MICHIGAN WOLVERINES FOOTBALL » Rich Rod

Today’s starter Denard Robinson

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:55:30 +0000

ANN ARBOR,MI– Today’s starter for the Wolverines will be Sophomore Denard Robinson.

All three QB’s are expected to play today, with true freshman Devin Gardner backin up Denard and Forcier will be last to in the rotation.

According to ESPN reporter Joe Schad’s tweet this morning, his colleague Heather Cox reports that will be the “expected” order. Cox is the sideline reporter for today’s game.

Now What!

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:39:04 +0000

ANN ARBOR,MI– Coach Rodriquez is being sued in the State of Alabama for his real estate troubles. Rodriquez had plans to build condominiums near all the famous college stadiums in the country.

He now is a defendant in a nearly $1-million breach-of-contract lawsuit stemming from his involvement in a condominium complex in Tuscaloosa, Ala., according to the Tuscaloosa news and the Associated Press. The suit follows one filed last summer involving a condominium complex that never materialized in Blacksburg, Va.

Last August, a Birmingham, Ala., bank sued Rodriguez and his partners for $3.9 million, charging they defaulted on a loan for the Legends of Blacksburg, a condo complex near Virginia Tech’s football stadium. The suit was filed in South Carolina because of a Spartanburg bank’s involvement in an initial $26-million loan.

What else can go wrong for coach Rodriquez?

What has happened to U-M Football

Justin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:13:34 +0000

The University of Michigan’s football program has the highest winning percentage in NCAA football, numerous national championships and one of, if not the, biggest alumni bases in America. Every game has an attendance of well over 100,000, and it maintains the longest streak of 100,000 in America. So why is the university suddenly acting as if we’re some Division-AA school trying to make a name for itself?
How, you ask? The University of Michigan had a PEP RALLY for FOOTBALL in FEBRUARY! What? Why? We needed to be rallied around our football team, THE Michigan Wolverines? Now, I have no issues with pep rallies, but they are things to be used during the season before big games. Ohio State coming up? Pep rally. Michigan State? Pep rally. Bowling Green? Nope, shouldn’t need it. Pep rally in February? I expect to hear that from Toledo or Eastern, not Michigan. Heck, I don’t even expect that from Michigan State!

This is one of the things that Rich Rodriguez has done that does annoy me. He pulled together an event that shouldn’t be needed to try and make a fan base that already supports the team be ‘All in for Michigan.’ We already are, thanks. Nothing would make every Wolverine fan anywhere happier than to see Rich Rod succeed and win a Big Ten title or, heaven forbid, a National Championship. If he wants to shut up his nay-sayers, then all the man has to do is win. It can’t be that hard, Dantonio seems to be able to do it fairly well, and he doesn’t have the recruiting power that the block M brings.

So, Mr. Rodriguez, I a simple request. Go win. That is all we the fans want. We don’t want February pep rallies, silly sound bites like ‘Get a life.’ We certainly don’t need more excuses or violations (and guess what, if you hadn’t come in and pulled that amazing abysmal opening season, I’d bet you wouldn’t be in trouble with the NCAA anyway. Winning has a way of shutting those whiny people up.)

Season Outlook

Justin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:39:16 +0000

This season has great potential. Tate Forcier has a year of experience under his belt, and Denard Robinson advanced in the system throughout last season. The defense received a massive retooling with a strong secondary coming in with this freshman class, not to mention Will Campbell, the monster defensive tackle from Cass Tech that spent last year developing as a freshman and Jibreel Black, who is said to be a Brandon Graham clone.
I doubt Rich Rodriguez hands out a lot of red-shirts this season. He needs players and he needs to win. His pretty three year contract is expiring, and unless he performs exceptionally, I doubt Michigan offers him an extension. So expect to see Rich Rod throw everything (including that kitchen sink) at every game. He needs to prove he can win in the Big Ten now, and he needs all the skill players he has to do so.
Now let’s look at the schedule. Opening at home against Connecticut should be a win, but do not overlook them. They played a tough game against Notre Dame last season that they won. Michigan beat Notre Dame as well, but it was a tight game. UConn is no pushover, but the dedication game should go well for the Maize and Blue. Home games against Massachusetts and Bowling Green should not prove difficult hurdles, nor should the game against Indiana in Bloomington. Playing the Fighting Illini in Ann Arbor is the edge the Wolverines will use to pull past Illinois, and with that, I can see those five games as marks in the win column.
Like most fans, I can make a good case for winning the remaining seven games, even Ohio State in Columbus. Realistically, Notre Dame in South Bend and Michigan State and Iowa at home are games that should be won. It will be Notre Dame’s second game under Brian Kelly, with a new quarterback, their top receiver gone, and a bunch of Charlie Weis’ players with a coach they may or may not have bought into yet. Assuming that’s true, that would make Michigan 7 – 0 to start the season (Illinois is after Penn State in Happy Valley), or 6 – 1 if they do drop one of the three between Notre Dame, MSU and Iowa. That start could be the motivation to beat the Nittany Lions in their house, but I’m not counting on it. JoePa puts solid team on the field year in and year out, and Happy Valley isn’t the friendliest of environments. Back-to-back-to-back games against Purdue in West Lafayette and Wisconsin at the Big House then traveling to the Horseshoe to finish the season is not to the Wolverines favor. Purdue is the weakest of the three teams, but they’ll be at home. Wisconsin is a stronger team, but that wraps up the home season for the Maize and Blue. Ohio State is, well, Ohio State. Records don’t really matter in that game. Unfortunately, it is in Columbus, but that won’t stop the Wolverines from putting out their best effort. Looking at those last three games, I can see one for sure win (not that I’d say which one that win would be), maybe two, but three is a long shot. That puts our Wolverines sitting at 9 and 3 (10 and 2 if they eke out that second win in the home stretch) and a bowl game. Assuming a strong bowl showing (preferably a win), I can see Rich Rodriguez getting at least one more season after this. Go Blue!