Goodbye. Personally, I would rather go with the Nehlen 8-4 seasons, than have to worry about our coach leaving at the end of every year. Take the job Uncle Terry!

As a Michigan fan, I'm pretty excited about this hire. For one, it means that I can stop obsessively reading message boards for the latest hiring rumors and secondly because I believe Rodriquez is a step in the right direction for Michigan. The game has changed while Michigan has stayed the same since Bo arrived there in the 60s. Now let's see how much of the coaching staff he changes. I'm personally hoping he kicks DeBord to the curb and revamps the strength and conditioning program, which is archaic and has been hurting Michigan's players for years.

As a WVU guy, I am sad, but that said I am also a realist. It has to be frustrating to what a true top notch program could deliver in terms of talent. WVU is a labor of love for both fans and coaching, it isnt a sexy destination for sure. When you have the coaching talent Rich has, you are bound to draw schools like Michigan, last year it was Alabama(wisely turned down)...Michigan is huge, imagine what kind of talent pool Rich will have to draw from in the coming years...If I were an Ohio State fan...I would be concerned...really concerned.

For all of us WV fans, well I sincerly hope we dont forget what Rich has given us, or what he is leaving us...Namely Patrick White...Lets hope our new coach can handle all that speed.

Great perspective stuart, though admittedly I was a Miles fan during this at times very frustrating search process. Nevertheless I agree that Rodriguez will have every possibility to do great things at Michigan.

One final thought - I am not among those who wish Michigan would move away from the Schembechler era. Rather, as Schembechler did himself, all Michigan fans and alum should embrace the tradition and demand excellence, integrity, loyalty and the tradition of winning, while also acknowledge the continuing changes to college football. Interesting that it has been widely reported on Michigan fan boards this weekend that during the last few years of his life the two coaches he privately supported as successors to Lloyd were Kirk Ferentz and Rich Rodriguez.

Go Blue!

Congrads to Michigan for landing a coach. Now they can lose to Appalachian St and Pittsburgh!!!

Welcome Michigan to Rich Rod's world. There is always a better job out there or at least a job you can leverage to get more money. Remember, this is the guy who thought about leaving is home of West Virginia after only 2 years to coach at renown football power Kentucky. However, much Michigan paid him, he will want more in two years.

As a huge Big Blue fan I think that its a good hire. I am not a fan of the a coach leaving another school though. Who is to say that he won't do it in three years. I am not a huge Spead fan either, but if it will get them in the National Championship, then I am all for it. What about the defense and Ryan Mallett? This is going to be an interesting season.

Well I am finally glad that Michigan finally got it's man in Rich Rodriguez. Now all the Media can back of Les Miles a man who said that he was never going to the big Blue! as there head coach. He said many times over and over again that he was never going to Michigan, and that he was very happy at LSU. I am very please that this search is over Now Les and the boys can focus on OSU starting tomorrow, and as a LSU fan all I have to say is.

Go Tigers!!!!!!!!!!

Best wishes, Michigan.

When your "big"games come up, remember that Rodriquez failed to prepare, motivate and successfully coach the Mounties in the most important game in WVU's football history and the school's annual big rivalry game.

Just a good spit and only 60-playing-minutes away from the national championshiop game, he appeared to watch the meltdown with Pitt as a spectator, not coach. Squandered home-field advantage and 28+ points spot. Went AWOL on leadership and coaching that day.

And, no, the loss didn't come because of Pat White's thumb problem. The game was slipping away even before that.

You also ought to be very wary of any of Rodriguez's declarations, especially of loyalty.

After declining last year's offer from Alabama, reportedly Rodriquez said: ""Obviously, I'm very excited to stay here [at WVU] and I plan on being here a long time. . . There weren't many reasons not to go. It's all about the reason for staying. I'm biased. This is my school. I think it's a great place to raise a family."

So much for loyalty. And a year or so now means "a long time"?

Here's hoping that Ed Pastilong's already changed the locks at the WVU Athletic Department to which Rodriguez has had access.

And here's hoping Pastilong tells him that as of the Monday morning news conference announcing Rodriguez's hire at Michigan, he's no longer welcome on campus.

At least his departure opens the door for someone loyal, better and truthful.

Don't you see some real cloud storms gathering over the next 5 years between the Big Ten and the SEC? This is gonna be good!

The SEC should remember what tOSU showed during its last National Championship: Big Ten smashmouth football with appropriate talent = pain!

Congrats Big Blue on getting the right coach!

People forget that R-Rod coached teams don't play defense. LeSean McCoy ran right over them. Now Rod went to the big leagues of pro-style running backs. Have fun dealing with Mendenhall, PJ Hill, Beanie Wells and others in the coming years, Michigan.

As a Michigan guy the more I read about this the more excited I am getting. Michigan's program has seemed to become a bit stale in recent years even though they've still be having various levels on success. This will shake things up for sure.

I'm a WV fan and all for wishing best of luck to those that come and go if they come and go in a dignified manner...I'm not disturbed to see him go (I've never been a big fan of him as a coach there) EXCEPT for the fact he made some outright bold faced lies..."circumstances change, if you could you would, think about his family, I couldn't turn down the offer" blah blah blah. The way he handled the whole situation has been very 3rd grade at best. I would be about as professional and underhanded as he was as he came to get his crap out of our state...and I would definitely hold him to every penny on the buyout...even though they let their basketball coach off the hook. Bring on a coach that runs a pro-style and lets really get WV into the hunt...Rich Rod from me to you...YOU SUCK and I hope OSU kicks your tail every year...and I hope every year there is at least one WVU fan in the stadium heckling you every second it is going on...

Free at last! With that 'media made' monkey off his back, Les Miles can continue with the task he has said repeatedly he was committed to.

The WVU spread is very different than what is now Michigan football. That ship does not turn in a single season. I say, look for Michigan football to start looking like the sport most in the SEC expect.

Good luck Michigan fans.

Funny how RR isnt looked as down upon as BP is in this deal. RR left his team before bowl game and flirted with the Bama job before giving the oath of allegiance like BP did at Louisville.

Pathetic Mandel how you show your bias in this by not writing the same type of article you did on the BP hire.

To every WVU fan crying out that Rich Rodriguez betrayed them, I have but one question:

Wasn't there a widely reported rift between Rodriguez and the AD?

While following the Rodriguez rumors on WVU message boards, I came across this line of thinking time and time again. While he may have wanted to stay at the job for a long, long time, hatred of your boss and the general feeling that he was slowing your progress seems like a strong motivating factor to leave. Especially for more money, more prestige, and better recruiting.

Loyalty is great but loyalty to the point that it hurts you and makes your life miserable is stupidity.

Now we just have to keep Harvard and Central Michigan off the Michigan football schedule...

Congrats BLUE on stealing another WVU coach...but if you look at recent trends, keep in mind that he can't win the BIG game. Although I am a Mountaineer, I suppose you could also now call me an Ohio State fan. Go gettem' Rich, hope you keep up the tradition by continuing to lose all of the big games.

Congratulations Michigan. You have just bought a coach who will dazzle you with speed, excite you with his wild high scoring offense, get you hyped and pumped up and ultimately lose every big game that really matters in the end. Also keep your check book out, he will need more money in about 2 years or less depending on who is showing him the love next.

Why is Rich getting a free pass here? He has used other schools for gain, just signed an estension last year, and WV still has a BCS game to play and he is not coaching them.

