Monte Kiffin is UNACCEPTABLE

Complaining on message boards is UNACCEPTABLE. You must all BE CONTENT and cite VALID REASONS for losing, point out we actually won (YARDAGE), refer to someone else's PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS or you are no longer a MGOBLOG MAN. 

I am old school and have been a supporter of the program ever since a former coach in 1971 told me that I was not talented enough to play for Michigan, but that I might for one of the directional schools.  As it turns out I wasn't good enough to play there either.  I had to face the cold facts that each of us reaches a point somewhere along the line at which the desire, will and effort to do something can't overcome the lack of physical skills, or in the case of coaching the organizational, motivational and perhaps intellectual skills.

I am All In for Michigan, I always have been and always will be. There is however a level of responsibility that comes along with supporting and loving your government, company or university. That responsibility includes being able to objectively evaluate the abilities of the individuals tasked with the caretaking and performance of the entity.

I look each week for evidence that this attempt at rebuilding is producing viable, sustainable improvement. At some point blind faith and support becomes counterproductive. I believe that point has arrived.

Beyond what you see on the field consider a few numbers and see if you can objectively make the case that any level of improvement if it exists is at a pace that can reasonably be expected to achieve a reasonable positive outcome for the program.

Greg Robinson's record and defensive statistics prior to his hiring at Michigan:

Syracuse:

1. 2005  1 - 10      372 ypg SOS = 71 Defensive Rank = 57

2. 2006  4 -  8      399 ypg SOS = 39   Defensive Rank= 107

3. 2007  2 - 10      468 ypg  SOS = 48   Defensive Rank= 111 

4. 2008  3 -  9      414 ypg   SOS=  9      Defensive Rank= 101

What was UM doing during that period?

1. 2005  7 - 5       345 ypg SOS =3  Defensive Rank = 36

2. 2006 11 - 2       268 ypg SOS =2 Defensive Rank = 10

3. 2007  9 - 4       335 ypg SOS =25 Defensive Rank  = 24

How about Since Rich Rod arrived:

4. 2008  3 - 9       366 ypg SOS =30  Defensive Rank  = 67

And Now with Rich Rod and Greg Robinson:

5. 2009  5 - 7      393 ypg SOS =83 Defensive Rank    = 82

6. 2010  5 - 2*     441 ypg SOS =15 Defensive Rank    = 105

*Thru Oct 16th

Does there ever come a point that "All in for Michigan" includes facing the hard truth that perhaps Rich Rod for whatever reason might not be a good fit for Michigan?  And what about the hiring of Greg Robinson?  Doesn't that speak to the quality of decision making? I believe that Rich Rod is the offensive genius that he has been billed. But overall this team lacks discipline and two and one half years into this process the same mistakes are being made.  Special teams are a detriment.  The defense is inconsistent at best.  Red Zone ball security is awful.  And how is it that two years in a row two talented yet very different quarterbacks start out with great promise only to each suffer apparent confidence losses entering Big Ten play?

Andy Reid says in every single presser of his Eagles, "I have to put them in a better position to succeed" as numbing as that statement becomes there is truth in the statement. Both the game against Sparty and yesterday with Iowa in the Big House had the potential to be future fortune turning points. Yet in each case, on the field personnel substitutions, game planning and the apparent lack of ability to adjust failed to put these hard working kids in "a better position to succeed."

I think it is time for a change. I believe that as an All In for Michigan guy it is my responsibility to say so.

GO BLUE

Anyone who disagrees is a HATER.  Rodriguez is 4-15 AL (after Lloyd, who, obviously, was a total loser) against the Big Ten, which doesn't matter because it is someone else's fault.  I mean, contrast this with Danny Hope.  Hope has the benefit of inheriting a richly talented program with a legendary local talent pool and he has had the good fortune of losing his top 2 quarterbacks, top running back, and top receiver.  Of course he is doing better than we are; he's got more to work with.  Of course Hope is only 6-4 v. the Big Ten, with a win over Ohio State.  Hope doesn't even have the sense to blame the past for his present.  Thank goodness Hope is not coaching Michigan or we would be two steps from oblivion.

