Michigan to announce self-imposed sanctions against football team, will announce specifics next week
From left: U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and football Head Coach Rich Rodriguez listened while Athletic Director David Brandon spoke during the Michigan NCAA media briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
CHICAGO - Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said Monday that the university will announce self-imposed sanctions against its football program for violating NCAA rules next week.
The university has until May 24 to respond to the official Notice of Allegations it received in February detailing five potentially major violations. Brandon said Michigan's entire response will be released publicly the next day.
"We’ve decided as we did from the very beginning we want there to be total transparency," Brandon said from the Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago. "Within 24 hours after the materials being delivered to the committee, we’re going to make them available to the general public. So you’ll have it all, you’ll have our responses, you’ll have the self-imposed sanctions, penalties, that we believe are appropriate. And you’ll have it all to look at."
In February, the NCAA alleged that Michigan violated rules concerning practice limits and staff size. The most serious charges were allegations that coach Rich Rodriguez failed to properly monitor his coaching staff and the university failed to monitor the football program.
Rodriguez said he has his own attorney, a common practice in NCAA cases, and will file his personal response the same day.
“Because I’m named in it I have to have my own response and then what we’ll do is meet with the university and the attorneys will meet and talk and try to get everything together on that,” Rodriguez said. “The university attorneys and my attorney have been working on this process since Day 1, so they’ll continue to do that.”
Big Ten meetings
Here's a look at more news emerging from today's Big Ten's spring meetings in Chicago:
Rodriguez said he was one of “probably 40-some players and 20-some staff members” interviewed by the NCAA during last season.
“I have an opportunity to look at everything and to respond to it,” he said. “That’s a process that’s time consuming. I’ve had to take some time to deal with that, but I’ve hired an attorney that’s kind of got experience doing that to help with that.”
Did Rodriguez learn anything he didn’t know about before?
“I probably can’t talk about that right now,” he said. “I’d like to and I think there’ll be a time where we’ll address it. I think a lot of things that I would probably want to say will be in the response, but I don’t know if everything that I’d like to say will be in the response, and probably everything I would like to say probably I’ll never really ever say.”
Michigan is due before the NCAA Committee on Infractions Aug. 13-14 in Seattle. At that time, the committee can accept Michigan’s self-imposed penalties, add further sanctions or reduce the punishment.
Rodriguez said he’ll attend that hearing, which will be during the first week of fall practice.
“I know we’re all anxious to get it over with,” he said. “It’s a long process. For us, you’d rather it be over six months ago, but talking to everybody else this is kind of the normal time frame that it takes.”
Brandon said Michigan has not yet completed its response. The Wolverines could self-impose penalties including practice-time and staff-size reductions and probation.
"It’s never done until the postage stamp gets put on the envelope," he said. "So there’s still things that are under review and still final changes and additions being made."
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Comments
Jaxon5
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 8:55 p.m.
Thanks Dave Birkett for the additional information about the likely self-imposed sanctions.
ShadowManager
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 1:58 p.m.
Word the street is that the first plan was rejected, but was simplest and heart of the matter most directly :...UM would self-impose "the punishment" upon itself of not having RichRod has their football coach anymore. Check back if they come back to this simple restriction when and if the new plan fails...
Jason
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 12:09 p.m.
There is a lot of negative talk in the comment section. I think most people don't know that Rich Rod took one for Michigan on these so called violations. also anyone who thinks Michigan was on top prior to Rich Rod is fooling themselves. the program hasn't been good since the Alabama victory. compare OSU's ride on to to Michigan when Cooper was at OSU. Michigan had one national title appearance and had to share the title. OSU has three appearances with one out right win. Plus they've dominated Michigan on the field. Rich Rod had one season to turn it around. This team can win 7 or 8 games. The only games I see as for Sure losses are OSU,PSU,and Wisky. They others are all winnable.
CountyKate
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 12:07 p.m.