Bobby Petrino gets blasted like I have never seen before and Rich is decleared the best hire of the year.

What am I missing???

Rodriguez is an unethical coach.
Rod called T. Pryor to tell him he was taking the Michigan job *before* he told his team. Noel Devine could have gone anywhere, but he believed Rod was staying at WVU
Keep that in mind before you sign, TP.
West Virginia will do well with a coach who *wants* this job that paid *more* that UM paid Carr.

Rodriguez will go down as the biggest coward in the history of the great state of West Virginia, and his legacy left behind is a 13-9 loss to a 4-7 Wannstedt coached Pittsburgh team. Good riddance.

Ok, Rodriguez isn't a bad hire ... but:

what if he tries to pull a Callahan and turn Michigan into something it's not? UM might be wishing for Lloyd Carr in five years ... ok, maybe not, but still. This has potential to be a huge bust.

(of course, at that point, Les Miles will probably be ready to jump ship)

Sure, it has a potential to be a bust. But unlike Callahan, Rodriguez has been consistently successful with two college programs. That's a far cry from Callahan. Of course, if you want Rodriguez to fail, go ahead and boo him from day one. Carr got about a three day grace period in 1997...

Mandel you are a dumbass

Mandel you are a dumbass

I hope your fall on ice and break your back coach fraud.

Congratulations Michigan on your hire. WVU was looking for a coach in 2001 when Rich was hired and we will hire another one soon. I acknowledge RR is a good coach but I never much cared for his ego, integrity, and values. Yes he had success on the field at WVU and added to the foundation that Don Nehlen (BTW, a man with more integrity in his little finger than RR has entirely) laid, but we will survive. Perhaps the rumors will soon fly around Ann Arbor that flew around Morgantown - don't know that any are true but they do indeed exist. Again UM, congratulations on your catch. And to RR, SEE YA!!!

The media will not rip 'ol Rod because he's going to media darling Meechigan...the program with 1/2 national title in the last 50 years. I'm thinking rod decided to leave town because he got some bigtime grief over that chokejob against Pitt. All they had to do was beat a terrible Pitt team in order to play for the NC...and they couldn't get it done. Now THAT is a championship calibre coach! Is he still living off that win over Georgia in a bowl game a few years ago? A couple of losses to Ohio St. will have him wishing he was "home" again. And it's no surprise he couldn't stomach the intense SEC at Alabama and instead opted for the weak big 10. He wasn't man enough to coach in the SEC.

why exactly should other Big 10 coaches be "shaking" in their shoes? He has a nice offense, one most successful teams in college run to some degree now, but has yet to show he can win a big game, and really doesnt have much of a defensive mind-set (that paper tiger of a WVU D this year notwithstanding). We shall see what happens, I dont think I'd call it a "home run" but a decent hire. Not sure if it gets Michigan to the top of college football again though, which obviously has to be their goal year in and year out.

why exactly should other Big 10 coaches be "shaking" in their shoes? He has a nice offense, one most successful teams in college run to some degree now, but has yet to show he can win a big game, and really doesnt have much of a defensive mind-set (that paper tiger of a WVU D this year notwithstanding). We shall see what happens, I dont think I'd call it a "home run" but a decent hire. Not sure if it gets Michigan to the top of college football again though, which obviously has to be their goal year in and year out.

why exactly should other Big 10 coaches be "shaking" in their shoes? He has a nice offense, one most successful teams in college run to some degree now, but has yet to show he can win a big game, and really doesnt have much of a defensive mind-set (that paper tiger of a WVU D this year notwithstanding). We shall see what happens, I dont think I'd call it a "home run" but a decent hire. Not sure if it gets Michigan to the top of college football again though, which obviously has to be their goal year in and year out.

GOODBYE ROD AND NEVER BOTHER TO COME BACK. Last year he pulled this to get more money and he sucessfully pulled it off but this year he is just being STUPID. I tell my sister who is a student at WVU that she should have stayed up there and put a big ol' FOR SALE sign in ol'Rod's yard to signify that we dont want him here anymore. Me personally I am happy to see him gone because ever since he CHOKED big time in the Pitt game my loyalalty to WVU had went down a lot because that game was a disgrace to every WVU fan that has ever exsited. I'd rather have a coach that has COMMITMENT to coach WVU, but although we still have some good talent that the '08 season as thier last year I personally would like to see them to go to the National Championship game just to put it to Rodriquez and show him that we dont need him to be successful.

couldn't stomach the intense SEC at Alabama

Louisiana-Monroe 21, Alabama 14

Now that's intense!

I've never met anyone from Michigan that has any character so RR should fit right in.

Im glad this bum is gone!!! How can a team so loaded with speed and talent lose at home to a much weaker Pitt team??? I will tell you how, POOR COACHING! I did not see one reverse or any kind of option play the whole game and with this type of talent it makes too much sense not to run some counter plays to disrupt a defense bent on sending 11 men to the ball carrier.
Hey Traitor...Ever hear of a "Flea Flicker" or a quarterback option rollout??
I really think the best man for the WVU job is Doc Holliday who was assistant to Don Nehlen. He would never leave WVU until he retired as their coach.

Rodrigues and Petrino are not the same. To those of you making that comparison,Iunderstadn that Rodriguez looks slimy because he is leaving WVU before a bowlgame, but he still leaves WVU in better order than Louisville was left when Petrino took the job in Atlanta less than a year ago. Patrino then left Atlanta before he completed a full season with the Falcons.
Petrino and Rodriguez are not in the same boat, nor are they men of equal character.

As a WV fan, I say, good luck Michigan with Coach Rod. I hope your financial backers have a hugh amount of tolerance as Coach Rod has no skills with the so called money people who back the program. He is very self centered, doesn't do or want to do anything that has nothing in it for himself, even though the University will benefit. Open up your wallets Wolverine backers, cause Rich will want new everything to satisfy his hugh ego and manchild whining. Oh yea, lock up your Michigan cheerleaders, cause rumor has it that Coach Rod likes the spread attack!!!!!

It'll be interesting, watching what he can do at a school that actually has talent. People keep saying that he couldn't win the big game, but forgetting that he was coaching at WVU. Sure, the Mountaineers are good for their conference, but that conference is the Big (l)East. Now he has a team with as much recruiting draw as any school in the country.

couldn't stomach the intense SEC at Alabama

Louisiana-Monroe 21, Alabama 14

Now that's intense!
-------------

Yeah, it's intense. Bad loss for Bama, but at least UL-Monroe was a I-A team.

There's bigtime high school football in the south and Texas that's more intense than the Big East rod coached in. He's a decent coach, but nothing that will have other big 10 programs quaking in their boots or anything.

Michigan probably acquired the best coach available. Whether Rodriguez can match Tressel at OSU is another story. He hasn't been the best recruiter at WV, but then it must be difficult to convince kids to go to WV. As stated he may not have won his fair share of the big games but WV does not have the talent of an elite school, nor have they ever played a schedule that would challenge them sufficiently to become elite.
Rodriguez may have the ability to return Michigan to a level where it can compete with OSU. And with his coaching schemes he may even go further and lead Michigan to a level where it can stand beside the best of the SEC and Pac 10. It will be interesting to see if he does.

For Roger - Nehlen was a crybaby. He would set up easy schedules then cry when the victories did not gain respect. WV does not need someone like him.

What an idiot

Definitive statements without corroborating facts are, stated delicately, bullsquatch.

