So many journalists and fans alike clamored after the 3-9 season Michigan suffered this year.
"They have too much talent!"
"Rodriguez wasted it!"
"They never should have gone 3-9!"
Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, Michigan was not the program we all thought it was. Michigan did not have the depth and talent that we all thought they did.
For example, of the 2004 recruiting class (fifth-year seniors this year), nine players either transferred or quit the team before Rodriguez came. Five (Henne, Hart, etc.) graduated.
Of the 2005 class, eight players transferred/quit, two left the team (Bass—5* who ruined knee, Slocum—Academics), and one (Zirbel) became unavailable after Rodriguez came.
Still with me? That's 25 players. That's 25 "premium" recruits we supposedly had. Let's continue.
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This year, players like Artis Chambers, Zion Babb, and Justin Boren either transferred, planned to, or were kicked off the team.
Other players haven't panned out as we thought they would. Kevin Grady has turned out to be a bust, Carson Butler is a pain in the ass, and players like Patterson, Criswell, Savoy, Logan, Panter, and many more have rarely seen the field.
Now a lot of teams don't have "successful" classes, or at least where 50 percent of their classes eventually see the field or are deemed "successful recruits."
But Michigan has lost a significant portion of its talent through attrition and graduation. Many players never panned out, some quit, and some simply graduated, not taking a fifth year of eligibility.
With Manningham and Arrington, the truth is there wasn't a lot of talent behind them after they departed. Mathews was solid, but Stonum was unproven. Junior Hemingway was out for most of the season with mono/injuries, Zion Babb was a bust, and Odoms turned out to be a surprise.
Lloyd Carr can be partially blamed for the quarterback situation, as he typically only went after a single quarterback recruit each year. And if you think Ryan Mallet left because of Rodriguez, you are wrong. He hated Ann Arbor, was generally disliked by the team, and probably wouldn't have fit well.
Part of the theory behind Rodriguez's theme is to build strength with competition, and that won't start to take place for another year or two. With strong recruiting classes, the Wolverines will finally have the depth that so many believed they had.
Then they can return to elite status.
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about 1 month ago
Finaly, someone who gets it. What a nice change from the typical Rodriguez sucks bs. Its so easy to kick a person or program when its down. Great article. Michael T.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the comment! I just thought people should know we don't have all the talent in the world as most people think.
about 1 month ago
I wouldn't want to be a fan of a Big Ten team if Rodriguez is able to do what he did at WVU. That team with the level of recruits Michigan can bring in will rip slow moving Big Ten teams apart.
from about 1 month ago
You make a great point Marcus. If Rodriguez is really able to adapt his spread well here I think we'll see Michigan play at a level they haven't played at in many a year.
about 1 month ago
Good article Jeff. Great to see somebody actually list of the valid reasons why the wolverines stunk it up this year. I have to believe the loss of talent was a big reason that Carr decided to retire when he did. Honestly, he probably would have gone 6-6 at best this year if he had stayed.
It is a shame to see you guys so down as it takes away from the Big Ten and definitely ruined the biggest day of the year for us Buckeyes. It is SO MUCH more fun when both teams are at the top of their games.
Here's hoping that things improve up there in stinkyland next year. Just don't improve too much.
from about 1 month ago
I find this very funny. I understand a suckeye fan enjoying our pain, but when you talk all your seniors into coming back, return like 20 starters, and the best you can do is wait for Penn State to control your destiny. I think it is much better to expect to struggle when you know you are going to then to expect a national championship and then suck. Plain and simple the big ten is weak and Michigan is doing something about it. Go Blue
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the kind comments sir!
Its nice to hear that from a buckeye fan that realizes the rivalry is at it's best when both teams are good. Here's to a bright future for both OSU and UM!
from about 1 month ago
Tim, As hard as it is for me to pull for you guys to get better, I am. The funny thing is that you think we suck because we are unable to finish the season number 1. USC was ranked 1 when they kicked our butts in week 3 and Penn State was ranked 3 when they barely beat us in week 9. Sure we had very high hopes this year and didn't live up to expectations, but saying the Buckeyes suck this year is a stretch... a serious stretch.
Think what you will but if the Buckeyes sucked this year, what designator do you put on the Wolverines?
about 1 month ago
i agree with most of what you said, but i still can't believe that the team defense stunk up the field like it did. the defense was in pretty good shape and should have performed much better with the players they had. great coaches know how to adapt their plan of attack to the personnel they have.
from about 1 month ago
Hey Ron,
Your totally right about the defense. And I think Shafer is partially to blame, but these guys stunk it up. The safeties always had terrible angles, and our tackling was terrible. We'll see if we can improve on that next year.
about 1 month ago
Also, the players who don't buy into the new coach's and system, are usualy the seniors, or upper classmen. They feel a sence of resentment, and or abandenment, and having to learn a whole new system in there final year, they sometimes just go through the motions. They all said they bought into Barwis'es weight training, but have never mentioned Rodiguez. I cant say for sure that's what happened here, but our defence was loaded with seniors and never improved as the year went on like they should have.
from about 1 month ago
You bet.
