Adam Rittenberg Shows RR Some Love
I just read this paragraph on espn and it made me smile. Rittenberg excluded, winning can even make some of the biggest tools show RR alittle love.
Edit: I didn't mean to make him out to be a tool. I was just saying the media in general.
1. Rich Rodriguez's offense might save his job: Rip on Michigan's defense all you want, but the Wolverines' offense deserves a lot of credit this season. Michigan overcame five turnovers to rack up 67 points, 676 offensive yards and 33 first downs against a good Illinois defense that entered Saturday ranked 12th nationally in points allowed (16.8 ppg) and 15th in yards allowed (301.4 ypg). Despite losing starting quarterback Denard Robinson to a head injury, Michigan kept rolling behind backup Tate Forcier. Wideout Roy Roundtree had a historic day with a team-record 246 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Wolverines needed every bit of offense to beat Illinois in triple overtime, but they're now bowl eligible and can breathe a little easier before a very winnable game at Purdue. Seven wins should ensure Rodriguez is back in 2011.
http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/32103/what-we-learned-in-the-big-ten-week-10-3
What are your thoughts?
November 7th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
Personally (JMO) at this point I think RR is back regardless, but the more wins the better.
I expect we will slam Purdue, and it will be fun.
November 7th, 2010 at 8:01 PM ^
Firing a coach after only 3 years requires some pretty serious malfeasance, and there just isn't anything to support such a move. If the offense was as bad as the defense, then coupled with the NCAA stuff there would be some justification for getting rid of him.
As it is, there are signs of significant progress and future greatness, so pulling the trigger would be pretty damaging to the program. I don't think Dave Brandon is that dumb. Quite the converse, actually.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:02 PM ^
plus, this is the school that gave Tommy Amaker five years. Rich Rod stays.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:55 PM ^
I would hope, though, this school learned a lot from the experience of giving Amaker 5 years, which was about two years too many. Nice guy, but it was clear he lost his team and the program a couple years before the ax finally fell.
November 7th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
The good news is Rodriguez has not lost this team. I think that was clear during the game and after the game. Effort and support for each other was abundantly clear.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:29 PM ^
The real question now is whether RR gets an extension. I think this is important for recruiting. Beat Purdue, and win a bowl, and I bet he gets an extension, and rightfully so.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:36 PM ^
I'd rather Brandon wait to see how next year develops before handing out an extension. Especially given the fact that there will likely be some shuffling around on the staff no matter what happens. RR comes back next year and proves that 2008 and 2009 are a thing of the past, go ahead, work that contract.
November 8th, 2010 at 12:19 AM ^
to match a coaching staff shakeup. It will make it easier to draw in talented assistants.
So no changes this year, no extension. Changes next year means 3 year extension to give the new staff assurance that they'll have time to show what they can do.
November 8th, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^
An extension for a guy who has produced the worst season, Big Ten record, and defenses in UM? An extension for a guy who was in charge when UM was placed on probation for the first time?
<br>
<br>It boggles the mind that you think that he deserves an extension.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:41 PM ^
Amaker couldn't really recruit anyone, seeing as we still were seeing the last years of the repercussions of the Fab Five. He's not doing bad at his new gig.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:59 PM ^
Amaker's two best recruiting classes came in his first two years - the two years when the Ed Martin scandal was being wrapped up. His recruiting actually got worse after the case was resolved.
November 8th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
"Nice guy, but it was clear he lost his team and the program a couple years before the ax finally fell."
What part of your point is relevant to Rodriguez? The team played their guts out for him Saturday.
Unless you were just trying to interject some much un-needed negativity into the topic, this comment seems pretty pointless.
November 7th, 2010 at 10:20 PM ^
We actually gave Amaker six years. But it's an apples/oranges comparison because football is far more essential to the athletic budget. The stadium, including suites, has to keep on selling out.