Mandel, your assertion that Rod is a better coach than Miles is a classic example of bullsquatch and added nothing to your article.

Congrats to UM for getting another WVU coach with no morals. Taking Belein was the best move possible for WVU as we now have a coach that actually teaches rebounding, defense and will finally win some big games as the same will happen in WVU football. UM will fire Rod in 5 years after he repeatedly loses to Ohio State. One hard core WVU fan and a brand new Ohio State fan. "Go Bucks!"

Why do Michigan fans feel the need to put down West Virginia and the Big East in their posts? It is as if WVU "deserved" this. I think RR will be very successful at Michigan, but it will take ~2-3 years. Difficult to implement this offense with slower/stronger players. Only thing I have a big problem with is him telling Pryor of the move BEFORE his players (confirmed by AP story). I read this online as did I'm sure a few players BEFORE Coach told them. Sleazy.

But lest we forget that Rodriguez might be the greatest choke artist in the NCAA right now.

Has everyone forgotten that he didnt start winning at WVU until 3 years ago? Oh wait, didn't Miami and Virginia Tech leave for the ACC 3 years ago? As an Ohio State fan, im less than impressed by his record, as his teams havent had defenses that would worry me (didnt they get blasted by louisville, allowing more than 40 points in a lackluster win?). We've played our share of high-powered offenses in recent years and haven't even broken a sweat to them.

I guess winning the Sugar Bowl is not considered a big victory.

I had the opportunity to speak to RR in Parkersburg WV about 3 months ago. I thanked him for not taking the Alabama job and mentioned to him what he meant to the state of WV. His reply was "WV is my home, I will never leave WV". It was a BOLD FACE LIE FROM A BIG A** LOSER. He cannot win the big game and could not take the pressure when WVU lost to PITT. RR is not only the New Michigan Coach but he is also a BIG A** Baby. CYA CHUMP

Picking apart his past to try to prove points seems small at this point. True fans of the game will wish Rodriguez & Michigan the best. I don't approve of the way he left WV, but it is a done deal.

A great hire IMO, Rodriquez has done a great job at West Va. I hope his WV kids are not distracted by him leaving because their bowl game vs. Oklahoma was probably going to be the most exciting one on paper.

I still find it incredulous though that UM didn't even interview Brian Kelly! That's asinine.

Howie,

Do you even bother to think before you write??

If Rich Rodriquez is a better coach than Les Miles, why did he blow a shot at the National Championship by losing to a patheticly weak Pitt team?

Do you really get paid for coming up with this BS?

Disappointment filled WVU fans after the loss to Pitt at the beginning of December, but we consoled ourselves with the thought that there was always next year...

Ha! Fat chance now.

I have read more than one commentary tonight talking about the proud history that Michigan football has (no denying this) and how Rich Rod is joining that tradition. The funny thing about these comments is that Michigan football, and other football dynasties I can think of, were built by strong coaches who never quit before the job was done. Coaches like Bear, Woody, and Bo Schembechler became immortal by building programs based on loyalty and hard work... creating success over adversity. Well congratulations Rich. You have traded your chance to build a tradition of your own at WVU, just to ride the money coat tails of a former champion coach.

I understand your frustration with trying to run a program at WVU that has only only half the funding that MU has... but that would have changed as time went by. The truth is that you have shown your true character, not by going for the extra income ( I don't blame you for that ) but for leaving after an embarrassing loss and the season still needing to be finished with the game against Oklahoma still waiting to be played. Quitting before the job was done. Heck of an example for your future teams.

I guess you can say that Rich has immortalized his name in WV college football history. Just not quite in the way he may have wished for.

While I can certainly understand West Virginia fans feeling angry or betrayed by Rodriguez's decision, anyone trying to compare this situation to Petrino's is off his rocker.

First of all, college coaches take new jobs before bowl games all the time. It's unfortunate but a reality. Meanwhile, Rodriguez has not left two jobs in an 11-month span. He did not leave his team with three games left in its season. He did not tell his boss point-blank the day before he left, "You have a head coach." He did not coach his team one night, show up at an introductory press conference the next. And most importantly, he stood in front of his players and told them the news to their faces rather than taping a letter to their lockers.

I'm not saying he handled it perfectly, but really, there is no perfect way to handle these situations. I do know this: If I were a WVU fan, I'd try to dwell a little bit less on that Pittsburgh loss and try to remember the guy for producing some of the best teams, biggest wins (most notably that Sugar Bowl) and most exciting players in school history. Hopefully the school will find someone capable of carrying on his legacy.

With the talent Michigan can pull, there will be enough talent to go around. I'm sorry to all you WVU fans, crying in your milk about now, but face the facts, Coach Rod did more with less at WVU. Just wait until he gets a team with real talent.

And seriously, if he'd not being helped behind the scenes as far as funding and other things go, why stay? Go to a school with unlimited resources.

Being a ND fan, I am fearful of what this is going to do with my team, but I am happy that Michigan went out of the box and did NOT hire another Michigan man.

God I feel terrible. I'm thrilled that we have a great coach, but I feel bad that there are a lot of people hurt by his decision to leave. I really hope that WVU can continue its success. I also hope that Ron English and some other assistants stay at UM. Some continuity would be nice and good for the current UM players.

As a diehard WVU fan, I was disappointed with RR's decision to leave, but disgusted with the way he has handled this entire situation. He didn't even resign face to face with the AD. He had a graduate assistant deliver his resignation letter to the AD, which stated he will resign effective AFTER the Fiesta Bowl. This is interesting because if WVU denies him this game, then they have just given him leverage to get out of the 4 mil buyout. The other interesting part is he had the contract finalized before he left Toledo on Friday. This is a lesson learned from last year's debacle with Alabama. That report was pre-mature, because the deal was not yet done allowing WVU to counter and change his mind. He was set on this, he made sure the contract was done, so WVU would have no recourse. If you wanna go, then go, but at least be honest with the fans regardless how you feel about the AD, Rich. UM is not better than WVU, and if you think you got it bad when you lost to PITT, just wait until you lose to OSU and see how these fans who love you today will be heckling you tomorrow. Good luck. I wish you all the luck in the world, I hope it's all bad.

Mandel, just because your a columnist for CNN.com doenst mean that your a smart guy. Coach Suck my Rich Rod couldnt handle the pressure at WVU now he goes to a second tier school like Michigan. It's sort of funny how College Coaches lie to their fans just like 14 and 15 year olds lie to their parents. If anybody should be dissapointed by this acquisition , it should be the Wolverine fans.

Loyalty, Respect and Honesty all take a back seat in college football. Rich Rod reminds me of that guy from WV who won the 346 Million Powerball back on Christmas day 4-5 years ago(Jack Whitacker). A MONEY CRAZED IDIOT.

This sucks man...... whenever a different school comes up to the national stage... a big powerhouse comes up and buys the top guy.... everyone keeps complaing how weak the big east is... but at the end of the day all the big east coaches are bought off......... its a matter of time before greg schiano is bought off by a sec or big 10 schol....

Stewie Mandel wrote...

"If I were a WVU fan, I'd try to dwell a little bit less on that Pittsburgh loss and try to remember the guy for producing some of the best teams..."

That is the most asinine comment I have ever read. That is like saying "if my mom had died instead of yours, I'd think of all the good times we had..." You do realize that WVU is one of the winingest college football programs in history, while still having never won a national championship? What about the 100 year long rivalry between WVU and Pitt? We would be dwelling on it, if it was any other year, too. We are pissed because we are hungry and had a chance for a national championship within reach! Are you going to tell me you wouldn't be hurt in the same situation?

