Discerning facts from opinion on topic of the week: RR's job
I stand with the majority of moderate Mgobloggers on what to make of the RR tenure. Discerning facts from opinion has prevented me from neither rushing to judgement for or against RR.
Most relevant facts for RR:
- Injuries and transfers decimated this year’s D.
- Statistically the offense is one of the best in the nation. RR recruited a majority of the offensive players.
- Denard Robinson has developed into one of the most explosive players in the country, as a sophomore!
- Our young team will return a majority of starters next year.
Most relevant FireRod Facts:
- Any Michigan fan forced to watch M vs. Purdue 2008, vs. Illinois in 2009, and vs. PSU in 2010 would witness a team that has digressed as an overall team, especially on D.
- RR has an awful overall record in 3 years. To date, RR only has 2 Big Ten wins at the Big House in 2.75 seasons.
- Brian @ MgoBlog is calling for DC #2 to be fired, as is most M fans. RR has doesn’t work much with D, yet he has retained his D assistants and in 2 of his worst Big 10 losses (@ Purdue in ’08 and @ PSU in ’10) the D primarily ran a 3 DL front against inexperienced QBs. Brian has documented this in his posts this week.
- RR inherited 8 returning D starters in 2008, 3 of which are in the NFL now (B. Graham, M. Trent, D. Warren-practice squad). Yet D still performed poorly and DC was fired.
Current opinion:
If PSU was the end of the season, it’s a toss up whether to keep RR or not. If DB knows he can get Harbaugh, I’m intrigued and ok with it. If we risk one more year with RR/any D coordinator he wants (due to injuries and RR focus on O he is entitled to this IMO), and the offense explodes, I’m ok as well. The next 4 games are huge for DB to consider. Honestly the most emotive fact that is hard to get over is #1 anti-RR above. Those 3 losses place us in the bottom of the Big 10 three years in a row, and we seemingly (easily on paper?) could have won those games.
Question for community-Other important facts I left out that influence your opinion?
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:19 PM ^
This is pretty similar to Brian's post. Including your opinion.
One thing that hasn't been discussed is the NCAA violations (I'm assuming we're hit with 4 major violations tomorrow) and how that affects any severance pay. I'm under the impression that means we can fire him and owe him nothing. Is this correct? Does that factor into Brandon's decisions?
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:21 PM ^
Where did you hear that from?
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:31 PM ^
I can't remember, it was awhile back, in the heat of the NCAA stuff. Either from a friend or on the radio. I'm in the mid-atlantic too so it wasn't a Detroit based radio. When I heard that I was a little surprised it hasn't been discussed more. This is why I question if it is true.
EDIT: A quick google search never hurt anyone.
According to his contract, Rodriguez can be fired for cause if the NCAA, the Big Ten or the school determines he has committed a major violation of NCAA rules or he has intentionally committed any other type of violation of NCAA rules.from: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35543808/ns/sports-college_football/
November 4th, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
Interestingly, the one major that looks like Michigan won't get hit with is the one that is specifically directed at RR (failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance). So I'm not sure that we could fire RR without paying a severance.
Let's hope the next four weeks make this a moot point with good showings on the field.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 PM ^
Why are you assuming we are hit with 4 major violations? Didn't they just come out with a report we were happy with the findings? I don't understand where the negativity about the allegations is coming from.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
I asked a similar question and because we were originally hit with 5 major violations, but only contested one, it is almost certain we will receive 4 (that we accepted).
November 4th, 2010 at 1:08 AM ^
already admitted to 4 of the 5 violations, and have already given the NCAA its recomendation for self discipline(thats how its done). Its up to the NCAA to agree, or not, and possible add more if they don't feel the university's discipline is enough (see USC)
It amazes me how many people don't really understand how this process works.
November 4th, 2010 at 2:14 AM ^
Why does it amaze you? Only hardcore freaks like us bother to pay attention to NCAA procedures.
November 4th, 2010 at 9:54 AM ^
Brandon has 32 games of RR's "work history" to already look at. Why do so many assume its going to all come down to these last 4 games?