November 7th, 2010 at 10:23 PM ^
Was I the only one who noticed a ton of empty seats up in the suites yesterday, not to mention the chairbacks? Is that a function of people having tickets in multiple places, being elsewhere in the suite structures, etc., or are there really just a lot of unsold/underused premium seats?
November 7th, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^
Some of them may have been unsold, but I know they came pretty close to their goal. I think they said around July that something like 70 of the 81 suites had been leased.
November 8th, 2010 at 8:39 AM ^
I have tickets in the premium seating, and I can tell you the indoor common areas were pretty crowded. I think a lot of people just went indoors to keep warm and watch the game. FWIW. I stayed outside.
November 8th, 2010 at 8:58 AM ^
Amaker coached 6 seasons in Ann Arbor
November 8th, 2010 at 12:10 AM ^
Horrid defense and special teams indicate future greatness to you? 0-8 vs MSU, PSU, and OSU indicate future greatness to you? 6 nonqualifers in the last class indicate greatness to you?
<br>
<br>At this point, a rational being could only say that only the offense us headed for greatness based on the available facts. The rest of the team can only be assumed to continue to be terrible because that us what they have been for three years.
<br>
<br>
November 8th, 2010 at 1:28 AM ^
Here is one more assumption for you. Your a douche. I"m assuming.
But I think I am right.
November 8th, 2010 at 10:30 AM ^
Assuming that Mich hired Rich Rod for his offense I'd say that he has succeeded(obviously the football team put up one less point than the basketball team did the night before). If we had hired him for his defense or special teams then I'd say he has failed; however, I say its still hard to say whether its Greg Robinson's fault or its just plain youth in our secondary( i think i heard something like 9 true freshman on defense this weekend). If Warren had stayed and Woolfolk didn't get knocked out for the season this could have been a different season for us. Actually the defense didn't look too bad AT TIMES in the Illinois game, hard to believe, but they did have back to back stops in the second half. Have Woolfolk next year, and the some experience in the secondary will help regardless, and we really don't lose anyone besides Mouton on D I believe.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
I am all in as long as we fire GRob and let someone have more control of the defense. Which isn't really thinking outside the box, but that offense is too good to just give up on it. Almost everyone is coming back next year on offense, besides Schilling and Dorrestein, oh my, I have a hard-on just thinking of the damage that we will do next year.
Edit: Don't know why a neg was necessary but whatever, to each his own.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
I thought our head coach was going to be fired after the season?
Oh, you must mean that we're going to hire a new head coach with a similar offensive scheme.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:37 PM ^
expect anything with this defense. I love this teams will but we need to get more physical and more athletic on defense.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
That's where recruiting comes into play. Hopefully we can snag a few more top prospects, with a strong finish.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
we need to get more physical old and more athletic unfreshmanlike on defense.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:01 PM ^
Our defense actually looks alright for the next 2 years. Next year should be much better (I hope), Martin will be a Senior, Roh will be a junoir, Demens is coming along, Avery, gordon and vinpoal look promising and of course, we'll have T-wolf back.
RR needs to bring in a D-Coordinator and let him run his own scheme, don't force the 3-3-5 down someones throat because you like it.
November 8th, 2010 at 7:43 AM ^
November 8th, 2010 at 12:01 AM ^
than explain the first two years?
<br>
<br>You act like this is a recent problem with RR, when in fact it is not.
November 8th, 2010 at 4:11 AM ^
Year 1: The Michigan offense was so bad it was constantly putting the D in poor position. So what was suppossed to be the strength of the team just got wore down every game. (Record 3-9)
Year 2: Michigan starts over on defense with a new D Coordinator and young players. The offense still is young, with a true freshman QB starting and the best offensive player injured most the year. (Record 5-7)
Year 3: The D gets even younger and switches systems for the 3rd year in a row. The offense finally is healthy and rocking. (Record 6-3)
I see improvement every year here. Even with the defense playing bad as they ever have at Michigan the team is still 6-3 right now.
