Biggest impact of 2012 Alabama Game - RR is here through 2012
This was briefly touched on here:
http://mgoblog.com/content/m-alabama-2012-officially-official
But I think it's worthy of it's own topic given that it's Thursday of a bye week...
Scheduling the Alabama game is as clear a sign as Brandon can possibly give that he has every intention of sticking with RR through at least 2012.
It would be program suicide to walk into that game with a new regime in place given the youth and make up of our roster and that the most obvious succesors are likely to run a completely different offense that RR's.
I personally love it, as my handle indicates, I'm a firm believer that 2012 is the year we go "Medievil on their asses" for real. We're going to need to be legendary good given the schedule in '12...
October 21st, 2010 at 4:10 PM ^
I'd assume that with a poor performance next year would likely be the defense's fault, so someone on defense would be booted. So come 2011 RR would still be in command but we might have a first year DC or DBs coach depending on who attracted the wrath of Brandon's pimp hand.
October 21st, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^
What if we went undefeated and were number one going into the national championship, but the Mayans were right and the world ends in December?
October 21st, 2010 at 8:47 PM ^
October 21st, 2010 at 4:51 PM ^
A lot of this back and forth about RR should stay or go is rooted in the fact that none of us have any frame of reference for When-Michigan-Football-Fires-Its-Coach-for-Poor-Performance. We've had 8 coaches in 80 years, when was the last time anyone was fired for performance? Notre Dame has had 15. Is 15 wins in 3 years fireable? Don't know. 22 wins in 4 years? Don't know. Bad defense in year 3 fireable? Don't know. Everyone's arguing about whether RR's crossed the line, nobody knows where the line is or where it should be.
I understand all the hand-wringing about RR and the win-or-he-should-be-gone mentality: we all love the program and want it to succeed. But RR's either a good coach that can win at Michigan or a bad coach that can't. But can we please remember that this is the same guy that made a craptastic WV program into a major power. He knows what he's doing, we have no reason to believe that he won't get us (back) to where we want to be.
October 21st, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^
Bad defense in year 3 fireable?
What about years one and two? Those defenses were terrible as well.
October 21st, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
Well obviously a bad defense in years one and two weren't fireable offenses since he's in his third year.
October 21st, 2010 at 6:10 PM ^
I think you guys are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fire RR and set up another 3-5 years of mediocrity (or more) if you don't pick the right guy. Or wait for the defense to grow up (2 more years for that to happen imo) and ride out the storm.
There is clearly not much wrong with the offense. Denard needs to make better decisions in the passing game and you desperately need a star RB to take the pressure off defenses keying on him.
Frankly if RR goes 7-5 and loses to tOSU again plus the NCAA returns with an unfavourable ruling, I think Brandon has his out to cut bait. Hell, if the NCAA comes back early enough and RR is 7-4 heading into tOSU he might already be out.
October 21st, 2010 at 6:46 PM ^
We're not like your school. We don't cut bait at the first sign of trouble. And the NCAA stuff (contrary to what some hardcore RR haters want to believe) is a non-issue. We already accepted responsibility for four of the five violations; we're just appealing one. If it's rejected, it hardly matters. We'll lose a recruiting visit or two.
RR will be here next season, and incidentally, with nine starters back, the D will look a lot more like a Michigan defense. You guys needed to beat us this year, when you had your best chance.
October 21st, 2010 at 7:12 PM ^
I don't see your defense improving all that much next year, and would still be a shadow of a real Michigan defense.
October 21st, 2010 at 8:02 PM ^
And the NCAA stuff (contrary to what some hardcore RR haters want to believe) is a non-issue.
I'm not here to defend a thing that a ND fan said, but your statement is pretty out of whack. The NCAA stuff might not, in effect, fulfill the label of "major" violations, but they are certainly not a non-issue. Hating or loving RR has nothing to do with that.
October 21st, 2010 at 8:25 PM ^
Ahh it's good to see mgoblog's primary RR hater is out in full force. It really is a non-issue as far as RR's job security is concerned. If he is fired this year, it'll be because he didn't win enough or show enough improvement to Dave Brandon to justify continuing his employment. If he isn't(and I would wager a large sum of money he won't be), it'll be because he showed enough improvement to give Brandon confidence he'll turn this around.
