Post by rainman on Oct 12, 2008 11:32:35 GMT -5
Michigan's latest loss is a big fall for a storied program
By DREW SHARP • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • October 11, 2008
The first-season free pass for Rich Rodriguez officially expired when a chip-shot field-goal attempt sailed wide left, setting off another delirious celebration from a feisty underdog nobody saw coming.
Holy Toledo!
Michigan can’t even beat a Mid-American Conference team.
The Big House has become a big joke. There is no safe sanctuary for what’s quickly becoming crystallizing into the worst Wolverines season in more than 40 years. A Toledo team hard-pressed to finish in the top half of the MAC this season humbled Michigan as no other MAC foe had before. The Rockets' 13-10 stunner Saturday drove another stake through the guts and pride of a Michigan program that must wonder this worrisome morning if there’s actually another win somewhere on its schedule.
U-M could conceivably fall to Notre Dame’s depths from a year ago — only three wins with the peasants suddenly approaching the castle with pitchforks and torches.
It falls on Rodriguez.
It’s clearly far, far too soon for final judgment on his radical transformation of this most traditional football program, but the tolerance level of even the true believers grows a little thinner when you fall to pitiful MAC programs.
A 4-8 season would match Michigan’s lowest win total for a season since Bump Elliott went 4-6 in 1967. But Rodriguez needs two more wins to reach four. Can anyone honestly look at the remainder of Michigan’s schedule and comfortably project where those two wins are coming from with a still sputtering offense and a defense still incapable of getting off the field quickly enough?
Toledo was Michigan’s last gimme, the final cupcake crumb on the schedule.
There was anger in Rodriguez’s expression and tone a week ago after Illinois busted him for 45 points. It was more angst this time. His eyes danced around when reciting the standard rejoinder of players not executing and everybody needing to work harder.
“I’m down,” he said, “but I’ve got to shake it off. How can I ask my players to forget about this in 24 hours if I can’t? But this one is very disappointing.”
How about embarrassing?
Running backs coach Fred Jackson didn’t hesitate when classifying this loss among the lowest points he has endured during his time with Michigan.
This loss is much worse than the Appalachian State debacle last year. That could be attributed to conceit, the big, bad fifth-ranked team in the nation simply not taking a smaller level championship team seriously in the season opener. But these two were bad football teams engaging in an epic struggle of futility.
“I feel that we’re at a crossroads where we could either go downhill or we can hang tough and weather this storm,” said linebacker Obi Ezeh. “Hopefully, this will pass and things will start going our way. We’ve just got to be tough.”
Rodriguez called out that lack of toughness following the Illinois loss, labeling his players as “soft,” hoping that would trigger an emotional reaction.
Instead, all he got was a yawn.
Cornerback Donovan Warren was oblivious to the historical magnitude of this loss when he was asked afterward how he thought time would measure this defeat.
“No clue, no idea,” he said.
Is he a reflection of disjointed leadership in the locker room? If the players aren’t shaken to the core with a 2-4 start, then they might be beyond saving. And that’s the worst possible thing for Rodriguez because that challenges his capacity to reach his players, particularly in trying times.
“There’s no quit in anybody here,” Rodriguez insisted.
The Wolverines can forget about extending the longest consecutive bowl streak (33 games) in the nation. They must worry about winning another game this season — not exactly a certainty when witnessing how mightily they struggled against a Toledo team ranked 123rd nationally in the Sagarin rankings.
Penn State already has a 14-0 lead against the Wolverines and they’re still six days away from kickoff. And little brother Michigan State will never have a better opportunity for beating its primary nemesis in two weeks.
The Motor City Bowl had several representatives at Michigan Stadium — and they weren’t scouting Toledo.
This is the bowl’s first realistic chance at landing the Wolverines in its 11-year history and officials are privately hoping that a 6-6 Michigan could fall right into their laps.
Six wins ensures the Wolverines of bowl eligibility, but they can only secure an invitation to a Big Ten-affiliated bowl if there aren’t enough available seven-win teams. If all the Big Ten bowl obligations are met, the only way a 6-6 Michigan could go elsewhere would be if there aren’t enough seven-win teams from the other major conferences to fill the voids.
