Schadenfreude Edition: Four Issues I'd like to see the blog address

Going with Sheridan would hurts us in 2010 as well as 2009.

"hurts" was originally a typo, but I decided to leave it in, as it seems worse than just "hurt" ;)

a win over purdue wont ease the tension. 6-6 is shit. 2 wins in the big ten is shit. People are actually just starting to notice that Rich Rod has been out coached in every fucking game this season. If anyone can prove me wrong and explain to me how Rich Rod and his staff outfoxed another opponent this season then ill retreat into a dark hole of m go shame. If not for a last second miracle win over Notre Dame, we would have 3 wins against FBS teams this season. (sounds real fucking familiar)

"He's had amazing success wherever he's been - Tulane, Clemson, WVU?! "

He was an offensive coordinator except for WVU and WVU was in a very bad Big East. I'm not in the fire RR camp, but it is time to start asking questions. Maybe he isn't a primetime headcoach but is one hell of an offensive coordinator?

...at least his passing game at Illinois anyway. He was as good as one can reasonably expect there. We are mad at him, however, for fumbling the ball like nobody's business, which cannot be explained away by a sore shoulder.

You're overstating the point. No one expects Rich to win a NC this year. Its just that, in most people's minds on this board, he basically got a free pass for 2008. This team was expected to go 7-5 and to make a bowl. That's not a ton to ask and there is now a good chance he wont make those limited expectations. After two years, he has to start owning some responsibility and it is legitimate to be concerned about where this is heading.

I don't think most people are expecting Big Ten Championships at this point, and they aren't even expecting 8 - 4 or 9 - 3. It's the terrible play and mistakes and lack of execution that calls for some explanation. I buy your explanation about Tate (although I wonder, then, should this kid be starting if he's injured on two levels?), but it's more than just Tate. All systems seem to be failing.

I'm willing to give RR time. It's just frustrating to hear the same scripted explanations at the press conferences. We know "obviously there are things that need a lot of work." But because there are no real details or facts, we fans speculate. In the face of no real answers, we tend to come up with our own.

I think the fans need to be cut some slack at this point. We're frustrated. We just want to know why.

I agree with the bulk of the points in your post, but if Tate is having lingering headaches at this point, he should not be playing at all. That would not be wise for Tate's health.

want him to say or do? You cant change much in the middle of the season. He has said time and time again that the depth and talent issue needs to be addressed via recruiting. If you don't want the honest answers, don't ask the questions.

There is a lack of talent and depth. RR and staff knows this. They have communicated this to us. We know and understand as well. And x amount of games into the season we still know this. Yet we expect this drastic improvement game to game? I guess I just dont get it. The problems wont be fixed until next year, and the year after that. Sad but true.

I personally see a lot of progress in the team, especially on offense where there is talent. The offense has multiple times shown us they can only be stopped by themselves, which they unfortunately have done multiple times. The o-line has been better, even if not great, than last year. Even with losing Molk. When he is in there, they are drastically better than last year. The defense masks its holes as best it can.

If this is the product we get in 2011. Ok its time to move on.

5-4 is a hell of a lot better than 3-9. Acting like this team has not improved or progressed from last year because of one super-freaky momentum shift playing on the road against a team that is much more talented than their record would indicate is laughable.

I'm sorry if the fact that this team is ridiculously young doesn't satisfy you as an explanation for the up-and-down nature of their performance, but it is a fact that frames the expectation level for every fan who knows anything about college football.

as a blocker. How often do you see teams handoff to the fb at the 1 and how often do you see the fb be a lead blocker there? 1st and goal at the 1 and you have to trust your oline to get it punched in against a crappy defense.

The reason that Grady did not make it as a rb is that he does not have the vision a rb needs. There are numerous examples of him getting stuffed back in 05 and 06 in short yardage situations, and that was before he blew his knee out.

There were no holes on any of the four tries at the end zone--against one of the worst D-lines in the B10. That's on the O-line.

I see what you did there.

This.

Just because Tate knows 70% of the playbook doesn't mean he can operate it effectively. I watched WVU football consistently between 2003 and 2007, and they showed a ton of looks that I haven't seen out of this Michigan team. Now either Rodriguez accidentally dropped his playbook in the shredder along with all his old player's files, or the current team is just not capable of executing these plays.

Go watch the Oregon game, or actually just watch Juice Williams run the read option. Sometimes he made bad reads, but his handoffs were extremely believable. Tate makes bad reads consistently, and his "fakes" don't fake anyone. When you can't operate the staple of your offense, you're never going to be effective.

I don't think this is on Rodriguez, at least not yet. Patience is going to be very important. If Rodriguez is the answer, we need to give him at least 4 years to prove it. If he isn't the answer, we need to show potential future coaches that they'll be given a fair chance to succeed. Rash decision making is NOT going to benefit anyone.

The new AD comes in at the beginning of next season. If we go 6-6 again, RR might be fired. The new AD would have been with RR for a year then.