The issue at hand is not whether or not Michigan can win, or whose program is better, or any of that. The issue here is integrity. Michigan used to be a program that exemplified integrity. We could be proud of our team and our coaches, whether or not they won a bowl game. I know I was. But no longer. It will be years before these sanctions, self-imposed or otherwise, will be forgotten. Even if we win and win big, the question will arise: "Did they do it legitimately?" That's why I'm having trouble with all these "my team, right or wrong" comments. If you truly love Michigan football and the players on that team, you should be sick at heart that our once-sterling reputation has been besmirched. I don't care if we win every game this coming season and a bowl game to boot, as long as Rich Rod is with us that question will linger. As far as I'm concerned, Rich Rod isn't fit to wipe the shoes of Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr. And he sure isn't fit to wear the block M.
a2miguy
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 11:58 a.m.
Self-imposed sanctions are merely protocol. Yes, it sucks that it has to happen to Michigan, but that's the way it's done. Every school deemed to have committed violations imposes sanctions on itself. I'm amazed (well not really, but for lack of a better word) at how many commenters act as if this is something new and as if UM is trying to pull the wool over the NCAA's eyes. This is not news. We've known that UM would self-impose sanctions since what, February? One even wonders why we have yet another story on this site dragging UM through the mud about an old topic with no new information. We've known the official allegations since February. We've known UM would self-impose since February. We've known the May 24 deadline since February. We've known the August hearing date since February. We've known what Coleman, Brandon, and Rodriguez have had to say about the subject since February. What, did you think we forgot?
voiceofreason
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 10:42 a.m.
Mitch, Thanks for posting that article. That should be required reading before anyone is able to post an "angry" opinion on this topic.
shane
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 10:09 a.m.
thanks for the link to the Stokes article Mitch. Its nice to see what players and parents have to say. I'm guessing they know a little more about the situation than these negative posters that i see here. I completely support Michigan Football and Rich Rod.
ChelseaBob
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 9:05 a.m.
If you like RR then get used to this. His ethical judgement in the past has been sorely wanting. He went into business with a banned booster and is now being sued for those business activities. He tried to juke WVA on the contract, then hooked Michigan for it. He's bringing kids to Michigan who have no chance of succeeding academically. He blames the players for losses and takes credit for wins. This is not what our program needs.
Dave Birkett
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 8:08 a.m.
Jaxon5, as to why Michigan will self-impose practice-time restrictions and staff-size reductions, penalties in NCAA cases tend to relate directly to the allegations. To the extent that Michigan deemed it exceeded NCAA limits on practice time, regardless of the reason, the university will dock itself double that amount. That's how it's worked in almost all previous cases. Here's a story David Jesse and I worked on in March that spells out some of what's ahead: http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-football-faces-loss-of-practice-time-probation-in-ncaa-case/
A2lover
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
Well, here we go again! The arrogance and stupidity of Coleman and Brandon. "We are guilty of doing wrong but let us punish ourselves." Yeah, right! It will be (just like always) another slap on the wrist for their poster boy Rich Rod. This team, and the way it's being handled, needs a complete clearing out and overhaul. And, I'm reluctant to say this because there are many University Presidents who either stay out of athletics/football or do a great job in collaborating with them, but Ms. Colemen needs to get herself out of the business of coaching of the coach, but not before getting us a new and better coach.
aarox
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 10:14 p.m.
ugh. 'Self imposed sanctions' is like punting on third down from inside your one. You know you are caught and in trouble and trying to avoid the worst of it. Robbie, I disagree with your view. Yes, RR has two top-15 recruiting seasons. What a lot of people forget is that RR inherited 6 consecutive top TEN recruiting teams from Lloyd Carr, who seems to be "he who will not be named" these days. I don't get it!
azwolverine
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 9:39 p.m.
The 'Leaders and the Best' used to mean something. Now we're just another team that's been hit with NCAA sanctions like all of those teams we used to tilt our noses at. Yeah, RR will win his 8-10 games this year, but he will never erase the smear of both ending our bowl streak and cheating like an SEC team. Sure, other teams have done the same thing...and now we're just another one of those teams. No amount of wins will ever make that go away.
Brian Bundesen
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 8:17 p.m.
According to Dean Wormer, they will put themselves on Double Secret probation.
Terry Star21
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 8 p.m.
