Crystal Ball: Drew Sharp 2012

Submitted by Seth on

Michigan Now Just an Average Program



By DREW SHARP • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • October 18, 2012





When Michigan and Michigan State face off this Saturday in Ann Arbor, it will be a meeting of two programs going in opposite directions.

While Mark Dantonio has established consistency and attitude in leading the Spartans to a 4-1 start, the sheen on Rich Rodriguez's back-to-back Big Ten championships and 2011 National Championship appearance has obviously worn off.

The sounding bell for Michigan's trip back to mediocrity was last week's debacle at Indiana, which dropped the Wolverines to 3-2 and 1-1 in the Big Ten this year.

That the legendary Wolverine program could fall to the perennial bottom-dweller of the Big Ten is anathema in Ann Arbor.

This latest loss may be the worst in Michigan's history. Appalachian State, which has won every NCAA Division I Football Championship since, was a good team that snuck up on them, while Toledo in 2008 could be chalked up to the inevitable attrition of instituting a brand new offense. Indiana, however, was a clear sign that the NCAA has caught up -- and passed by -- Rich Rodriguez's spread offense.

The Hoosiers knew everything the Wolverines were going to do before they did it. They pounced on every football. They showed up intense and ready to play, something that cannot be said for Rodriguez's squad.



Even when the Rich-Rod era was reaching its apex -- before Nick Saban's Crimson Tide proved in Miami that high-tech SEC football is far superior to the cavemen of the Big Ten -- the end of the Spread Option was in sight, as Ohio State limited Michigan's vaunted running game to just 86 yards.

The losses this year are a reflection of a team falling apart. We've heard grumblings from players about disjointed leadership in the locker room. Their motivation has been called to question. The resounding victory over an overrated Notre Dame team is a forgotten memory. This was the real Michigan, failing epically when not showing off for a national audience.

Now, with Superman Sam McGuffie and Tate Forcier playing in the NFL, Michigan has struggled to find offensive life against real defenses. And Rodriguez has taken the heat for this latest embarrassment, with many Michigan faithful ready to move on without him. Following the loss this year to Indiana, the website www.firerichrodriguez.com reported a record number of hits.

Coaches, it seems, have a short shelf life in today's win-now environment.



In that paradigm, MSU's Dantonio, who took over the program way back in 2006, is the exception. Dantonio, who won a national championship at Ohio State in 2002 (something Rich Rodriguez has never accomplished), has stuck around by preferring substance to flash. Under his direction, Michigan State has focused on building its foundations with a power running attack and a tough, in-your-face defense, and with a win in the Big House Saturday, could emerge as the new power in the state.



Michigan State has had a decided edge in the battle for in-state recruiting in recent years, holding a 3-to-1 advantage in Top 20 in-state talent. Dantonio has eschewed the exotic speed demons of Florida that Rodriguez favors, instead choosing to build his team by establishing strong relationships with in-state coaches. The dividends of this long-term investment are now paying off, starting with State's home-grown 'lighting' and 'thunder' tailback duo of Edwin Baker and Austin White. This week, they hauled in yet another highly regarded athlete, gathering a commitment from the Free Press' No. 13 in-state recruit, linebacker Damien Hirst of Birmingham Seaholm.

The recruting differential tells the story: in-state high schoolers are already looking at Michigan State before Michigan even extends an offer.

It starts Saturday. If the Spartans can roll into Ann Arbor and dispatch Rodriguez's flailing Wolverines, it could signal the beginning of the end of Michigan dominance in this state, and a return to the days of Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty, when Spartans dominated the rivalry and competed every year for the national title.



MORE DREW SHARP COLUMNS:

>Red Wings' Season Over Before It Began

>Leyland Should Take Blame for 2nd World Series Disappointment

>Time for Wings to cut ties with Datsyuk, Zetterberg and rebuild

>Young Pistons Looking to get Back to Playoffs

>Lions Should Bench Stanton, Look to Future



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Comments

Seth

October 17th, 2008 at 4:29 PM ^

Good catch.

If you're out there, Gym Teacher from 5th Grade, I'd like to point out that when SOME people get first names wrong in early October and someone corrects them, they are cool about it and make the adjustment. They do not come up with a mean nickname to use for that person for the rest of the year.

WolvinLA

October 17th, 2008 at 4:15 PM ^

MORE DREW SHARP COLUMNS:
>Red Wings' Season Over Before It Began
>Time for Wings to cut ties with Datsyuk, Zetterberg and rebuild

The Wings are a pretty clear favorite to win the Cup. Again. How is their season over? Also, they are the best team in the NHL, that's not when you cut ties with franchise players and rebuild. I want to see what the people who get denied jobs at the free press are like.

Sean@MATW

October 17th, 2008 at 4:17 PM ^

Just outstanding work. I would have added more one sentence paragraphs though. Sharp loves those so his column appears bigger, and his emptiness has more gravitas (not that it ACTUALLY does, but still).

WolvinLA

October 17th, 2008 at 4:28 PM ^

I guess I misread something. Drew Sharp is predicting that we win back-to-back Big Ten championships AND a national championship. He then thinks the next year we go down the drain? I don't care what state you live in, if a team from your state just won a national championship and the last 2 conference titles, you probably look pretty good in recruit's eyes.

And why does he say that the high-tech football in the SEC is so much better than the cavemen of the Big Ten if we had just won a national title? This guy is an idiot so many times in this article. I've got better shit to get worked up over.

Seth

October 17th, 2008 at 4:53 PM ^

Without giving away the whole point of the article, please note that it references the following future events:

  • Michigan has won the 2010 and 2011 Big Ten Titles
  • But lost in the 2012 National Title Game to Alabama
  • The Tigers recently lost the 2012 World Series
  • Drew Stanton has become the Lion's quarterback
  • Zetterberg and Datsyuk are over 30, thus, according to what passes for Drew Sharp's reasoning, less valuable than prospects and draft picks
  • Pistons are young, meaning Billup et al. probably gone
  • Michigan lost one of its non-conference games in 2012
  • Michigan demolished Notre Dame
  • Michigan defeated Wisconsin (only other game before MSU on 2012 schedule)
  • Sam McGuffie developed the nickname "Superman" and is in the NFL
  • Tate Forcier went to the NFL after 3 seasons
  • ... dude!
  • They're probably still doing construction on Telegraph
  • In four years, Drew Sharp is still the same stupid asshat

WolvinLA

October 17th, 2008 at 5:54 PM ^

OK - so I think I figured out what I didn't understand. This article wasn't actually published in the free press, right? This is an article that you made up? I thought this was something that Drew Sharp actually wrote as himself in 2012 and you copied it from the freep website. Now I feel like an idiot, but that wasn't incredibly clear.