Wasn’t becoming the first local Big Ten team to skulk into the Motor City Bowl always Michigan State’s destiny?
By DREW SHARP • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • October 11, 2008
The first-season free pass for Rich Rodriguez officially expired when a chip-shot field-goal attempt sailed wide left, setting off another delirious celebration from a feisty underdog nobody saw coming.
Holy Toledo!
Michigan can’t even beat a Mid-American Conference team.
The Big House has become a big joke. There is no safe sanctuary for what’s quickly becoming crystallizing into the worst Wolverines season in more than 40 years. A Toledo team hard-pressed to finish in the top half of the MAC this season humbled Michigan as no other MAC foe had before. The Rockets' 13-10 stunner Saturday drove another stake through the guts and pride of a Michigan program that must wonder this worrisome morning if there’s actually another win somewhere on its schedule.
U-M could conceivably fall to Notre Dame’s depths from a year ago — only three wins with the peasants suddenly approaching the castle with pitchforks and torches.
It falls on Rodriguez.
It’s clearly far, far too soon for final judgment on his radical transformation of this most traditional football program, but the tolerance level of even the true believers grows a little thinner when you fall to pitiful MAC programs.
A 4-8 season would match Michigan’s lowest win total for a season since Bump Elliott went 4-6 in 1967. But Rodriguez needs two more wins to reach four. Can anyone honestly look at the remainder of Michigan’s schedule and comfortably project where those two wins are coming from with a still sputtering offense and a defense still incapable of getting off the field quickly enough?
Toledo was Michigan’s last gimme, the final cupcake crumb on the schedule.
There was anger in Rodriguez’s expression and tone a week ago after Illinois busted him for 45 points. It was more angst this time. His eyes danced around when reciting the standard rejoinder of players not executing and everybody needing to work harder.
“I’m down,” he said, “but I’ve got to shake it off. How can I ask my players to forget about this in 24 hours if I can’t? But this one is very disappointing.”
How about embarrassing?
Running backs coach Fred Jackson didn’t hesitate when classifying this loss among the lowest points he has endured during his time with Michigan.
This loss is much worse than the Appalachian State debacle last year. That could be attributed to conceit, the big, bad fifth-ranked team in the nation simply not taking a smaller level championship team seriously in the season opener. But these two were bad football teams engaging in an epic struggle of futility.
“I feel that we’re at a crossroads where we could either go downhill or we can hang tough and weather this storm,” said linebacker Obi Ezeh. “Hopefully, this will pass and things will start going our way. We’ve just got to be tough.”
Rodriguez called out that lack of toughness following the Illinois loss, labeling his players as “soft,” hoping that would trigger an emotional reaction.
Instead, all he got was a yawn.
Cornerback Donovan Warren was oblivious to the historical magnitude of this loss when he was asked afterward how he thought time would measure this defeat.
“No clue, no idea,” he said.
Is he a reflection of disjointed leadership in the locker room? If the players aren’t shaken to the core with a 2-4 start, then they might be beyond saving. And that’s the worst possible thing for Rodriguez because that challenges his capacity to reach his players, particularly in trying times.
“There’s no quit in anybody here,” Rodriguez insisted.
The Wolverines can forget about extending the longest consecutive bowl streak (33 games) in the nation. They must worry about winning another game this season — not exactly a certainty when witnessing how mightily they struggled against a Toledo team ranked 123rd nationally in the Sagarin rankings.
Penn State already has a 14-0 lead against the Wolverines and they’re still six days away from kickoff. And little brother Michigan State will never have a better opportunity for beating its primary nemesis in two weeks.
The Motor City Bowl had several representatives at Michigan Stadium — and they weren’t scouting Toledo.
This is the bowl’s first realistic chance at landing the Wolverines in its 11-year history and officials are privately hoping that a 6-6 Michigan could fall right into their laps.
Six wins ensures the Wolverines of bowl eligibility, but they can only secure an invitation to a Big Ten-affiliated bowl if there aren’t enough available seven-win teams. If all the Big Ten bowl obligations are met, the only way a 6-6 Michigan could go elsewhere would be if there aren’t enough seven-win teams from the other major conferences to fill the voids.
Wasn’t becoming the first local Big Ten team to skulk into the Motor City Bowl always Michigan State’s destiny?