Here is a suggestion. Why don't you just kick me in the 'nads... and then ask me to think fondly of all my old girlfriends.

Do you even know what it's like to be loyal to a football team?

Sheesh !

I'm really excited about Coach Rod coming here but for the love...people stop thinking Michigan was 3 yards a and a cloud of dust. We've been running a Pro offense for 10 years. The place is QB U! Every QB since Harabaugh has been in the NFL. While I agree it's time to take the program into a new direction, it ain't like it was dead! Can't wait for next season, welcome Coach Rod!

Rodriquez says thanks but no thanks to Alabama, and the next year takes the Michigan job. No way to see this as anything other as a slap in the face of Alabama. Some advice to WVU: Do NOT hire Terry Bowden.

I've never felt compelled to post until now. I moved from Seattle to WV 4 years ago. So I can speak from a little objectivity here.

The reason so many WVU fans are upset right now comes from a little further then just losing a football coach. You’re talking about a family member disrespecting the family. For better or worse West Virginia has no major professional sports team. If you want to identify with a team you have to go out of state. It gets fairly evenly split to the different surrounding states, and there is nothing unifying. WVU’s football team however does have a united following all over the state, and people are proud of it too. West Virginia gets the short end of the joke more then its fair share a lot of time in the media, be it Jack Whitaker or some other news making yokel. The one except seems to be its football programs, most especially WVU. (Heck, they just made a move about Marshall).

Now imagine the coach of that team is a West Virginian native, one of your own. In a moment when the school, and to a less extent the Big East needed a coach that could step up and make a statement of pride and relevance and delivers. That kind of attention is why Alabama came knocking. There was a united effort statewide to secure that he wouldn’t go. I came at the coast of almost doubling his salary, plus who knows what other perks boosters came up with. West Virginian’s were willing to fight to keep there own. Now here we go a year latter only months after signing a new contract and they are going through it all over again with Michigan. Compound that with a loss to Pitt which cost them the title game that people will always wonder if he already knew he was leaving then when he coached. That is why people here are mad, because they feel that coach is saying WV is never going to be good enough. They don’t want to play these games every year, and not before a major bowl game no less. They gave there full support and everything they could for a home grown hero and he turned there back on them. I find it very funny he refuses to talk to anyone in West Virginia about it, because he knows what he’s done. He grew up here, he knows how it works.

I would be really surprised if he actually coached the Fiesta Bowl. I guess from the sounds of it he’s already recruiting for Michigan by letting his recruits know where he is going before he talks to the school or his players. How can he do that and not be fired with due cause. His resignation doesn’t take effect until Jan. 3rd. Can I get some clarification on that?

Michigan fan/alum...Definitely pleased about the hire, given what the other options seemed to be at this point. (Mike DeBored? Brady Hoke? Yeah, that would make me throw up in my mouth.)

However, I can see where the WVU fans are coming from. I, too, would be very angry in this situation; you have a coach who extorted money for a higher salary last year after the whole 'Bama situation, etc. Yes, this worries me, as a Michigan guy. Also, the Pitt game is...tough to stomach. As was watching WVU come up flat against USF earlier this year. (Yes, I know- glass houses, glass houses...App State, tOSU, etc. Trust me- I know. I was at both games.)

Further troubling is the fact that he seems to be disloyal, which is somewhat scary; I don't want Michigan to be in the same boat as WVU is now in a few years.

And I will be honest: Les Miles would've been awesome. Michigan guy, talks like Bo, hires great coordinators, has serious cojones, etc. I was honestly holding out hope, still, that after LSU won the national championship (Screw Big Ten loyalty; I hope they pound the Buckeyes) he would come back home to Michigan.

However...Rich Rod was/is my second choice, and most people in the "Miles to Michigan Mafia," as it has been dubbed on message boards, seem to agree. So, no Les...but Rich isn't too bad. Just hope he doesn't leave us hanging in a few years. And I, for one, have nothing disparaging to say about West Virginia...the New River Gorge is beautiful, and great for whitewater rafting and kayaking! I hope WVU hires a great coach so they can let go of some of the animosity for coach Rod.

As a casual fan, I don't have a clue about the actual ins and outs of RR's time at WV. That said, he does seem to be a pretty darn good coach. So what suprises me about many of the comments here is that this is the man's career we are talking about. Most of us would jump at the opportunity for a better job. Granted that means different things to different people, but I guess I just don't think it should suprise us or anger us too much when someone takes a job that they feel is better for them. All I would ask of them is that they leave with as much dignity as possible which it sounds like RR has done. It sucks that the business side of the game works this way, but that's not his fault. I, for one, wish him well and hope that WV can find someone who will build on what he has accomplished.

Rich Rod was a much better selection than Miles. Miles is still benefitting from Saban's recruiting. We'll see what happens in a few years if he doesn't regret this decisions.

Again for all you WVU fans? Suck it up. So you know why he might have left his home town job? I am sure its not all to do with money.

And you need to stop calling Michigan a second tier school. They are the winningest school in college football history, show some respect.

I give Rich Rod 2 years to sort out his offense, and by year 3 he will be contending for a NC. But this time he'll have the players to finish the job.

As a UM Alum, I like this signing. Also, I don't see why WVU is so upset. This is a great chance for him to go to a bigger program with better recruits, better name, and more importantly, more money for the program.

As for the loyalty issue, I'm not concerned. What's a "better" program than Michigan's? How many schools have significantly more money and support from Alum? OSU, Florida, Texas, USC (only relatively recently), Miami, and who else really? I would even say most of those jobs are lateral moves.

Wow this is insane, it is unfortunate that WV was hurt by RR leaving, it is a crappy world that we live in when integrity is not always present in college coaches. But with that being said there were rumors RR had problems with the AD and you cannot fault him for going after a dream to be mentioned in the same breathe as Feilding Yost and Fritz Crisler. And on the RR is a choke artist note, he has taken a semi good program into a national contender, be grateful for what uou have recieved from him. And by the way the great Woodrow Hayes choked in one of the biggest games of his career in 1969 against michigan with what he called the greatest team he ever coached. By the way michigan wasn't great that season. So what RR lost to pitt, it happens stop ragging on him for making a decision based on his feelings and family and be thankful for what you have in WV and your excellent football program he brought into the national spotlight.

Any coach who chokes against PITT while on the threshold of the national champion game is fine with me. OSU will beat Mich-again!

It is funny to see all these Michigan fans saying that WVU should suck it up and be happy with what we used to have. It is even funnier to see you guys bragging about how many more resources you have to offer, as if that makes it OK that y'all stole our coach. Fine, pretend that it was all just a problem of Ed Pastalong and RR not getting along. Pastalong is like any AD and is likely to be in conflict with his coaches from time to time. The reality is that RR is very personable in press conferences but in private. he has a nasty temper and is known for being a bit abusive to those he has a disagreement with. He also has gained an on-campus reputation for... well... you will find out about some of the difficulties he has created for himself with his employers and his personal life.

The reality here is that money overcame hometown loyalties. RR let himself be bought off. You can say that's modern life for you... until some one screws you over the same way someday. Then you will be just as pissed as us WVU fans are. Until then, keep your rationalizations to yourselves or, better yet, just admit you paid 4 million dollars in blood money to buy a man who was willing to sell himself to the highest bidder (for whatever reason).