I don't entirely blame them for that but it doesn't help the team.. especially young freshmen who are looking for leaders/someone to look up to.
about 1 month ago
You make a good point about Michigan not being as talented, but what about the defense??? At last check, Terrence Taylor, Will Johnson, Brandon Graham, Tim Jamison, Morgan Trent, Donovan Warren, and others will be playing on Sunday's in the near future (not saying that they will be All-Pros or anything). The LBs can run and should become at least All Big Ten caliber. So, defensively, the only lack of talent is the coaching staff.
The problem with Michigan's defense was that Schafer continually went to a 3-man front on 3rd and long, sit back zone schemes and allow opposing QBs to pick them apart. When Michigan blitzed and put pressure on the QB, they generally would force a 4th down. That's coaching and it went uncorrected the entire season. In fact, they lost a game (Purdue) because they played this scheme the entire game.
Also, (because I live in New England and do not get the Big Ten Network) where did all the injuries come from? It seems to me that every time one of the veterans had a good game (Minor and Brown) they had been injured until that point. The point of a solid strength and conditioning coach is be strong yet prevent some injuries. When mysterious injuries to Miner, Brown, and others continue to occur, it makes you wonder if this strength and conditioning coach is all his press clippings say he is.
Finally, just a word about Ryan Mallett. I understand that he didn't like it in Ann Arbor and may not have been very well liked. Again, I don't know. But I do know that he was quoted as saying that it was a shame that he had to transfer, because he was just starting to get comfortable in Ann Arbor. Just a side note, I thought that Mallett had the potential to be the next NFL QB from Michigan.
from about 1 month ago
I totally agree with the defense, and I'm not sure any of us will know or understand the full reasoning behind it's ineffectiveness.
As for Minor, he was playing with bad ribs, a near broken wrist, and a bad shoulder. Probably because he literally throws his body around, etc. Brown was just constantly hampered by past injuries. So hopefully more Barwis in the future will help, but he can't prevent playing injuries.
With Mallett.. I don't think he was handled correctly. In the past Lloyd Carr found some of his great Quarterbacks in waiting, or players that had been behind stars and became great when they had the chance. Carr basically gave Mallett the keys to the program. There's no denying his talent but his stats were very average and honestly Forcier should have gotten the nod when Henne was hurt.
about 1 month ago
"Lloyd Carr can be partially blamed for the quarterback situation, as he typically only went after a single quarterback recruit each year. And if you think Ryan Mallet left because of Rodriguez, you are wrong. He hated Ann Arbor, was generally disliked by the team, and probably wouldn't have fit well."
I'm so sick of hearing this from other Michigan fans. It's a nice little story you can tell yourselves to help you sleep at night, and you figure if you say it enough it will be true. Mallett was homesick, key work being "was." A lot of freshmen go through it, he enrolled early in January and by the time August rolled around he had become comfortable in Ann Arbor. Did he rub some teammates the wrong way? Sure. Some coaches? Yeah. But Carr had a track record of dealing with players like that-see Edwards, Perry, Manningham, Arrington, and Terrell.
The only reason Mallett left was because of the change of offensive systems. Could you picture Mallett running the zone option? Mallett wants to play in the NFL and one reason why he picked Michigan was because we put QBs in the NFL. RichRod's system does not do that and does not fit his strengths. If Carr, pr anyone else for that matter, was the coach Mallett would still be in Ann Arbor.
from about 1 month ago
I'm not trying to make excuses for why he's gone. Personally I'm glad. And your right, part of, (or the main) reason he did leave was because of the offensive system change. But people constantly say Rodriguez basically told him to go, that's the point I was trying to get at.
about 1 month ago
Thank you. Finally someone else recognizes that there really isn't a whole lot of talent on this team. The last several years (this year and before RR got here) this team has had a ton of players transfer or not pan out. Lloyd did not recruit the OL, LB, or S positions very well at all his last few years. With the youth and lack of depth, it's going to take another year or two to get back up to the level that everyone expects.
about 1 month ago
I agree, Carr didn't do very good at recruiting.RichRod is doing better than i expected him to. Most people think that since Michigan went 3-9 they'll have no good recruits. That's totally wrong. Michigan so far has a top ten recruiting class in RichRod's first year. Michigan will be back near the top in 2-3 years.
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