Not a reason to keep RichRod
Obviously, we're seeing a number of arguments to either keep or fire RichRod at the end of the season. On both sides, there are some valid points. Without addressing the overall argument of whether he should be kept or fired, I do want to put an end to one point suggested by the keep-RR crowd that pops up from time to time. It is some version of the following:
We have to keep RichRod because if we switch to a pro-style offense, all our players will flee and we'll have to completely rebuild with years of doom to muddle through.
1. Who said that the next coach has been determined? We might run a "pro style", we might run a "spread" or we might run a combination of styles. There are not just two offenses in college football.
2. Even if we were to switch to a "pro style" coach like Harbaugh, there need not be a major drop-off for a number of reasons. First, Harbaugh has recruited a number of our current commits (roughly half the class). Second, Harbaugh even recruited Tate (thus eliminating the "but the QB" refrain). Third, Harbaugh has recruited a top-10 class. You think he wouldn't be able to recruit at Michigan at least as well as a non-legendary school like Stanford?
3. Even assuming a drop-off on offense, does anyone really think Dave Brandon is going to bring in a coach whose defense is as bad as RichRod's?
To finish, let me drop this quote from our current recruiting class's star recruit, Dee Hart, discussing the possibility of RichRod losing his job:
"I liked Michigan either way and if he were to leave it wouldn't affect me because I think I can play in any offensive system," Hart said. "So it really wasn't my concern."
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:36 PM ^
Brantley was the #3 pro-style QB in the 2007 class(right behind Mallett and Clausen) while Gilbert was the #2 pro-style QB in the 2009 class(right behind Barkley). Additionally all the other talent on the Florida and Texas offenses is probably higher guru approved than ours. So why if those teams struggled with the switch, would we have a seamless transition? And if we don't have a seamless transition, isn't it worth it to at least give Rodriguez one year with his own first recruits as upperclassmen when we KNOW the offense will be to semi to legit juggernaut and take a chance on the defense improving?
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:43 PM ^
I'm really just saying that the "attrition will kill us" argument is invalid in considering a coaching switch. Could we stick with RR another year? Yes. We'll see how the season plays out, but I don't think he's going to do well enough to keep his job. He has done well on offense (although I don't like the idea of a coach who only succeeds when he has "his" QB), but terribly on D and special teams.
As far as Texas and Florida...did they switch QBs or coaches/styles?
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:53 PM ^
Why all this talk about having "his QB?" That is ridiculous. He needs "a" qb that isn't a true freshman or Threetidan. He has done just fine with every QB he has ever coached other than Threet. Why do you keep assuming he needs "his qb?"
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 PM ^
It's not just me saying that RichRod needed his QB. Every broadcast, every article..."Rich Rod just needed his QB to run his system...He needed his Pat White." That's not really a point I thought was even in the realm of debate.
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:33 PM ^
While I think this is the most minor of quibbles, we have seen this offense this year run fairly well(if in different ways) by both Forcier and Robinson. And Michigan is one of those schools who will always get at least one top notch recruit at the QB position every few years(Mallett in 07, Forcier in 09, Gardner in 10)
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
watch the damn games. the O is pretty damn good with tate in there too. the d sucks. the D sucks. THE D SUCKS. because it's practically all frosh and sophs. there are no all american senior on this D (hell no all big 10 first teamers or honorable mentions either).
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:33 PM ^
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:42 PM ^
Well they didn't change coaches but to say they didn't change styles or playbooks pretty considerably from McCoy and Tebow would be very wrong.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:07 PM ^
show me a spread program that brought in a pro-style coach that then instantly improved the program. Then - what pro-style coach would be willing to come to Michigan now?
Or, a spread guy nearly as good as RR but willing to come to Michigan with his super DC also willing to come to Michigan on his coat-tails?
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:20 PM ^
show me a spread program that brought in a pro-style coach that then instantly improved the program
Michigan State - from 4-8 in 2006 to 7-5 in 2007, with no real dropoff offensively. They've ranked among the conference leaders in offense every year Dantonio has been there, even though he isn't an offensive-minded coach.
As for who would come here, I don't know. I didn't expect RR would come three years ago. That's completely up in the air. But any idea that this is not a desirable HC job is nuts. We're the winningest program in history for crying out loud. Our next coach might well be a defensive-minded guy who is open to running the spread (which is the case at Oklahoma).
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:34 PM ^
but your second reply "I don't know" is the main issue I have.
I'd rather give the man - who made our offense scary - a chance to improve his D than hope for an unknown.
Everyone is in love with Harbaugh (including my wife - beside the point) but he went 4-8, 5-7 the first two years. Isn't that the same as RR? A guy trying to turn a program in a different direction?
Someone needs to lookup old Stanford schadenfreude posts from '07 '08 to see how many were asking for his head.
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:13 AM ^
What elite coach would want to come to a program where the previous coach was fired after 2 1/2 years? Coaches realize if the previous guy wasn't given a fair chance, neither will they.
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:51 PM ^
I know...very disappointing loss at PSU, haven't we seen enough? I get it. But where is our confidence as Michigan fans? Have we not been 5-3 before, with hope of finishing strong? I know I am the optimistic type, but there is a lot of football to play...are we really convinced that this team won't finally get it (the freshman) and come out inspired against Illinois? Get their confidence back against Purdue, then come home and ride the momentum against a Wisconsin offense that plays into what strengths the defense has? Keep the faith, we could be heading to OSU, a beatable team, with essentially NO freshman...every player with 11 games under his belt, and then who knows...then the bowl game after 15 more practices and getting healthy. This team has a chance to still win 10 games this year....believe!!!