'The most serious charges are that Rodriguez failed to properly monitor his football staff, and that the University failed to monitor the team'.... UM will self impose stricter standards than the NCAA, because they are leaders... and teams wish they had the long term success as UM. This will be decided, and all will settle down and the only thing needing 'monitoring', will be fan behavior after 12 consecutive weeks of UM FB victories. Theo and I have been tailgating, first with horse buggies and going to games every year for a long time, and all though we were just very small at that first game in 1879, we have seen it all. UM FB will survive, RichRod will stay and Meeeeechigan will win!
JimB
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 7:52 p.m.
This thing is so bad that even a recruit with a sketchy past, Demar Dorsey, is thinking about not playing in the Big House.
tdogg
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 7:33 p.m.
Look all, let us all please agree to keep it civil. Too many posts are being deleted due to aggressiveness and name calling. We all know this is a difficult and controversial time regarding Michigan football. Normally I just sit and read all your comments, but I felt I had to finally throw my own thoughts into the mix... My thoughts are this: No doubt there are legitimate claims on both sides of the argument (pro RR and anti RR). Bottom line is this, he won't be going anywhere this year and so we all must sit back and wait to see what the next season holds. When the time comes for the new season to begin I would like us all to make our predictions regarding both Michigan's record and RR's corresponding future. I will be waiting to ask you all and would like you all to respond when the time comes. I will record all your predictions so we can all see, when all is said and done, who was right and who was wrong. Until then, please lets all keep it civil... pro RR or anti RR. Soon somebody here will be able to say "I told you so" and the record will show that he or she will be justified. Keep the faith and GO BLUE!!! tdogg
Jaxon5
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 6:57 p.m.
Whatever, the sanctions are, the whole thing should have been avoided in the first place by following the rules. It's a total embarrassment and disgrace to have to go through this process. When you add it to the poor win - loss record over the last 2 seasons, it's a double negative. I'm thinking the sanctions are going to be worse than practice limits and will discourage recruits from coming to U Mich. That's a triple negative.
Jaxon5
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 6:52 p.m.
Why would they impose practice time restrictions and staff size reductions as long as they are in compliance? I don't follow that thought as written in the article above. I would think the penalties would be more like post season play restrictions. (Not that they're going to have any post season to play in anyway.)
voiceofreason
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 6:06 p.m.
David Mesa, The evidence is actually not very strong. I suggest that you actually look at what is accused, and reference it to past NCAA compliance cases. If you were to do so, I believe you would soften your stance a bit.......
David Mesa
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 6 p.m.
Until RR Michigan football was known for winning and not cheating. Now they don't win but they do cheat. Pathetic! The RR lovers insist on blaming the messenger and crying about how other programs cheat worse. The NCAA investigation showed that this was not a witch hunt. Many current and former UM players and parents brought their allegations to the Free Press. The NCAA investigated and brought forth a notice of allegations: Five potential MAJOR violations. The evidence is so strong that UM can not any longer proclaim their innocence. They are hoping this admission will lessen the penalties. If the final report includes even one major violation Rich Rod should be fired right away. If he is fired for cause, not wins and losses, UM will not have to pay his buyout. Good riddance!
Otto
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 5:59 p.m.
Good intentions poorly executed seem to be on the rise in the greater stadium neighborhood. Could it be coincidence or a problem with the water supply? :)
voiceofreason
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 4:45 p.m.
Macabre, I'm sorry, but your belief that "Rodriguez ran off Mallett" is simply not correct. I knew Mallett for his year in Ann Arbor, and he and his father decided that the spread wouldn't help him in his mission to become an NFL QB. Regarding the actual story, it's great to see they are getting self-imposed sanctions out of the way early. This will no longer be a distraction during the season, and Mary Sue Coleman has already said that programs across the country are currently firing QC staff to avoid being placed in this same situation as Michigan. I see the typical "Michigan Haters" have latched onto this as some sort of knock against Rich Rodriguez, but this is only because they are worried about this team reaching its potential over the next couple of years. It appears that Michigan is indeed being made an example of. Because of this, the program will be let off with some very minor self-imposed sanctions.
marineblue
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 4 p.m.
good for MSC, BD, and RR to be on top of this issue. the sanctions will be minimal and Michigan will be able to swiftly move away from this. it is a good that this happened as it will give brandon the opportunity to get all depts w/ in the AD, the alumni(boosters), and fan base in line. either you are "all in" or we don't have a need for you. ps. despite your please aa.com, it seems like most of these posts are off topic...