October 21st, 2010 at 10:10 PM ^
It's really sad to see a comment like yours...because, in the real world, I'm actually thought of as a RichRod defender. The bubble you (and others here on mgoblog) live in clearly makes that shocking to learn.
Let me be clear - I'm not a RichRod hater. I don't even dislike him. I am, however, a hater of what has become of our program. I hate that we've only won 4 Big Ten games in 3 years. I hate that we've lost 3 in a row to State. I hate that we can barely beat UMass and Indiana. I hate that we have been hit with NCAA sanctions (however "minor") for the first time ever. If you don't hate those things, you might want to ask if there is any level of low you aren't willing to embrace?
October 21st, 2010 at 11:00 PM ^
Where did i say that i enjoyed what happened the last 3 years? Way to create a straw man and club him to death with your comment. Also, Rodriguez has 4 Big Ten Victories in a little less than 2.5(19 games) years not 3(24 games). His record is bad enough so far that you don't need to exaggerate it. Most of my friends don't go on mgoblog so it's not like I have no "real world" experience when dealing with M fans and their perspective of the program. Also your comment even displays your feelings on Rodriguez, what if we rip off 4 of the last 5? How does that change "what has become of our program"? I think most people see progress in this team. You apparently seem to have already decided we will remain in the mire of the last two years and that's fine if it's your opinion. Just don't act like you're a bastion of objectivity when you've already made your mind up about Rodriguez.
October 22nd, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
Nothing is more frustrating than tactic #1 of a RichRod loyalist - making things up. I didn't say you "enjoy" what has happened under RichRod, I merely said that I "hate" what has happened (rather than your allegation that I "hate" the coach). Talk about strawman!
Anyway, if it makes you feel better to say that RR has a 21% win percentage rather than 17%, so be it. I just pointed out his precise Big Ten record over the time he's been here. If only it were an exaggeration. It is, by far, the worst of any coach in the history of Michigan football. What if we win 4 of our last 5? I'll be shocked, especially considering that we've only won 1 Big Ten road game (and we don't have Minnesota on the schedule this year) under RR. I am objective. The world outside the mgobubble is much different than within.
October 21st, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^
I hear a bunch of guys trying to convince the world that Rodriguez is The Answer, or has it going.
He does not.
I also wonder why people keep saying "ZOMG we have improved! Why cant the rest of the world see it!"
Well, because we haven't. You guys can trump up the "one or two plays away" meme all you want, but this team is very far away from being a bIg Ten contender.
Brandon sees nothing in Rodriguez that should lead him to believe this thing will be turned around by 2012. In fact, Brandon just might be one of those guys who beleives the world will end before the Alabama game.
The defense is not going to improve. There is no hope for it next year (the same guys will be back)--and recruiting is not going well.
keep it up, though--this stuff is interesting to read.
Michigan has been bounced by the first two good teams it played this year. You all will be placated by probably victories over a horrid PSU and very, very mediocre Purdue and Illinois.
But the sane fan will watch what happens against Wisconsin and OSU--but not be fooled if OSU only beats us by two toughdowns because Tressel is, well, Tressel and will be happy to beat UM by just enough.
The OSU game will be like the fight between a short guy and a tall guy where the tall guy puts his hand on the short guys head and lets the short guy wing wildly away--and then coldcocks him with one punch. The short guy will think he didn't get his ass kicked by that much, but everyone will know tha tall guy just felt sorry for him.
October 21st, 2010 at 11:37 PM ^
(You're probably a troll- so this is probably what you're looking for...I'll bite...)
Something tells me you're a Justin Boren sympathizer...
It's called prognostication.
You should try it- it's a lot more constructive than stating negative opinion as pure fact.
If you really think RR isn't moving this program in the right direction, you need to take your blinders off or root for some other school.
Can't wait till he's got the whole thing humming and all the naysayers have to eat crow.
I'm sick of negativity from people like you- RR will make Michigan downright scary year in, year out.
October 22nd, 2010 at 12:36 AM ^