November 4th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^
The defense notwithstanding, finishing the season 7-5 and going bowling (please, Lord) is an improvement from 5-7 last year, which was an improvement from 3-9 the year before. Assuming the teams improvement continues into next year, optimists like me expect an even better season next year (8-4? 9-3?). As such, firing Rodriguez after this season could mean unraveling the improvement and starting from square one rather than giving him one more year and seeing what next year will hold. That's my "two cents" worth, anyway.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 PM ^
Between redundant facts and daydreaming. It always comes down to B10 losses UM DC, and what in the world Dave Brandon is thinking etc. I think the majority of MGoBloggers and frivolous fans alike can agree things aren't the way we want it. In close, we are playing Friday night idiot poker in the neighborhood with analysis as these, pushing the same chips back and forth not really understanding how they won those chips but still thinking they have found the solution.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
You wish never came up and you didn't have to think about. As most of us have acknowledged though, is it reality that things haven't gone as well as planned. I can only hope that we win 2 of the next 4 and hopefully this will go away.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:28 PM ^
Seriously guys. Can we please stop with this until there's actually something of more substance to further inform the discussion??
Every single angle has been covered on the message board. A thousand times. I keep clicking the threads thinking maybe someone will have something original to contribute the the discussion. We're at the point where it's not happening anymore. Why? There is literally nothing possible left to say that hasn't already been said.
I'm seriously thinking about stopping visiting here for the time being because of it. It's seriously dilluting the quality of the board.
But I'm an addict so probably won't.
November 4th, 2010 at 8:00 AM ^
Well, for god's sake man, stay the hell away or get some professional help. Only a sick, deviant masochist would willingly subject himself to the awful torture of reading repetitive comments on a blog. Maybe you should call 911 to get the police to arrest Brian Cook for placing a substance in front of you that you're apparently powerless to stay away from, even though you loathe it.
November 4th, 2010 at 12:03 PM ^
I'm trying (obviously not hard enough) to stick to the front page articles and ignore the comments. I have too much going on right now to get sucked into the negativity.
The problem is that the board these days is pretty much the message board equivalent of an eighteen car pileup by the side of the road. It's way too easy to gawk.
November 4th, 2010 at 12:02 AM ^
This was also discussed heavily throughout M land after the internal findings but prior to NCAA release - due out tomorrow. The reason you haven't heard any more on that issue is simply due to the fact that all other violations not clearly identified as minor are all considered major, regardless of the normal negativity associated with the term "major violation."
In this instance, and one has to consider the hatchet job that took place to even bring them to light, not one violation was found that indicated RR or anyone associated with the program did anything to try and gain an "unfair" competitive advantage, and this is what the NCAA is clearly concerned about.
RR's less-than-stellar record and questions whether he can reverse that concern or do we look elsewhere are of paramount importance at this time, and the NCAA conclusions, which the school is reportedly very happy with, is of little consequence at this time.
November 4th, 2010 at 2:12 AM ^
Any Michigan fan forced to watch M vs. Purdue 2008, vs. Illinois in 2009, and vs. PSU in 2010 would witness a team that has digressed as an overall team
Regressed?
November 4th, 2010 at 8:12 AM ^
Correct, and you are not digressing by pointing it out...important difference
November 4th, 2010 at 8:05 AM ^
There is only one fact: RR is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. Everything else is speculation and opinion. Count me in the "why are we still beating a dead horse" catagory.
November 4th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^
Shouldn't we be talking about RRs job on Sunday and Monday, who else on the coaching staff that needs to go instead of RR on Tuesday, and profess our eternal hope for this program and the big win the upcoming weekend Wednesday - Friday? You guys need to stick with a schedule here or the rest of us are going to go insane!!
November 4th, 2010 at 9:21 AM ^
I think you're missing a counterpoint in the "FireRod" section to "For #2": Rich Rod's 2-1/2 recruiting classes failed to bring in and develop any depth in secondary talent.
Also, how about Rich Rod has repeatedly forced a defensive scheme that does not appear to be competitive in the Big Ten. And while he has delegated defensive responsibility, he has done so in a constraining way. Finally it appears he has largely left defensive coaching responsibilities delegated, even when there are clearly problems, until such time that the defense has become so problematic that we loose games we shouldn't.
November 4th, 2010 at 9:54 AM ^
for the next two weekends. If Michigan loses both, RR is gone no matter what. If not, they play out the season and DB makes the decision. In two weeks we can discuss this again. IMO