Macabre Sunset
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:36 p.m.
Kubrick, I think you've illustrated your lack of football knowledge perfectly. Mallett was as huge a blue-chip quarterback recruit as we've ever had here. He left before the losing started. Why? Because RichRod told him he'd have to run a gimmick variation on the spread that didn't suit his talents at all. He knew he'd have a lot more trouble reaching the NFL under this system. Most NFL teams use some spread concepts, some more than others. The Patriots are the closest to what you see with many college teams - but even then it's pass-based and the receiver play is so much more sophisticated than you could ever run with college kids and limited practice time. Robinson and Forcier had 187 rushing attempts in 12 games. That's 15.6 per game. Even the greatest rushing quarterback in NFL history, Michael Vick, had only 7.7 runs per game in his most prolific season. Randall Cunningham is the leading quarterback runner in NFL history - he averaged less than 5 rushes per game over his career. What RichRod does has no relevance in the NFL. So players will see that and look elsewhere. It's far more damaging, even, than the 16 losses over two seasons.
Yelmonian
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:32 p.m.
I am tired of hearing that UM didn't have any players available, and the cupboards were bare for RR. They weren't bare. Players left early to the NFL, they transferred to other teams, etc... because they knew RR can only coach a spread offense. He is a system coach... not a coach. He couldn't adapt to the talent he had on the team (which is what a COACH is supposed to do)... so he was willing to lose games, and blame it on the players he had. He keeps saying, wait until I get my players, and then I'll be a really good coach. Enough. Heck, even Dantanio was able to coach up players that went 3-9 the year before he became coach at MSU. And Dantonio had recruits bail, because they had signed up with JLS. RR is a system coach only. He can't do anything but his "spread offense".
ShadowManager
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:29 p.m.
Whole Lotta Kool-Aid seems to have been drunk by some certain commentators today!
Kubrick66
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:24 p.m.
Macabre Sunset... You should educate yourself in the realities of the football world. Every NFL team uses some form of the spread. The top recruits commit to schools that are winning, no matter what kind of "gimmick" offense they run. Win football games and the blue chips will follow. It's that simple.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:14 p.m.
Of course it matters. The problem with RichRod is that he refused to adjust to the talent that Michigan had. When RichRod came in, the experts said he would struggle a little because he was known for using the spread offense. But they said it wouldn't be so bad because the defense had a lot of experience and talent. And Mallett would be effective, as long as Rodriguez didn't insist on running the exact same playbook he ran in a weaker conference. But Rodriguez paid no attention to the defense, and all those experienced kids who were learning under Carr were wasted. Only Graham broke out. And he ran off Mallett, insisting on using that playbook. Mallett will be a first-rounder next year. And Lokalisie is right. Pathetic is far beyond just a losing season. We are in unprecedented pathetic right now. RichRod should have been fired last year. First because of his pathetic record, second because of his insistence on running a playbook that didn't fit his athletes and third because he didn't follow the NCAA rules.
Finana
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:14 p.m.
Mr. Sunshine... I mean Robbie...get a hold on reality son. Top ten recruiting classes will make no difference with this gimmick offense. The defense was no terrible that 1 recuriting class will make no difference. I predict 5 wins if they are lucky! Luck does not seem to happen for Mr. Rod.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3 p.m.
Robbie, I use Phil Steele's annual rankings. He has an unbiased system and the best prediction record of any of the annuals. Carr did have a top-ten recruiting class every single year he was here. We are starting to see the effects of a new system that's irrelevant to the pro game. The top recruits are starting to look elsewhere because they're worried that simply learning a gimmick offense and paying no attention to defense will hurt their NFL chances.
Crustyc11
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:58 p.m.
Harbaugh is on speed dial at Brandon's office!
Macabre Sunset
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:53 p.m.
