Rivals claims "Pressure is all on Michigan & Rodriguez"
Article says, "Where State may have once been a “rivalry game” to pay lip service to, now it may determine which way the season, and coach Rich Rodriguez’s entire tenure, turns."
While I think it would certainly help Rich, I don't believe that it's going to determine his immediate future. Bowl eligible this year is the hard deck as I see it. I do not believe we have the defense to run the table, or even to win more that 8 regular season games.
Don't get me wrong - want us to beat MSU. Want us to run the table. Just don't see it happening.
Link: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news;_ylt=AsMTJwmQM_bGj3LkVWoH1q8…
Your opinions on this article?
October 5th, 2010 at 12:24 PM ^
No offense to the OP, but that looks like a standard link-whoring article.
Only hillbilly schools with hillbilly ADs obsess over a couple of rivalries to the exclusion of common sense. I don't think Brandon is in that category.
I see plenty of hillbilly fans when I go to Michigan games, but I still don't think they're anywhere near a majority.
October 5th, 2010 at 12:41 PM ^
I read Dan Wetzel's columns quite a bit, as I usually prefer Yahoo Sports to the visual disaster that is ESPN.com, and I have to say that I have no idea how the man has supposedly won so many awards. His writing is unoriginal, usually very slanted, and chock-full of hyperbole and broad, sweeping assumptions.
Wait, I see why now.
October 5th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^
that this is exactly the way RR & the team want it. All on them
October 5th, 2010 at 12:49 PM ^
"We looked up at the clock and saw 1 minute and 17 seconds. That's too much time."
October 5th, 2010 at 1:10 PM ^
is the most important game in Rodriguez's three year tenure. The article is absolutely right. If we lose, but win against Purdue and Illinois, Rodriguez will be back. That doesn't change the fact that this game is the difference between hanging on desperately and hoping for a true renessaince next year, or the party begins and we have arrived now.
October 5th, 2010 at 1:15 PM ^
The pressure is all on us. If we lose, Rich is going 2-7 vs. our biggest rivals, 0-3 vs. MSU, with the next one in E. Lansing. If MSU loses, they're still 2-1 vs. Rich with the next one in E. Lansing, where they can win and still have 3 out of 4 (though then there might be some pressure on them to win). MSU's schedule has one other big tough games remaining on it...they've beaten Wisconsin, and don't play OSU. We could still lose 3-4 games after beating MSU. To get to 8-4, MSU at home is easier to hang you hat on than PSU on the road (even Illinois was tough on the road...the road is no automatic this year). 7-5 with the third loss in a row vs. MSU and OSU is not going to make for a happy environment....or one that anyone is convinced real progress has been made. It's going to be last year, all over again...great start, crappy finish, lots of doubt, no new contract. Good luck taking back total control of recruiting in the State with that....or impressing recruits around the Country that we're as upwardly mobile as we would be with 8-4...or maybe even 9-3.
Beyond that, the game is ALWAYS more pressure on Michigan. Always has been. It's the no win situation. Lose and you've lost to little brother, and they've become our equals. Win, and you were expected to. At least this year there are some tangible benefits. MSU may WANT it more. But the pressure is always more on us.
This is the biggest game in Rich's Michigan career. Period. It's not make or break....because he could still go 9-3 (though that sounds hard without beating MSU), or upset OSU at the end. But anything less than that, and it's going to be another ugly off-season. And really, the only really realistic paths to him NOT coming back at this point begin with a loss to MSU. Beat MSU, and you probably assure a really good season one way or another, and kill any "he's in danger" talk. Because you'd have to do something fireable to be 6-0 with wins over ND and MSU and not find a way to get to 8-4 or 9-3 at that point.
Win Saturday, for sure. Or spend you next 2 months figuring out how to upset OSU in Columbus. Or plan for 9 more months of hell.
October 5th, 2010 at 3:26 PM ^
than Notre Dame AND OSU at this moment in time.
Not just because it's beat MSU week, but mostly because in the last few years ND has faltered and OSU has owned the rivalry.
Within the last 5 years we've gone 4-1 vs. ND, including a lot of fun with LOLWeis, 2 beat downs, one yakety sax loss, and 2 comeback wins. The loss wasn't emotional, the wins were instant classics, and Weis was a baffoon that at least made the rivalry entertaining.
On the flip side, we have lost the last 5 (+) against OSU and they haven't been that close. The one that was (2006) was heartbreaking. Tressel is boring, doesn't provide much bulletin board material, etc. Add in losing the recruiting war for Pryor, the Boren fiasco etc. and it's been anything but competitive on our end.
Now look at MSU. Dantonio is charismatic (if you like scowling). Focuses a lot of energy on UM, has done very well recruiting in state, and has now won 2 in a row against us (albeit historically bad teams). If you live in the state you encounter Sparties almost every day. An the local media seems to love MSU. Currently they are overachieving while we are historically underachieving.
It doesn't feel right, but at the moment our football teams are not only rivals, but equals.
Until Saturday.
October 5th, 2010 at 1:33 PM ^
There is a certain pressure on MSU to not "Sparty NOOOOO" this one away. This time is supposed to be different to them. Now they are a real contender (so they think, I will not judge until after Saturday).
October 5th, 2010 at 2:01 PM ^
No one cares about that crap after the ball is kicked off. And given that most of our starters (including all 11 (!) on offense) aren't even from Michigan, I doubt they're sweating buckets about Sparty.
MSU has to play in front of a hostile crowd. That's the only pressure that matters.
October 6th, 2010 at 11:35 AM ^
These writers get paid to stur things up..........losing this game is not going lead to RR getting fired..............with the way this offense is clicking, can anyone see the AD making a change right now? Stupid.....