In the meantime, Michigan fans should be willing to admit that Michigan, along with RR, has destroyed another teams' momentum that has taken 7 years to build. Not only will we need to rebuild and readjust, but future recruitment has been seriously damaged. If you don't think this is true then look at the fact that when we lost RR, we lost any chance of recruiting the number one high school QB in the nation. Oh, and suddenly Michigan is in the running for the same recruit.

... not only has WVU been screwed by Michigan once (when you bought our basketball coach) but twice in one year and now your asking us to smile and be thankful for what we had?

GET REAL !

This is gonna make watching Michigan/Ohio State games very difficult. I used to cheer for anyone to beat OSU (Just like I pray for ND to lose). I guess RR just turned me into an OSU booster.

I said it once already that I don't blame RR for moving to a better paying job. It's his lack of class and timing this move that has pissed us off here in Morgantown. The fact that he called his future recruits before he told his team is as much an indicator of the man's character as anything. I just feel very badly for his family. Not his wife and kids... but his immediate relatives who live and work within twenty miles of Morgantown. He may be leaving town but the rest of his family will be left here apologizing for his lack of class for many months to come.

Whats the guy supposed to do? Wait until its all over the headlines and all the recruits start to panic? That would have been worse for WVU imo. WVU was fine before him, they will be fine without him.
Personally I just don't get when the best time for something like this would be? After the bowl games, when WVU has shored up and maybe gotten some solid committments? Perhaps just before spring training, when letters are signed...
Sorry WVU, facts are facts, Michigan is just a better place to be at than WVU. Always was, always will be.

PS: I'm not a Michigan fan, but I am an ND fan and this hurts me more than it does you heh.

He sneaks out of town late at night with his tail between his legs and takes coaches with him with just two weeks to a BCS date with Oklahoma. Yep, he's all class. Don't let the door hit you on the backside...

As for those fans who say Michigan is just a better place, get over yourselves. I've been to both and both are nice places. There aren't many places that can match the beauty of West Virginia.

WVU fans, Here is a thought for you. Why not try to bring in Bud Foster. With his defensive knowledge and possibly your current O-coordinators knowledge of RR's spread, the combo could keep you right on top of the Big East. As long as they recruit well.

Michigan is a better place to be ? Only because of the past and the money. However, the future gives no guarantees and money can't buy everything (just ask the NY Yankees) Like I said... RR is riding on others' coat tails. Be that as it may, he conducted himself like a sneak thief. That may be SOP in todays world but it doesn't make it right.

You have to wonder if he would have made the same choices if he had coached a win over Pitt.

kudos to supadupada. It is a family member rejecting you. But I am excited. Any of the coaches on the list mentioned will be better than RR. People keep talking about his success, but unlike Nehlen there were no undefeated seasons in a league that is weaker than Nehlen's Big East. I think Nehlen encouraged him to go for WVU's sake actually not for RR's sake. Why hasn't App State's coach been mentioned? he does a better job with the spread and could jump right in and coach the Fiesta Bowl. Plus we'll have no worries if we ever play Michigan.

WVU fans, Hope to keep your offensive coordinator and try to bring in Bud Foster as your head coach. His defensive knowledge would go along way in the new Big East. He is finally foaming at the mouth to be a head man and with your offensive coordinators knowledge of the spread it may be an awesome combo as long as the recruiting kept up.

A very surprising hire. It is good for Michigan, and bad for West Virginia, depending on who follows R Rod.

The gist of the article is not surprising. After trashing Petrino, we get the argument that "this is ok because Michigan is elite." That's smack to Falcon fans and Hog fans. Then we get "better coach than Les Miles." Uh huh. Then we get a defensive comment directed toward West Virginia fans, who are told to lighten up.

Ok.

How about this? Any coach can decide to move for whatever reason (money, walking into a cesspool as Petrino did, or just trying to win some games like Miles.) Any coach who finds himself in a new situation (like Saban, Petrino) and can't do it is free to leave. This is a free labor market.

Want morality and how one is supposed to leave with grace? I don't see any difference in the three cases.

The article was biased, the attack on WVU fans was biased, and so is the attitude that, in this day of parity, there are "elites" that every coach strives for. That's bull.

What we learned is that (1) coaches are free labor, to be sought by who wants them, (2) any fan will be ticked by a leaving coach who has a winning record, (3) Les Miles has credibility, and Michigan played a game in PR and lost, and (4) Charles and supadupada are better analysts and writers than Stewart Mandel.

I truly hope that in this day of parity that the Big 10 catches up. We'll see in the bowl games, but it might take ten years for them (and the Rose Bowl, by the way) to see the light of reality and fan interest.

Good for you Rich! Good for Michigan. My very best to you in your quest to keep up with trends on offense and to reverse your recent dissapointments in key bowl games.

Geaux Tigres.

Boy I'm sure Terry Bowden can't wait to get his house bombarded with beer bottles. Now that is loyalty! I find it funny that some of you WV fans mention loyalty and honesty but all it takes is one loss for you bunch of jealous ass rednecks to turn on your coach. I bet RichRod is glad to get out of that dump though. If you listen closely, you can hear the national media packing up all their gear and speeding out of bum fu**, FOR GOOD. Welcome back to mediocrity mountaineers!!!!!!!!!

I suppose I can't blame Rod, but it's disappointing for us. As for Michigan, however, what did WVU ever do to you to get singled out like this? What's next, are you going to start using a WV as your teams' logo too? You could say it stood for Wolverines.....

What a coward! Good Luck Michigan... although don't get your hopes up on winning a national title with your new coach... he has a tendency to flake out during important games.

Rich - you're a sellout and may you one day again see WVU rise to the top... only to regret not being a part of it!

What a coward! Good Luck Michigan... although don't get your hopes up on winning a national title with your new coach... he has a tendency to flake out during important games.

Rich - you're a sellout! Remember that when WVU wins the title.

Something has to be done to make coaches (and universities) live up to these 'contracts'. It's criminal what is going on. I'm not just saying this because I'm a disappointed WVU grad. The whole situation with the crazy salaries these coaches are getting, along with the poaching going on is a disgrace. Coach Rod has done a great job, but he also has somewhat choked in big games. He gets very stubborn about what he wants to accomplish, and does not do a good job of adjusting at times. His play calling could be better too. WVU will be OK, but the damage from this could cause a down year or two.

I'll go against the conventional wisdom here.

As a Michigan alum, I'll say that I'm disappointed here. As successful as Rodriguez has been, my impression is that the spread option is a gadget offense which may well discourage top QB recruits who are going to be well-suited to the NFL from coming to Michigan, like the Malletts and Tom Bradys of the world. Perhaps I'm being overly conventional, but I prefer the pro-style offense and think it better suits getting guys who want to go to the NFL eventually.

I would've preferred a Bill Cowher or even Jeff Tedford, so we could model ourselves after USC, rather than pick up a guy who's success has been relatively recent, and not necessarily suggestive of an overall successful program.

He left in the middle of the night. Had a grad assistant deliver the resignation letter. Resignation is dated Jan 3rd, after the Fiesta Bowl ..giving the impression he will coach WVU in the bowl and avoid some buy out penalties and is recruiting for MI. Heck, even Pryor knew RR took the Mich job before WVU. Yeah, classy. So classy he agreed to Bama's offer, flew back to WVU, called his attorney who was sitting in Bama's AD's office ready to finalize the paper work and told him to tell Bama he was backing out. Attorney made RR do it. I've liked RR since his days with Tommy Bowden, but he's slimey.