Edward, Yes, '57-63 was the previous low point with the program. They were 16-28-4 in the Big Ten over that span. Awful, and why we owe so much to Bo Schembechler for restoring greatness to Michigan football. RichRod is 3-13 in the Big Ten. The only other extremely low point was under Harry Kipke, who went 5-17 in conference play from 1934 until he was fired after 1937. The 1934-36 overall record of 12 games below.500 is by far the worst three-year record Michigan has ever seen. This is what RichRod is trying to avoid. He already has the worst two-year record.
Lokalisierung
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:51 p.m.
*Sigh* Ok then...if you really want to be a stickler, that is not what I said. "What they've never had is 2 pathetic seasons in a row...and 3 is coming up." Clearly never said anything about losing seasons but you took it that way so whatever. Still from my side, rod's 2 seasons are more pathetic than any other. Obviously Osterban's was better so it just leaves Bump's...which I think was better. But like most things sports that's debatable to the end. Bump's 5-11-2 Bennie's 7-9-2 Rod - 8-16
gatling64
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:50 p.m.
EDWARD VEILMENTTI The current fans don't remember the days when beating OSU or MSU was out of the question.We had so much success that they assumed that michigan football would be a continous stream of victories.Life doesn't work that way.I recall when Iowa under Hayden Fry beat Texas in a bowl game 70-7!I always wondered when our turn would arrive.Well we had it.With two top recruiting classes we are now past the downward spiral and now have the tools to win big again.Congrats to the HS players that stuck with UM even though the product on the field was horrible
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:47 p.m.
Mr. Sunset, wrong. Carr's latter year classes were not in the top ten. And Bo never won a championship and Carr only won one. That offense is old school and obviously will not beat teams like Florida and Alabama. The only reason we beat Florida in the capitol one bowl was because Carr installed the spread for that game and Florida wasn't expecting it, otherwise, we most likely would have lost.
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:44 p.m.
Edward, wrong. USC probably isn't going to get probation, and their situation is much worse as the possibility of lack of institutional control might be given, which Michigan was not cited for.
Kubrick66
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:43 p.m.
Seriously... Michigan should tell the NCAA to back off or they'll mount their own investigation into every other major program in the country. This whole thing has been one big joke. An extra 20 minutes of stretching a few times a week... Making players run laps for missing classes in the summer. A petty waste of time, resources and money.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:43 p.m.
This must be seen as a preemptive strike--an effort beat the NCAA to the punch and thereby hopefully softening the NCAA's blow. Tells me the U of M expects really bad news from the NCAA. Good Night and Good Luck
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:39 p.m.
Lokalisierung, your comment was that this is the first time they have had two losing seasons, and that was a big false. Again, if Mr. Brandon saw that Rich Rod was not the man for the job and that he would tarnish the program, then he would have been let go a long time ago.
Lokalisierung
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:35 p.m.
If you consider "new to UofM football" meaning I wqasn't alive in the 60s last time theyu were horrible then yes, I am "new."
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:20 p.m.
No one wants to come play for him? Have you paid attention to our recruiting classes? Top ten his first year and top 15 the last two. Number 2 recruiting class in the big ten last year above OSU. His classes have been alot better than Carr in his latter years.
Finana
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:18 p.m.
Rich Rod is a joke. Don't you know it by now. 2 very bad seasons in addition to NCAA penalties coming that will blow you out of the water. Brandon should have deep sixed Rich Rod when he had the chance. The excuses about having little to work with is his own fault as no one wants to play for him. He also is a terrible X's and O's coach. They will be lucky to win 5 games this year. That's what all the pundants are saying as well.
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:17 p.m.
You can't expect everyone who walks into Michigan to be perfect. You're setting yourself up for disappointment. I understand fan's frustrations, but it doesn't matter who was at the helm, if any coach had what Rich Rod had in the beginning, then the results would have been very similiar. Michigan will win more than seven games this year. I wasn't one of those fans who predicted an undefeated season last year, although I am guilty of high hopes after starting 4-0. This is still Michigan, we still have more wins than any other team. Bringing in another coach with the playbook that Michigan has had since the beginning of time will not win another championship anytime soon. The big ten has not stepped into the new millenia. The big ten has had success in bowl games, but in terms of championships, the last one won was in 2002 by OSU, then in 1997 by Michigan before that, and then 1970 by OSU before that! That's horrible. Times have changed. Rome wasn't built in a day. And had Rodriguez had a handful of experienced veterans to start off with, then the results would be alot better.
gatling64
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:10 p.m.
