded soon to be spread offense super force in the Big Ten. The record doesn’t show it, but the film and numbers do.

While the Blue and maize posted a loss to ND on Saturday, they showcased a couple of things worth serious note. The first and foremost being that the RichRod era is just beginning. Despite the turnovers, six in all, four in the second half, handing a ND defense a game they didn’t earn in the first half, Michigan showed some promise. While Notre Dame jumped out to a quick first quarter lead the Wolverines were able to battle back with an offense that has the patented Rich Rodriguez thrill written all over it.

All in all, the Blue dominated the Irish by the numbers. 388 total yards of offense to the Irish’s 260, ten more minutes of possession, seven more conversions to create first down opportunity and a quarterback in Threet that didn’t throw two picks like Jimmy Clausen did. It’s hard to win a game though when you fumble the ball four times and a backup QB throws two picks in the 4^th quarter. So the execution wasn’t there for Michigan but I’ll tell you what was. A passing game that proves a freshman quarterback can get the job done in the spread offense. No, he doesn’t have wheels like Pat White did but he’s 6′6″ and can see the whole field, a key to the spread offense, always move the ball, which he did completing 16 of 23 and having a couple key carries to move along and generate some long drives. He finished the day with a passer rating over just over 147. The kid is nineteen; Stephen Threet looked good enough to be Rodriguez’s man in Ann Arbor for the next couple years, forget Sheridan. But he wasn’t the whole show.

Sam McGuffie (picture below) is the name, hurdling is the game. He’s like a hybrid superback. He’s electrifying and ridiculously hard to tackle. He’s already a YouTube celebrity and has numerous highlight reels, mixtapes and clips of him from his 6,000 plus yard rushing career in High School. In Texas, he was famous for his hurdling of naïve tacklers who thought the knees were the answer. He clears dudes jumping at least 40 inches in the air at times (go waste some time on youtube, it’s worth it.) but his talent has translated to the nest level in a serious way. He showed some potential in the Miami, Ohio game and blew up today. Now, the ND defensive backs proved they can’t tackle anything letting guys slide through constantly but this kid looked good, real good, better than Steve Slaton good and not just against the poor tackling..

The numbers alone speak for themselves on 30 touches he had 178 yards of offense and a TD, that’s almost half of the Wolverine’s effort, but it was simply watching the kid that made you say, “whoa.” (and he is a kid, a true freshman.)

On a 2^nd quarter reception for short yardage he took it forty yards down the field busting through the secondary, shaking grabs and seeing every single seam in the field, which allowed him to really never have a worry about getting taken down The YAC seemed to last almost 20 seconds because he wasn’t moving with breakaway speed. He was simply finding a way to stay standing. It was like the kid knew where the defense would be before the defense even knew. It wasn’t sheer speed like a Devin Hester or power like Marion the Barbarian, nor agility like the Reggie Bush of ‘05 or even the magnetism to the end zone like LT, it was a football sense that showed patience, an understanding of space and incredible potential. It was as if the physics of the game were programmed into his mind. If you didn’t go watch the High School clips yet, go watch them now, you’ll see what I mean. He’s one step ahead of everyone.

So, while the Blue lose to Charlie Weis and his busted knee, do not fret Michigan faithful. Everyone will lose when they fumble 4 times. Give the ball to Stephen Threet and Sam McGuffie spread the field and see what happens, I guarantee when these two freshmen get in a rhythm in Ann Arbor we’ll see a strong finish this year and a serious BCS glimmer in their young eyes come next year because let’s face it Ohio State sucks.

by KVB

Often I read my college friend’s Off The Tracks Purdue blog and he has gotten the attention of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable for his site on the Boilermakers. If I’m not mistaken he got slammed last year by readers for crossing the line in a rant about Notre Dame Football, but otherwise he’s a great writer and Notre Dame still sucks.

Soon maybe Midwest Sports Fans could have some writers in the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable (even though I got rejected by the MAC Conference Bloggers) but until then below I answered their preseason questions. Keep in mind I’m wearing a sweatervest with no pants right now….

1. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently ranked the top 5 rivalries in the Big Ten and there were some controversial results (Illinois v Ohio State as #3?). Clearly Ohio State vs. Michigan is the #1 rivalry in the Big Ten, but give me your next three. It is obvious the Illinois upset over the undefeated Buckeyes last year made that a sexy pick at #3; as well as the game being in Illinois this year and probably on ESPN/ABC. But the ugly wooden “Illibuck” turtle trophy and Ohio State’s 60-30-4 all-time advantage make this not so sweet. The Wisconsin-Minnesota Paul Bunyan Axe gets the award for best trophy. Also, if you are a Big Ten fan you love every stadium in conference except the house that Kent Hrbek built, so be glad for the new outdoor Gopher football church set to be used on Saturday’s in 2009. Anyway…

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Michigan-Michigan State – Some players say these inter-state rivals mean a lot more to them than any others (i.e. Florida-Florida State, Alabama-Auburn, Texas-Texas A&M, USC-UCLA). This is definitely attributed to those same in-state players feeling they got shafted in the recruiting process by “the bigger school” or players at said bigger school feeling embarrassed if they lose to the “weaker program.” Especially at the states big on high school football like Texas, Florida, and California.

Penn State-Ohio State – The Buckeyes took the all-time advantage (12-11) in this one after last year’s beat down in Crappy Valley, 37-17. Before joining the Big Ten, Penn State beat Earle Bruce’s squad 31-19, in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. Compared to Joe Pa’s 7-12 career record, The Nittney Lions got 4 wins against Ohio State before Joe was the man, obviously pre-leather helmets era. I myself have a “Michigan Sucks, Penn State Swallows” t-shirt. Going through my head: I hope I don’t get reamed by the editor for mentioning a state outside of the cornfields.

5. Brian at MGO was kind enough to post a diary entry which gives us and new coach Rich Rodriguez a list of Michigan traditions that maybe we were not all aware of. This has inspired two final questions…

Similar to the succulent Buckeye candies (a peanut butter ball dipped in hot fudge to look like the buckeye tree nut); there is the lesser known, Michigan Cookies! Easy to make too! Put them in a big Bowl and beat them for three hours. Note: Despite the first game on January 1^st, the Outback Bowl in not a big bowl.

KVB