U of M thread (in the Lions Forum) :)

[WingsFan]

Michigan might have a (very) slim chance vs Missu, if they draw Okie St (forget about it)

[Fraquar]

The ultimate embarrassment would be to put Michigan vs Toledo.

[gjdodger]

I can make you a Putz

I couldn't figure out how to do it in CP. I'd rather be a schlemiel.

[Newbomb Turk]

The ultimate embarrassment would be to put Michigan vs Toledo.

yeah, for Toledo...

[Mainevent]

This is pretty hilarious:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon says he's not letting speculation about Rich Rodriguez's future change his timetable to evaluate the football coach.

Brandon reiterated Monday morning that he doesn't do performance reviews of coaches until their seasons are over.

That might make for another uncomfortable month for Rodriguez.
He helped the Wolverines qualify for a bowl -- possibly the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28 -- for the first time in his three seasons in charge of college football's winningest program.

The situation swirling around Rodriguez's status might turn into a circus at the team's banquet Thursday night because Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh plans to be there to be honored along with his 1985 teammates.

[Masspartan]

Jim Harbaugh's name is being mentioned for the soon to be open San Francisco job. Makes some sense.

[Kstat]

They get to save 1.5 million if they fire Rodriguez after January 1...that's the only reason he'll even be coaching the bowl game. Brandon isn't an idiot. He's not going to retain RichRod and be cast into the fire with him.

[gjdodger]

They get to save 1.5 million if they fire Rodriguez after January 1...that's the only reason he'll even be coaching the bowl game. Brandon isn't an idiot. He's not going to retain RichRod and be cast into the fire with him.

Salient point about waiting until Jan. 1 to make the announcement. I don't think Brandon is Bill Martin, and I think he will have his coach locked up, on the QT, well before then.

http://www.freep.com/article/20101127/COL22/101127025/1319/Brandon-must-decide-Rodriguezs-fate-quickly

This has been discussed. I'm really doubtful Brandon's job would be imperiled if he stuck with RichRod one additional year, regardless of the results. However, as I've said, I think their mind was made up before the season even started.

[jaadam4]

This banquet cant come at a better time!!

[Topweasel]

Jim Harbaugh's name is being mentioned for the soon to be open San Francisco job. Makes some sense.

That is going to be a big issue as well. Michigan of old isn't a quick fix bad year = replace coach school. The last thing they ever want to deal with is a coach that wants to leave after three years and a big bowl game to go to the pro's or "bigger" team. It's why the term "Michigan Man" exists. You want someone who wants to be a life long Michigan coach (like Mike Hart lol). Even if Harbaugh wants to coach Michigan, every year he has success at Michigan and his brother with the Raven's will make it that much harder to not go pro. Hell another year of this with Schwartz whom I still like, I would want the Lions to go after him. That's not the situation Michigan has ever wanted in their coaches.

[jaadam4]

Let him come and fix this fcukin mess Dickhead created and then he can do whatever he wants.

[Fraquar]

I'd argue that Top's argument is EXACTLY why you don't hire RichRod in the first place - and why you bring in a Harbaugh.

Last thing a school of Michigan's stature needed was to bring in a guy who "can't win without his players" and it's gonna take 5 years to get them. In the meantime you get relegated to being a laughing stock in the conference if not the nation.

[froot loops]

The one thing that always puzzles me about the Rich Rodriguez hire and the need to get his players, a lot of these Michigan fans also follow the Lions. We seen a parade of geniuses come through needing their own players to make it work for the Lions and it never works. They never sniffed this out.

Most of the time these systems evolve as adaptations of some other system based on the players you have at the time. If you don't have the players, don't run that system. The best coaches are flexible.

[gjdodger]

The one thing that always puzzles me about the Rich Rodriguez hire and the need to get his players, a lot of these Michigan fans also follow the Lions. We seen a parade of geniuses come through needing their own players to make it work for the Lions and it never works. They never sniffed this out.

Most of the time these systems evolve as adaptations of some other system based on the players you have at the time. If you don't have the players, don't run that system. The best coaches are flexible.

Well, my shallow, seat-of-the-pants conclusion has been that RichRod is the sort of guy who feels he has to put one over on you to get ahead. He has to cut corners on practice rules; he has to sign players with criminal records. And on the field, he has to run an offense with a lot of misdirection and feints and abracadabra. It worked in the slewfooted Big East; in the Big Ten, those linebackers are big, fast, strong and will kill you, especially if you bobble the ball a little bit on the snap or the exchange. But that was why he couldn't use a Ryan Mallett; he was still convinced when he got to Ann Arbor that he could win with a sleight of hand offense.

[chemiclord]

Iowa used a Spread Offense under Kirk Ferenz quite effectively for years in the Big Ten.

The schemes inherently aren't the problem. The problem is when you force those schemes onto players that can't run it, and steadfastly refuse to adjust your schemes based on the talent you have.