Nervous Apprehension

It's well known that Rodriguez was not the first choice.

well that's because, like Darth Vader, no one knew he was available until the very end. 

the rest of it? didn't we all cover this in Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar......

adalvi5 needs a refresher

1) The hiring process: of course Rich Rod wasn't our first choice, because nobody knew he was available. Rich Rod was considered one of the untouchables (Stoops, Meyer, Carroll, Richt, Saban). Who cares what choice he was? We landed one of the best coaches in the nation whose offense decimated the Big East, Oklahoma, and Georgia in the last 3 years.

2) Handling of the buyout: this was not on Rich Rod. He was ready to pay the buyout, but Michigan wanted him to contest the buyout in hopes of getting it reduced, as they were able to knock down John Beilein's buyout by quite a bit. The strategy backfired, but whatever, it's over and now we can get on with football.

3) Current recruiting: please see Brian's post
http://www.mgoblog.com/content/recruiting-picture

4) Rodriguez's teams being more offense orientated: West Virginia finished top 10 last year in scoring defense and total defense. I'm pretty sure Rich Rod will take note of defense. Listen to his pressers so far in fall practice and he has made alot of good comments on defense and is working hard to get defense to test out and improve his offense.

I find it funny after so many years of people complaining about how boring Michigan's offense is and how things are always the same, we bring in a dynamic, top level coach in Rich Rodriguez, and now people are starting to worry too much about changes. Just sit back and enjoy the season; it should be alot of fun (I hope).

Michigan did not handle it well from an administrative level, the hiring process that is. Rich, in many ways, did us the fans a favor and Bill Martin one.
Have we forgotten the whole Les Miles ordeal and the Kirk Herbstreidt Q/A? Or the yacht cruise? Or Schiafano just saying yes and no?
Rich just said,"I do," And made Michigan Football.

With the exception of schools that hire from within, no one - no one - ever ends up hiring their first choice. USC basically backed into Carroll after a bunch of other guys said no. OSU floundered for weeks before settling on Tressel. Alabama wanted RR before they landed Saban. And on and on.

Whether our first choice was Ferentz, Miles, Shiano or someone else, it really doesn't matter. We landed probably a better coach than any of them.  The criticism of the hiring process is seriously overblown.  Lloyd retired after the OSU game.  Three weeks later we landed one of the most highly-regarded coaches in the country.  That's a pretty good result.  A truly botched hiring process is what WVU did - panic and offer an unqualified guy.

West Texas Blue & Michigan Arrogance -

Appreciate both your points. While things may have been covered earlier, the point of the post is that 1) most of my "fears" are irrational, for whatever reason and 2) its hard getting used to something new.

I guess I don't even see the transition as "bumpy". Most of the things that make press--WVU noise, buyouts, etc. are external to the program. The only turmoil internally was the Boren thing and maybe Mallet and they seemed to have their own agenda. Overall, my sense (from the outside) is that the players have bought into the system. That is the only turmoil that I really worry about.

I am nervous about this year too. But....

every day that I listen to the media and hear the players and coaches, I feel that this was one of the best changes to the program that could have been made.

If the players buy in they can do anything

They can beat anybody on any day
They can also lose to anybody on any day
That is what scares me
In a couple years I don’t think losing is going to be as much of an option

I don’t think his recruiting missed a beat, it shifted direction a little
We might not have gotten a 5 star QB who can throw the ball farther than I can drive a golf ball but the players are still showing up and more athletic as well. Pat White was a 2 star and I think Slaton was a 3 or 4 star; he has done more with less than most of the teams out there. Offering all the 3 stars so early might also be “he can win with them” talent alone might not be what wins the games.

Not as polished as Llyod, I don’t care “win the big ones” bring championships back to Ann Arbor, that is what I want. Move the road to the NC north about 200 miles.

Our offense will, at times, look ugly. I think starting a young QB and OL will do that. What we do have is talent, speed, and an offensive genius running the ship.

This team will probably lose 4 games, but the real question in my mind is how will this team respond after losses? Lloyd's teams always managed to come back and put together winning seasons after a tough early loss.

The expectations are low, but with an innovative new coaching philosophy, a (much needed) new S&C philosophy, renevations to the stadium, Schembechler Hall, and a new indoor football-only practice facility this team is poised to be the elite team in DIV I for years to come.

My advice, enjoy the beginning of a new era in Michigan Football.

Im ready to see this team play.

Meee 22222