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:54 PM ^
the post man...big posbang! just one break to go our way, and this season turns around...
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:59 PM ^
OSU, Wisconsin, Illinois and probably even Purdue are going to run right over us, literally. If we couldn't stop PSU (starting a walk-on QB who never played significant minutes before) from hanging 40+ on us, what do you think everyone else is going to do?
PSU scored on almost every possession!!
What bigger break could you ask for than a walk-on QB starting against your D PLUS your opponent being riddled with injuries all over the place?
Pass whatever it is you're smoking, man.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:44 PM ^
He is smoking the same thing that makes you think we went against a walk on last Saturday. He was a redshirt Sophomore that had been in the system for 3 years and has earned a scholarship. Does he suck? Yes. Did he almost beat out Freshman Bolden at QB? Yes.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:47 PM ^
It really doesn't matter who the QB is. We all know the defense is terrible. Hell, UMass put up more points on us than any other opponent they played...and we're their only FBS opponent.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
-My point
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-Your head
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:58 AM ^
Yes.
Is he their 3rd option at QB?
Yes.
Did Purdue take their 3rd string WR, start him at QB, and shred us?
Yes.
Are you seriously implying that our loss to PSU wasn't as bad as we think because their 3rd string QB wasn't actually a walk on, but had earned a scholarship this current year?
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:52 PM ^
McGloin didn't do that by himself. Some guy by the name of Royster did help him out. In fact, I think he became PSU's all-time leading rusher that game am I right? Not excusing the defense's performance, but some people seem to think that McGloin went Ryan Mallet on us.
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:55 AM ^
who have better QB's and equal if not better running game, won't roll us? What about Illinois? They seem pretty competent all of a sudden and Scheelhause (sp?) is better than McLovin.
Please, tell me in concrete terms why we will beat an Illinois team....or hell, even Purdue.
November 3rd, 2010 at 1:54 AM ^
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:54 PM ^
The only thing that bothers me more than our horrific defense, is that we've made no effort to get better recruits. I understand the argument that Rodriguez is an offensive-minded coach, and that our secondary has been inexplicably plagued with injuries and such, and would be better if that hadn't happened, but after seeing week after week of subpar defense, I'd begin to think that maybe RichRod should shift his attention to getting some top 100 defensive recruits, or looking for another DC.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:17 PM ^
Shit like this is why I don't ever go to RCMB or any of the OSU blogs. I wish there could be a moratorium on FRDKRODPLZ posts and any of their variants, no matter how subtly worded.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
Denard is a great "football player"...not a great spread offense QB. He isn't limited to this offense.
Do you guys really believe that changing the coach would be a step back? And, where would it be a step back to? R. R. winning percentage in conference is .200....I can't understand why people want to keep defending a guy who is only winning 20% of his conference games.
This team is WORSE than last year's team. The ONLY difference is that there is a better QB, now. Illinois is a Loss....Wisconsin and tOSU are loses. Purdue is going to be a toss up, like the Indiana game. And ANY mistakes on offense will land this team into another 5-7 record, no bowl game and a ton of questions. Rich Rod is making excuses every week because he has NO answers. It is getting tiring listening to this guy try to point the finger everywhere but the mirror. This is is 3rd season, why are there little to no Juniors on defense? Why are SO MANY people leaving? Everyone who wants to defend Rich Rod has an excuse for all of this: Warren took bad advice, BooBoo was a head case, JT Turner was not motived, Lolata was derp derp, Vlad was derp derp......At some point, you guys will wake up and see that the problem with this program starts ( and ends) at the top.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:41 PM ^
So you think we were a better team last year than this year with 4 games left to play. Just asking the question.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
there are 2 differences between this year and last year's team....
Denard-much better than Tate the freshman, and arguably the best player in college football.
The Defense-100% worse than last year's defense. And I can use those percentages because others feel free to just float those types of numbers out in defense of R.R.
Graham and Warren leaving make a huge dent in the d, I don't ignore that. But this team lacks general fundamentals of playing defense. That is plain and simply, coaching.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
How do you know I am missing the point, when I asked you a simple question if you think we are better this year than last. I wasn't making any assumptions. I just asked a simple question.
Just trying to having a discussion and understand what you are trying to say in simplistic terms.
You said there are 2 differences, but is this year's team better?
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:06 AM ^
No, I don't think this team is better. The offense is a lot better but there are still problems with it. People keep talking about our scary offense, but 17,28,31 in the last 3 Big Ten games isn't scaring anyone. Not to mention, our offense didn't start scoring until the games were blow outs.
And the defense is drastically worse.....They were 83rd nationally last year and now they are 106....and I don't see any signs of improvement, no matter what Rich Rod says.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:37 PM ^
all of this crap about "who would want to come here".....Who wouldn't want to have a resource like Denard Robinson, as a Junior, to start their program off on the right foot? You guys are just grasping at straws.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
Not a reason to read this post
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:36 PM ^
i don't think it would take 3 years to rebuild. the offense would still be very good. even if it was a "pro" system you can move tate to qb and denard to rb and flanker, hopkins as a power back. our wide recievers are awesome. the o-line is very good although a power coach will want to add more beef over the years.
and the d and special teams- well, they can't really get any worse.
to me it comes down to whether you think rrod can save the defense- if he can he may be worth another year - if not then you don't really lose that much, do you?
not to say i want rrod gone. i think he's taking on a pile of sh-- he didn't have to and has had some poor luck, but it is what it is at this point.