ROBBYWEBB It seems the ducks are finaaly in place for us as far as talent is concerned,even though we are counting on very young players, maybe even freshman.In reality we only lost Graham and Ortman as Mooseman was playing out of positon, both running backs were injured, Warren played hurt and S.Brown never grasped the position.Under normal circumstances one could say that we ar still building but the fans desperately want to see results this season,and th epressure is on the coaches.I pray that Grob can develope a tough defense,an overpowering type of defense that we havent seen in 5-6 years.The offesne will be OK,I have no doubt about that.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:08 p.m.
I wish I had Robbie's enthusiasm. But at least there's comfort in knowing that if he's wrong, the RichRod experiment will end and we can finally put the darkest era in Michigan football history to rest. Funny that we're all here hoping for a season equivalent to the worst season Lloyd Carr had in 13 years. And that despite the fact that RichRod has had by far the worst results of any coach in Michigan history, he has managed to screw things up so badly that the program faces NCAA sanctions.
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
I don't see how you think we would lose to anyone in the first six games. Can't compare this team to last year. In terms of experience and depth, we're already leaps and bounds better. Uconn will put up a fight, but we will pull out the win. We beat Notre Dame last year with the team we had and Notre Dames team last year was better and more experienced than this year, another win. Bowling Green and Mass speak for themselves. Indiana will get beat. And MSU is in for revenge when they come back to Ann Arbor. Lost to them in overtime, and that was with the poor defense we had last year in East Lansing.
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:58 p.m.
Nope, that's not happening. Hence why he's still our coach. And Rich Rod is the right man for the job, and David Brandon knows that, as someone who played for Michigan uner Bo and knows about tradition and how Michigan football is and if he saw that he wasn't the man, he would have let him go when the violation allegations were handed out.
Lokalisierung
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:54 p.m.
"6-0 right there, so destroys the losing season argument" haha...wow yeah you reeally blew that one out of the water eh?
uawisok
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.
If we are lucky maybe the sanctions will include R.Rod being banished from Michigan!
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:49 p.m.
Defense will be much improved as they wont have walkons playing and more experience. Rich Rod's offense did their job for the most part as they were #3 in scoring offense under Wisconsin and MSU. Iowa, MSU,and Purdue were a stop away from at least an 8-4 season. Not the offenses fault, which Rich Rod runs. Uconn-MSU are very winnable games, that's 6-0 right there, so destroys the losing season argument. And any coach would have struggled with what Rich Rod had to start out with. You can be the greatest coach in the world, but if you don't have the talent that Michigan requiers, then it doesn't matter. Rich Rod was left with nothing in the beginning (e.g. Threet and Sheridan at quarterback) and let's not forget injuries adding to the proglem in 09.
Lokalisierung
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:41 p.m.
yeah yeah...same argument different day. They will lose this season. horrible coach, horrible defense, horrible everything.
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:29 p.m.
Yes they have had two losing seasons in a row, number three is not coming up, and success when changing Michigan's old playbook which wont win another championship does not happen over night. Especially when we had a young team and no depth. Even this year we only have 12 seniors.
Lokalisierung
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:25 p.m.
"they don't have a clue what they're talking about and are just upset that success didn't happen over night." Actually i believe the football program here has alweays had success over night. What they've never had is 2 pathetic seasons in a row...and 3 is coming up.
righteouswinger
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:17 p.m.
Dave Brandon, Mary Sue Coleman and the University of Michigan simply puddles on the floor, while the rest of the Big Ten goes on as usual. Why not just concede the season rather than fighting the NCAA? Wimpy won't win anything.
Robbie Webb
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:13 p.m.
aareader, don't worry, 2010 will be a great season. Let the haters talk, they don't have a clue what they're talking about and are just upset that success didn't happen over night. None oft them have had anything to say when I present the facts. It will be a great season and a return to dominance for Michigan! GO BLUE!!!
aareader
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:04 p.m.
Let us hope the soon to be announced self imposed restrictions are enough to put the issues to bed. Blue needs move on and have an exciting season. Football is more fun when there are not outside problems clouding the action on the field.