Glowing article for his midnight underhanded departure. Petrino et al could only wish for such a write up.

..and statdoc with his SEC vs. Big 10 needs to remember what OSU did against Florida...they received the pain

Hmmm? Let's see.....lose to Pitt so that LSU will end up in the title game instead of WVU. Les Miles would never leave LSU when a championship is on the plate and then....voila!! I'm in line for the Michigan job. Great thinking Coach, we'd never suspect you of doing that!

Too much hypocracy. You've done well at a job, but a new one beckons that in more ways than one moves you forward. You interview and while you wait for a decision your current boss stops by to talk big plans for the future on how you fit in. Most of us would not respond 'that's great, but I may have better things to do'. And there's no one like Stew calling to ask what you are going to do if offered the new job.
You take the new job, as Petrino did, but it doesn't take long to realize it is not what you wanted, and it may never be. Deep into thoughts about what you have done to your life your old boss calls to see how you are doing. In the course of the conversation it is made known to you how much you are missed and wanted back. Given a chance to rectify a big mistake many of us would do just that. And there will be no one like Stew writing articles about your integrity.
Remember the Michigan coach who was fired by Schlembecher just before the NCAA tournament for taking an Ariz job. Was Schlembechler a liar because he fired someone with a contract who gave notice, unlike Rodriguez? If instead of giving notice had the Mich coach jumped ship immediately would he have been a liar and lack integrity?
It's also a bit humorous to me how Rodriguez was such a great coach, in the eyes of WV fans, until the moment he left. Then he is trash and good riddance. Hell has no furry like a woman scorned, but then Shakespeare never met modern day football fans.

First off, I am neither a Michigan fan nor a West Virginia fan (sadly, I'm a Nole man through and through), but I AM a business man. As I would assume many of the people posting on this board are. And my question to you is this: how many of YOU have ever told their employer EXACTLY what they wanted to hear when you were unhappy with your current employment, all the while looking for something that was a better fit. People, grow up and lay off these coaches re: their lack of loyalty. This isn't the marketplace your parents worked in. Employers are no more loyal to their staff than staff are to their employers. Kudos to Rodriguez for landing somewhere that pays more and offers him more opportunity. And for all of those "Screw Rodriquez, he's not loyal" people, look no further than the last time you did the same thing to your employer to better yourself and your family's positition. GROW UP!

So now Michigan wants our Womens Soccer coach as well? So Michigan ADs job is simply to poach from WVU? Watch our Pastilong...next they'll be calling for spouses they can't get either...

This is a very poor fit for Michigan and they WILL come to regret it. Jim Tressel and the Bucks will continue to OWN the Wolverines for years to come, and Rodgriguez will wind up getting canned when he continues to lose to OSU. As for the Mountaineers, losing one game should NOT have cost them their coach. Let's hope the TRUE Mountaineer fans get a coach that understands loyalty and finally brings home a title to Morgantown.
GO BUCKS!!

Mandel, you said it, there is no perfect way to handle these situations.

BP left what was a terrible situation in Atlanta. Blank wants to cry about being left but the guy did the exact same thing to Dan Reeves. Lou Holtz did the exact same thing and nobody is trashing his character.

You make a big deal about leaving a ten year contract in Louisville but the only reason RR is not leaving a ten year contract is that one was NOT OFFERED the year before.

The only difference between BP and RR is the Atlanta debacle which is such an awful situation I can not imagine anyone feeling good about themselves for trashing a coach for leaving that job.

Like you say about RR, The timing was not perfect and its unfortunate but that is the way it works out sometimes. Which is ok, unless you are Bobby Petrino.

You are splitting hairs on this one and you sound ridiculious trying to justify completely trashing one man's character and letting another off the hook for what in the end are very similar "crimes".

This will be a good hire if he is given time to do his job (not likely). The whole Big Ten will benefit from it as Ohio State to fully embrace the modern era and Penn State and Wisconsin will be forced to enter the modern era as well. In the mean time, it will be a lot of fun to watch, and listen to the worst fans in the country cry and whine while their preciously over-rated Michigan Wolverines drop seven or eight games next year and and the year after while getting kicked all over the field by OSU, MSU, PSU, Wisconsin and Utah while Rich rebuilds that program into a real team instead of the pretender it has been for a decade.

Michigan fans will not embrace the 3-3-6 defense. I cannot even imagine Michigan playing with 5 strong safeties out there. Everyone but Illinois will be chomping at the bit to run all over them. Wisconsin and Ohio State could not have wished for anything better than this. One thing this will do is force OSU to learn how to shut a spread offense down. It will only make them a more complete team.

Go Bucks

I'm a West Virginian but not a Mountaineer fan. I've always disliked Rich, because of his constant complaining, but EVERY wvu fan supported and loved him until, that's right, until he decided to leave. Now all the comments against him show the real problem with wvu, their fans. The real problem is that my team, Notre Dame, will have to deal with all his whinning and complaining not to mention that stupid red wrist band....t.b.

I always said Coach Rod would never win a National Championship at WVU not because the teams that he had was not talented enough to do so, but because Coach Rod is an arrogant, egotistical jerk, Who in big games would let his ego take over and no matter what the game dicatated he endlessly run the same plays that went nowhere (the damn bubble screen). He rants and raves instead of getting with his staff and making needed corections to a game plan that was not working ( South Florida and Pitt). So let him go, he will need all the talent he needs at Michigan, he is not a good Head Coach, offensive Caoch "YES" but Head coach "NO", Defense, Special Teams and Offense make a winning team, offense makes an exciting team that always comes up short when it comes to the national championship. So let him go, he lied to all West Virginia fans last year, when he said he would be the head coach for a long time. So all WVU fans support this team as they go to Arizone to the Fiesta Bowl against a great Oklahome Team, and wear your GOLD not only to support the team, but to show that this GOLD RUSH is also a protest against the FOOLS gold we had with Caoch Rod.

I always said Coach Rod would never win a National Championship at WVU not because the teams that he had was not talented enough to do so, but because Coach Rod is an arrogant, egotistical jerk, Who in big games would let his ego take over and no matter what the game dicatated he endlessly run the same plays that went nowhere (the damn bubble screen). He rants and raves instead of getting with his staff and making needed corections to a game plan that was not working ( South Florida and Pitt). So let him go, he will need all the talent he needs at Michigan, he is not a good Head Coach, offensive Caoch "YES" but Head coach "NO", Defense, Special Teams and Offense make a winning team, offense makes an exciting team that always comes up short when it comes to the national championship. So let him go, he lied to all West Virginia fans last year, when he said he would be the head coach for a long time. So all WVU fans support this team as they go to Arizone to the Fiesta Bowl against a great Oklahome Team, and wear your GOLD not only to support the team, but to show that this GOLD RUSH is also a protest against the FOOLS gold we had with Caoch Rod.

I am an OSU fan and am always excited for THE GAME. I actually WANT UM to raise their game to the next level, just not sure this is going to do it.

I watched the WVU and Pitt game this year and I kept thinking during the game about how CLUELESS Rich Rod looked as the game was going on. I have NEVER in 20 plus years of watching football seen a coach look so out of touch with what was going on during a game. Never.