Reasons to be cheerful:

Coach Rodriguez has created a new betting convention: The QB Fracture, or, In Which Quarter Will the QB Leave Because of Injury Because the Game is Tackle Football, Not Flag Football?   Everybody knows that running QBs aren't hurt as often as old-school (Lloyd-ball) QBs, and it's just a statistical anomaly that in two games against an archaic Iowa program, coached by a clown who represents the past, the QB has been knocked out of the game.  I'm sure it will go much better against Wisconsin and OSU.  Those guys are a bunch of pussies and we'll run circles around them with our 175-lb smurf QBs, especially if the weather is bad and a couple of our O-Linemen are hurt.

He's created enormous fascination with statistical excess, as his teams run wild before a) hitting the red zone; b) throwing the ball to the wrong team (in the numbers, incidentally); c) playing an FBS school not named "Indiana".  Everyone knows that it's yards between the 20's, not scoring points, that matter.  

His teams run a gazillion plays (42% more than Iowa) and it's fun because it's the number of plays, not points on the board, that matter: you just never know when the next strange screw-up will turn the ball over because a good offense doesn't have to worry about efficiency, protecting the ball, in-game adjustments.  Managing turnovers: that's Lloyd-ball, that's neanderthal football (we'll have fun with Wisconsin and OSU, fellas, when our QBs are scotch-taped together and both of those teams are playing tackle football for polls and bowls, and the wind, rain and snow are blowing, because this system is the future and they are the past!).  

His teams are proudly unconcerned with offensive efficiency: despite being the clear, dominant team on offense between the 20's, they pass for 65% of the opponents YPA, and that just shows you: his teams can pass a lot to no effect!  It's so exciting!  And Iowa's loser QB system. Why, Stanzi couldn't even ride the pine at Michigan.  We didn't even recruit him, thank you lord.  Heck he entered the game third in NCAA pass efficiency -- and raised his score to 180+.  What a joke: he only threw for 248, zero picks, and a 198+ efficiency rating.  Who cares if you don't have 400 yards?  Winning is so boring!

Special teams don't matter at all, to him, and so what! that we look like a winless high school team trying to kick off, cover a blocked field goal (hey, why coach special teams, we don't coach defense do we?), or cover the kickoffs that do manage to stay in-bounds.  Who grows up hoping to play special teams for the winningest team in college football history?  Nobody!  It's irrelevant!  We need more such special teams innovation in the Big Ten.

Defense is an especially interesting subject in respect of Coach Rodriguez, because he's shown that such old-school, hidebound concepts as backside contain, tackling with one's legs and *both* arms, while staying square and maintaining leverage, are irrelevant.  Everybody knows that it's the number of stars on a recruit's ass that determines future game success, and that's why Iowa's third-string unrecruited MIKE had 13 tackles, one pass breakup and one pick to end the game.  (He just got lucky, and it isn't that he is coached to play assignment football against a wildly erratic team that's fast fast fast in timed 40's in gym shorts -- and that's why, in five years and a grand total of two starts, he has one B10 DPOTW, and maybe another one now.)   That's why a team with one RB, who was a fourth-string strong safety 18 months ago,and a 5'9" rookie making his first start at fullback because the starter was hurt and the second string guy (who was a walk-on) quit, ran on third and 14 -- and got 15.  

Last, he ensures that no TV network will ever mic the sideline, because children and women and more children watch these games, and it's not cool to broadcast in high definition a Michigan Man who is out of control screaming F*** at his own players on national TV.  Thank goodness we have a guy like Coach Rodriguez who would never embarrass himself on national TV, and is upholding the fine football traditions of our Harvard of the Mitten State, our Mt. Olympus of 14 percent unemployment, the playground of Yost and Bo and the winningest best all-time greatest football program ever.

Nix on 4-5 years.  We need to give this guy a job for life.  If we don't, we are "pathological Michigan and Rodriguez haters."  Facts, records, the actual way the game is played and public behavior are irrelevant.  Anyone who says they are relevant is a "HATER."  And even if we don't, could we please hire another failed Big East defensive coordinator?  Defense is so Lloyd, so Bo, so beside the point.  It's not like the best tackling club in the world, in the 1980's was Michigan, which often as not beat the shit out of Iowa and Iowa's winningest coach.   It's only a matter of time before other Big Ten schools start playing flag football, too, and the conference coaching ranks are populated with Big East refugees who neither tackle, nor kick, nor cover passes, in year three of the most difficult rebuilding job in human history, nor score the most in these silly exercises called "games".  Anyone who says otherwise is a "HATER."

great stats don't do much when your team loses.