November 8th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
Courtney Avery looked pretty decent for a true freshman, including that great open field tackle he made to prevent a first down i believe.
November 8th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
Courtney Avery looked pretty decent for a true freshman, including that great open field tackle he made to prevent a first down i believe.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:59 PM ^
I hope when you mention biggest tools, that wasn't a reference to Rittenburg. He actually has been positive toward Michigan.
Edit : Should be Rittenberg, not Rittenburg. Thought that looked off.
November 7th, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^
When you edit a post, you're allowed to actually change what you wrote.
November 7th, 2010 at 8:14 PM ^
I know, unless it's really bad grammar, I tend to not change anything.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:15 PM ^
If it's really bad grammar you will change it.
If it's merely bad grammar it will remain unchanged.
Just checking, as I'm detecting grammar issues in both posts (but certainly not negging because that's not how I roll).
November 7th, 2010 at 9:36 PM ^
Thanks. I should be more clear. After your statement, I re-read what I wrote and you are right. It's bad grammar. Sorry about that. After school, my grammatical skills are getting progressively worse.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
Honestly guys, you're grammar could of been alot worse.
November 7th, 2010 at 11:38 PM ^
I don't understand what your trying to say
November 7th, 2010 at 7:41 PM ^
I second SysMark. Some friends of mine were at the practice on Wednesday and said that DB was at the practice and on the sideline with RR. From what it sounded like, DB is going out of his way to make sure he understands RR and his program, he will not be making a knee-jerk decision.
I had another friend that saw DB at a fundraiser and he said that DB was not overtly happy about the NCAA findings. He felt that the University never should have been put in that position in the first place, so although the findings were favorable, he's still not happy. The feeling from the second friend was that DB will give RR a firm, but very fair evaluation, and if it means that he needs to do something to help out, he will.
DB has been the best hire the University has made in a long time!!!
November 7th, 2010 at 10:02 PM ^
Brandon is at practice most days, and is on the sidelines during games. It's abundantly clear that no matter what happens, whether RR is retained or fired, it will not be an uninformed decision. Brandon is putting himself in a position to know all the facts, to be visible, to understand what's going on in his most visible program, and that's absolutely the right thing to do.
November 8th, 2010 at 3:48 AM ^
I mean, fiscal health, profitability, and stadium renovations are all pretty important. I'm still confident that Rich Rod was a good hire (although the Miles and Sailboats story seemed pretty bad back then), and Beilein has done a decent enough job.
I may be unaware of glaring strikes against Bill Martin, though.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
Rittenburg is far from a tool. He is usually pretty good, imho.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:41 PM ^
Rittenberg is good because he gets a lot of his Michigan info right here. I know he's gotta be on Mgoblog a lot to be linking/referencing posts.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:43 PM ^
In the world of the mainstream media, Rittenburg is generally as far from being a tool as they get, I think. He usually doesn't spout random nonsense, has some amount of reasoning behind his thoughts, and doesn't engage in shock journalism.
Edit: twice beaten to it.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:49 PM ^
As far as reporters go, Rittenberg does a good job of 1) presenting facts to back up his opinions while allowing for alternate opinions to exist and 2) doing his best to err on the side of caution rather than sensationalism.
November 7th, 2010 at 8:49 PM ^
The fact that he looks like Rosenbergs brother and doesnt write complete dribble makes him good in my book
November 7th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
RR can simply come up with an average Div-I defense that hovers around being ranked 50th-60th in all categories while maintaining this offense.
November 7th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
Ok enough of that. We don't want a mediocre defense either. We want a top notch offense and defense. It's the only way to keep consistency.
November 7th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
Don't be too hard on Cali for his evaluation of Rittenberg as a tool. I'm sure he just saw "media" and made the assumption they would be tool-like. Which, given our circumstances arournd here, is not that hard to understand.
But I agree that he's not as toolish as most mainstream media types are.