Go Blue Michigan Wolverines Thread....

[MadDog 88]

My hatred for Michigan shall continue until Coach Rod gets ****canned.
(dammit, they're even making me root for the Buckeyes once a year)

I can only imagine how deep your seething for Rod runs but from what I have read, your anger should be directed at the Governor and University President. My understanding is that some promises were made to Rod and didn't get followed through because they never thought he would resign.

Quite honestly, I'm not real happy with Rod. I thought it was a mistake for Bill Martin to not bring in Jim Harbaugh. Hell, he didn't even consider him that douchebag. If Rod goes, I am sure the Alumni will be expressing their interest in Harbaugh to the new AD,Dave Brandon, who is also a Michigan grad and played for Bo.

[MadDog 88]

Although they suffered a let down against UMass, the defense is going to struggle with the run. They are to small to contend with the mammoth sized OL that some of the Big 10 teams have.

On a bright note, over the last 10-15 years Michigan teams would have lost that game.

[ChambersWI]

Hey Mich...always remember..the best move is alot of times the one you don't make.
You better give RichRod more of a chance...
I'm glad he is not at Bama and we got Saban,but look at what you guys almost went
after...Les "Buggs Bunny" Miles.

Rod has the support of the new AD, and the whole school. I've become frustrated because of all the defensive transfers the last year and a half, and losing in general, BUT I'll give him credit where credit is due he has improved the program in certain ways. But he has to let G-Rob run his defense not this crap 3-3-5 from West Virginia. And he also has to stop offering all the scholarships and take the first 30 guys to accept. With all due respect to Bumpus and West Virginia, Rod does not have to recruit like he did down there. The thing I've noticed in Rod's 2 full recruiting classes is that he'll offer lesser guys early and then he will get lucky and pull better prospects in late for different reasons (Denard Robinson and DeMar Dorsey come to mind). Now I like our classes, and I think our class this year has started off pretty well, and I think that's cause Rod finally gets it.

I also think Rod is finally getting that playing strictly like he did at West Virginia, or even as the OC for Tulane with Forcier/Threet at QB, is not gonna cut it in the Big 10. Again, with all due respect to the Big East, the Big 10 is a different monster. Even though our offense finally has Rod's type of guy and it looks very similar to WVU, it's a bit different as well (more balanced passing and less crappy bubble screens). I think Brian Kelly is going to go through a similar thing at Notre Dame. Great offensive mind, but doesn't have much experience against better talent. He's gonna have to adjust.

That being said, if Rod has another losing season he's out. While looking back now I'm glad we don't have Les Miles as our HC, one of the most popular Wolverines of all time is proving himself to be a very very good HC at Stanford and both parties would jump at the idea of bringing Jim Harbaugh back to Ann Arbor.

As for our team now Ted... I think the OL, Shoelace, and Odoms/Stonum/Roundtree/Koger are good enough to keep us in Big 10 games now, but we need a running game (1 good game for Shaw isn't going to convince me), and anybody not named Craig Roh or Mike Martin (ESPECIALLY Mike Martin) need to be more consistent. I don't think JT Floyd has been too bad at CB, and Mouton has had 2 good games out of 3. Jordan Kovacs isn't that athletic but he goes all out, and as long as he isn't the deep safety he's ok. Obi Ezeh needs to be off the field. Cam Gordon needs to keep improving, and James Rogers needs to get consistent.

The Big 10 schedule will be tough, but as long as we limit all the big pass plays we've given up the last 2 years I'm ok.

[ChambersWI]

For all you draft nicks, Taylor Lewan has now won the starting LT for Michigan. Lewan has been nicknamed Jake 2.0 because of his uncanny resemblance of Jake Long in look, stature, and style of play.

Also, Patrick Omameh is a STUD at guard.

[SA_BUTTA]

Well, in typical Michigan fashion we lost to MSU after a 4-0 start. Ted you were right about the Big Ten and it does not get any easier this week against Iowa. I actually thought we could beat MSU and probably lose to Iowa, but boy was I wrong...Now I am really worried about even getting to decent Bowl game.

Redemption starts saturday

[ChambersWI]

The MSU game was on Shoelace. Yeah the D struggled, but it's mostly the LBs and Cam Gordon. Even with the D's struggles, Shoelace hits on 2 throws that were bad INTs, and it's tied at 31 entering the 4th quarter.

[SA_BUTTA]

True, and allowing 536 total yards of offense didnt help either...

[ChambersWI]

like I said, the D is bad, but I see improvement in some areas. Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergan, and Craig Roh could start 9 out of 11 Big 10 teams. Jordan Kovacs has become a good player, and the CBs are improving. They still suck at tackling, but they're becoming damn good in coverage, and not giving up YAC.

Problem continues to be LBs and deep safety. Cam Gordon is taking horrible angles and is doing poor tacking, but he's young. He's improving in coverage, but a lot of big plays have come because he just dives shoulder first or takes bad tackling angles. Jones Mouton has been good at times horrible at others, and Obi Ezeh is just BAD. And for a team that plays a lot of 3 man fronts, poor LB play isn't a good thing

[ChambersWI]

word on the street is that AD David Brandon is putting together a potential list of HC candidates. He doesn't want to fire Rich Rod, but he knows what Michigan should be. It is said that Brandon would prefer to tell Rich Rod to let Greg Robinson chose his own defensive staff or get a new DC and let him pick his staff.

I'm not totally on the fire Rich Rod band wagon yet, but he's gotta let Robinson run his own defense. The 3-3-5 does not work in the Big 10. If we do go after a new HC my top 5 would be.

1.Jimmy Harbaugh- No explanation needed/
2.Greg Schiano- turned Rutgers into a good program has national experience from his days in Miami.
3.Brady Hoke- Former Michigan assistant, has midwest ties
4.Kevin Sumlin- Has Midwest ties, and also runs a spread offense so not much of a transition
5.Randy Edsall- A guy a lot of Wolverine fans like because he coaches to his players strengths.

If we replace Rich I also want somebody whose a decent recruiter.

[ChambersWI]

I'm still kind of on the fence about firing Rod or not. His offense has looked great even in Big Ten Play (problem has been Robinson has been inconsistent as a passer), but the defense has been awful. Even with giving up all those points against the Illini, that was when we went 3-3-5. When we played a 4-3 or 3-4 in the 3rd quarter, we didn't give up any points.

The talent on defense is there (especially since we finally put Kenny Demens in at MLB), but we can't play that stupid 3-3-5 in the Big 10. IMO we either need to let GRob hire his own staff and run his D, or get a new DC and let him run his D. RichRod wants to run his West Virginia D, and it just can't work in the Big 10, and Rod's refusal to change could cost him his job.... that and going 0fer against MSU and OSU