Michigan Sports Alternate History

I'm a fan of alternate history books and tv shows so I thought it would be an interesting excercise to look at how events would have transpired differently if a scenerio didn't play out the way it ended up transpiring at Michigan.

I'll start with the rollover not happening.

Tom Izzo is fired after 4 lackluster years at MSU. The MSU AD looks no further than upstart Michigan assistant Brian Ellerbe to fill the spot. Mateen Cleaves leads Steve Fisher's Michigan Wolverines to their second national championship in April of 2000 at the RCA Dome. Michigan returns to the final four 9 more times between 2000 and 2015 and is now considered within the likes of UNC, Duke, and Kentucky. Ellerbe lasts only 3 years and is replaced by a young Tom Crean.

Shawn Crable doesn't get a late hit.

Miraculously Michigan has come back from a huge early deficit to beat the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. This vaults Michigan to # 1 in the BCS computers and a date with Florida in Glendale. The Wolverines now face a chance to secure their 12th national title and 1st in the BCS era. The game starts out with a flurry of offense as Mike Hart, Henne, and Manningham are unstoppable against the Florida defense. Urban Meyer is no match for Lloyd's 2006 team as celebrations erupt in Ann Arbor and a parade is organized. Lloyd has won 2 national championships and decides to keep coaching for a few more years instead of hanging it up. Ryan Mallett leads Michigan to the 2009 and 2010 big ten titles after big wins against MSU and Ohio State. Lloyd hands off the job to Harbaugh in 2011 as it is his dream job afterall and Stanford has prepped him well. At the same time Tressel is fired over his tattoo scandal and the Buckeyes hire Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia whose offense institutes many growing pains from Tressel's offense. The Buckeyes go 3-9 in 2012, 5-7 in 2013, and 7-6 in 2014. After a beatdown by Mississippi State, Gene Smith fires Rich Rodriguez.