It's now been over 1450 days since UM beat OSU. I think you can add another 1,000 or so to that total now that Rich has taken over.

I always said Coach Rod would never win a National Championship at WVU not because the teams that he had was not talented enough to do so, but because Coach Rod is an arrogant, egotistical jerk, Who in big games would let his ego take over and no matter what the game dicatated he endlessly run the same plays that went nowhere (the damn bubble screen). He rants and raves instead of getting with his staff and making needed corections to a game plan that was not working ( South Florida and Pitt). So let him go, he will need all the talent he needs at Michigan, he is not a good Head Coach, offensive Caoch "YES" but Head coach "NO", Defense, Special Teams and Offense make a winning team, offense makes an exciting team that always comes up short when it comes to the national championship. So let him go, he lied to all West Virginia fans last year, when he said he would be the head coach for a long time. So all WVU fans support this team as they go to Arizone to the Fiesta Bowl against a great Oklahome Team, and wear your GOLD not only to support the team, but to show that this GOLD RUSH is also a protest against the FOOLS GOLD we had with Caoch Rod.

I always said Coach Rod would never win a National Championship at WVU not because the teams that he had was not talented enough to do so, but because Coach Rod is an arrogant, egotistical jerk, Who in big games would let his ego take over and no matter what the game dicatated he endlessly run the same plays that went nowhere (the damn bubble screen). He rants and raves instead of getting with his staff and making needed corections to a game plan that was not working ( South Florida and Pitt). So let him go, he will need all the talent he needs at Michigan, he is not a good Head Coach, offensive Caoch "YES" but Head coach "NO", Defense, Special Teams and Offense make a winning team, offense makes an exciting team that always comes up short when it comes to the national championship. So let him go, he lied to all West Virginia fans last year, when he said he would be the head coach for a long time. So all WVU fans support this team as they go to Arizone to the Fiesta Bowl against a great Oklahome Team, and wear your GOLD not only to support the team, but to show that this GOLD RUSH is also a protest against the FOOLS GOLD we had with Caoch Rod.

As a WVU fan I am not that disappointed that RR is leaving. He is a good coach, not a great coach. The truth is WVU simply had more talent than everyone else in the Big East. RR has had one big win (Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia) and has choked several other games (USF 2006, 2007; Louisville 2006; Pitt 2007; 3 bowl losses (all blowouts). He was an 8-4 coach until he got White and Slaton who could make any coach look good. He runs the same 5 plays over and over whether they are working or not and can't seem to make any meaningful adjustments. His legacy from a WVU fans perspective will always be choking away a National Championship to a horrible Pitt team on our home field. Thanks Rich

"DEEPER PURSE STRINGS"???

Stew, I love your writing, but your blog. Dude. Do you ever edit, or do you just click "post"?

As a Florida alum, I think this is a great hire. It will officially expose the Big Ten and validate why the country has believed the conference was extremely weak the past 10 years. When RR gets the horses, he will run around those conference opponents. The only downside is that the Big Ten will have to react, and eventually will become a real conference top to bottom. Three years ago I thought a Spurrier hire at Penn State would've been fun to watch evolve Big Ten play. Seeing the spread in the Big Ten is going to be a laugher...

And for all you Michigan fans out there who were against Tebow winning the Heisman because he ran a "gimmick" offense... welcome to the gimmick. You'll enjoy turning the tide on OSU.

As a Florida alum, I think this is a great hire. It will officially expose the Big Ten and validate why the country has believed the conference was extremely weak the past 10 years. When RR gets the horses, he will run around those conference opponents. The only downside is that the Big Ten will have to react, and eventually will become a real conference top to bottom. Three years ago I thought a Spurrier hire at Penn State would've been fun to watch evolve Big Ten play. Seeing the spread in the Big Ten is going to be a laugher...

And for all you Michigan fans out there who were against Tebow winning the Heisman because he ran a "gimmick" offense... welcome to the gimmick. You'll enjoy turning the tide on OSU.

Let's remember his record guys:

28-21 Pre-White/Slaton
32-5 with White/Slaton

That is a tribute to his recruiting, but says little about his coaching. When the game has been on the line, he has shown an uncanny stubborness to stick with a failed gameplan. With UM, he will have great recruits, so he should win games; but lossing the tough ones (like OSU) will be unacceptable at Michigan. He is going to have to step it up a notch and actually change his game plan at half-time when the spread is not working. (ie, the USF anf Pitt games; and even as a Big East guy I can admit they are certainly not OSU!)

Good Luck Rich, we'll be fine at WVU. (We already recoved after Behlein left.) Good luck in your job search a few years from now, maybe a MAC School will be available.

As a WVU guy, I am disappointed in Rich Rod. Everyone keeps saying how great the Michigan job, but if you are from WV then you would know that their is no better job than WVU. Rich Rod was god in WV and he had a chance to represent WV and to show everyone that we do exist. I think we should change his birth certificate and say he was born in Michigan. He doesn't deserve to be from WV.

WVU fans should have seen this coming. As a friend of mine who is a WVU alum said, "Being a WVU fan is like being in an abusive relationship. They always tell you that next time things will be different but then they always end up slapping you around."

Go Blue!

I'm first a Wolverine Fan and then a Big Ten fan. And when a hire of this stature can help both, I thnk it's great!

Give R-Rod 3 to 4 years and he'll bring us to the National Championship game.

Don't forget back in 1968, a guy name Bo a non-Michigan man made the most impact for a hapless Wolverine program and don't forget he was a Ohio man.

Also, stop ragging on R-Rod for the Pitt game! IF! Pat White wasn't hurt for over half the game, they win for sure!

Scott,

I don't think anyone really "deserves" to be from WV, that's just mean.

RR left to go to a school with more resources and tradition. Funny though, I didn't notice any WVU fans complaining about RR until he left...

To you Buckeye Fans.

You've been the BEST PROGRAM in the big ten since Tressel came.

I'm not too big of a WOlverines fan to deny that.

But I think you'll all agree that this hire makes both programs better.

R-Rod did more with less than most coaches. While Carr did less with more.

So it'll be interesting.

The fight is back on!

This hiring would seem to reflect the status of life in college football. There are the 'haves' and the 'have nots', and of course the 'nver have anythings'. Michigan is clearly one of the 'haves' and WV a second tier school. The SEC, Big 10, Pac 10, and even the Big 12 can offer a school a chance to move to the elite level. Beat Tex & Okla on a regular basis, win the bulk of your other games and in a few years there will be the reputation, exposure, etc to start attracting the best of everything including players. But I think most schools in the Big East and ACC are going to have to start scheduling elite competition to validate any claims they have to greatness.
I remember Nehlen trying to trumpet the greatness of WV the year they were undefeated in the regular season. With one other undefeated school, I think OSU, Nehlen did his best to create sympathy for WV in spite of a schedule widely acknowledged to be soft. When the crying did not work WV was relegated to playing one of Spurrier's teams at Florida and was promptly given a lesson as to how far removed WV was from being a great team. Until schools like WV take the next step and upgrade their schedules, and win their share of those games, they will forever remain pipelines to the top schools.

As a lifelong Mountaineer fan, congrats Coach Rod, you've put so much more excitement and national interest in our program that you've made it very difficult for Mountaineer fans to say goodbye without feeling insulted. I think you're looking at the past and Michigan's history as college football royalty, while we could imagine a future with West Virginia eventually mentioned in the same breath. I just wish you would've left through the front door instead of sneaking out the back....WV fans had made you a folk hero in your home state, did you forget “In Rod We Trust(ed)?”

