What a Long Strange Trip it's Been

Submitted by UM Indy on
This season, and the Rich Rod era to date, has been equal parts exciting and frustrating. Actually, much more frustrating than exciting, but you get the point. The 4-0 start was misleading obviously. We didn't beat a single good team in hindsight. Free falling through the back 2/3 of the schedule was disappointing to say the least, especially the Illinois and Purdue games. If I had been told before the season that there would be one less Big Ten win in '09 than in '08, I would have laughed. That's a tough stat to swallow. It was just so painful every week. Like Brian said, the best thing about ending the season is we are entering a much more readily defined situation. Rich is going to either improve significantly or be gone in 2010. The new AD will have no attachment to Rich when and if the time comes to cut him loose. I'm terrified of turning over the program that quickly (and rebuilding all over again), but dragging something out that's not working would be just as bad or worse. What I was thinking at the stadium as the clock ticked down on Saturday (other than I'm tired of losing to these guys) was that the luster is off this great rivalry. The OSU fans must've felt the same way in the '90's. It will turn around for us. Until then, thank God for Manny, DeShawn and the rest of the guys. I'm very much looking forward to returning to Ann Arbor for the UConn (basketball) game. Go Blue
MGoBoard

.ghost.

November 23rd, 2009 at 3:19 PM ^

"dragging something out that's not working." what exactly are you referring to? starting freshmen and walk-ons? i would agree that this does not work. rodriguez gets this too. give him time to get upperclassmen competition for each spot on both sides of the ball, and we will have wins, wins, wins. nothing has been "dragged out" except the idea that "this offense won't work in the big 10." the great, mighty, big 10. laughable.

Joined: 10/01/2009

MGoPoints: 1813

victors2000

November 23rd, 2009 at 4:15 PM ^

Perhaps I misread your e-mail but I don't sense to much positivity, more of a fatalistic acceptance of...whatever. No, please, feel free to hope: Coach Rod-whether his fault or not-was given a tough hand to play, and because of this has not shown what he can do. In 2010 the team will finally have what we can call 'depth'; the 70% of the team that was freshman and sophomores will be sophomores and juniors. Tate will be a soph, the defense will have some continuity in the coaching department, and I believe we will finally leave the launch pad on the Coach Rod regime.

Joined: 03/21/2009

MGoPoints: 12972

spider

November 23rd, 2009 at 4:46 PM ^

As the only reason we are losing. Look at Weis at ND, he has upperclassmen, and he is still losing. You are right that we will finally have some answers next year, as to whether or not we are going to continue on the RR path. This gives me great excitement, as I feel that for the first time in a couple of years, we have some answers!

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: -512