Since that future is obviously in serious jeopardy with Coach Rod gone for big money, WV fans have to put their faith in our AD, who I think is one of the best in the country. With that said, I really hope the choice isn’t Terry Bowden. Anybody got any good ideas on a coach? Maybe we can start an internet rumor…

Angst is common among today's college football fans. Mich felt it over Les Miles, now WVU fans feel it over RR.

Change can be good for both. Clearly, Mich needs a new direction, and maybe WVU needs a breath of fresh air as well.

In fact WVU fans, there is a guy out there that might relish moving to a BCS conference, has won the "big game" and would really know what to do with all that speed: Chris Petersen at Boise St. He might be just what is needed to push WVU to a NC.

Buckeye fans...get a life. It wasn't that long ago a coaching change in Columbus finally got you over the hump with UM. If any of you 'eyes have any idea of the history of the rivalry you will note that the only constant is change...come and get your whuppin!
Go Blue

I don't know of any good scenario when a current HC is hired to become someone else's HC. Les to LSU was ugly, Saban to Miami to Ala was double ugly, RR to Mich was ugly, Meyer to Fla was indelicate. Petrino to Ark. was brutal, Nutt to Ole Miss was curious, Sherman to TAMU was almost a scandal. How do you do it today?

Unless you are hiring someone else's coordinator, there is no good way to do this today. Coaches can't talk to another school without risking offending one side or the other. Some can get fired for doing it, and maybe still not have a job on the other end.

So basically, the current structure of contracts dictates that they lie to one side so as not to severe their current relations, and sneak to talk with another so as not to draw attention to what might not be anyway. When they know that there might be something on the other end all they can do is disrupt the status quo. People get hurt feelings, players, coaches, fans admins. But it is the system we have.

Horrible system, but it is the one we have built. Unitl people recognize that coaches leave and that the post season should be desiganted as an open forum, then people are going to feel betrayed/hurt/abandonded.

As a lifelong WVU fan, I'm against most of the comments here. The only ill-will I feel is the way in which he boasted about staying in WV and how it's his home and blah blah blah. As for his coaching abilities, I think we're that much better off without him. There's no denying the man has great recruiting abilities but every game with him as coach, my friends and I have been blown away with the same plays, over and over and over.

A lot of people assume that if Pat White hadn't hurt his hand, we would've beaten Pitt. That's so not true, Jarret Brown is a more than capable backup but it's hard to win when all the defense has to do is prepare for 4-5 plays. Good luck in Michigan Rich Rod but don't for a second think that we're going to miss you or your play-calling. We're much better off with a new hire. Same way with Basketball. Michigan may think they've found the next messiah but time will tell. My guesstimate is 3 years from now, Michigan will have new coaches in both sports.

I do hold a grudge against the Michigan AD, come on, pick on another school. You're now equivalent to VT in WVU fans eyes.

So basically 90% of the WV people think RR is not a very good coach and has no integrity.

I just have one question then.

Why all the venom? You should be celebrating!

Maybe you don't believe what you are writing. You're just pissed and know he is a great coach.

I'm happy to welcome him to Ann Arbor!

Hey Chad,

I do feel for you and the legions of WVU fans.

I've liked the Mountaineers for a long time since Iron Head Heyweard. SOrry about the spelling.

And you've guys have been a great proving ground for some of the great coaches. R-Rod and Bobby Bowden to name a couple.

But with the times of big money, it's just hard to compete with the big boys.

I guess that's what all the super agents and all this advertising and tv money has gotten us to. I've got a good friend who's a graduate there an he loved it.

Good Luck! Look on the bright side, you guys can use all this buyout money from UM to get a great coach and hold on to him? Again good luck.

Jonathan from Beijing

If Rich Rodriguez can't win the recruiting battle in Ohio, he won't be at Michigan for very long.

Hey SportsRx,

He doesn't have to.

He just needs to get some.

With the recruiting connections that the Wolverines already have in Texas, Florida, Illinois, Penn, and Cal, they can fill there needs out.

Besides, the Wolverines have recruited better over the past ten years than the Buckeyes. It's just that the Buckeyes have done more with the talent.

That's where the coaching has come in.

JL in BJ, China

Hang on. Are you telling me that Michigan just hired a guy who finished his career at WVU by choking in their season ending rivalry game and his last name isn't Carr? hahahahahahahahha!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate to see R-Rod go, it has been an exciting few years of WV football.

Anyone one that works for a living looks for career advancement opprotuninties, and this is one for him.

It will be interesting to see what he can do with Michigan's "talent pool and alumni money".

I'll tune it to see. Please WVU NO more BOWDEN's. How about that cat at App St. it would make a great transition.

Stewart-
Maybe I'm wrong here, but isn't the phrase "scores home run" similar to something that a person's grandmother who knows nothing about sports would say? We don't "score" home runs, we "hit" them.

As an Ohio State fan, I want to say "Thanks Michigan, I would have been more afraid of Miles"

I think Tressel's Michigan vs Ohio State numbers will only continue to go up. Hell, if Michigan hangs onto Rodriguez long enough, we might even tie up the series' history!

As long as Carr is around he'll be crying about how this is no longer Michigan football. The true follow up would be to send Carr handing out golf clubs at the local golf course and away from the program so the new guy can truly have a legacy that's his entirely...not worried about the whispers of the old guy in the booth who was in essence the Michigan version of Jon Cooper...I will never forget how LLoyd Carr refused to lobby for our team last year and Urban Meyer went all out...and we all know the result. Welcome to the Big House Rich....please bring your sack on 4th and 2!!!!

so I guess Rich will be picking up his Michigan paycheck from the dresser. Congratulations on your entrance to the world's oldest profession, Rich - we hoped you had more substance. We want a WVU man to lead WVU. Good riddance.

Coach, we loved you while you were here at WVU, Hasta La Vista. We're not real thrilled with the way that you left, but such is life. WVU WILL BE BACK.

for eric y-town Your comments are the ones that are most amusing. How Rodriguez will fare in head to head competition with Trussel on the field is very much in doubt in my mind. But in recruiting he, like Zook, will further weaken the OSU base. I think the era when OSU can claim elite status is over. They have not been elite for several years now.

I hear Michigan is changing its fight song to dueling banjos. Someone better tell RR that it is illegal to date your cousin in Michigan.

It figures that Michigan would hire a coach that couldn't win a rivalry game to get to a national championship game. If Michigan landed God as thier head coach they still wouldn't be able to beat OSU. Stats don't make wins and wins in the "Big East" don't make you a winner. GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!

Let's say you're the assistant manager at your town's local pizza restaurant. The guy who owns it, who has known you since you were a kid, gave you the job, your first big one. After a couple years, you're closing up one night, and the guy who is regional vp for Pizza Hut, asks you to sit down at his table. Says he comes in once in a while, likes your work, offers you job as Manager at the Hut across town, double your salary, insurance, chances to move up in a national chain. Of course, you're torn - you owe a lot to the guy who gave you your first job. You gotta think it over, talk to your family, friends.....
This scenario takes place everyday in the USA. Why is it different for Rich Rodriguez? He's famous, which brings with it one overwhelming, distorting presence: the Media. The pizza guy, considering a new job, does not have 8 networks and a hundred reporters outside his house the next morning asking him if he's going to rat bastard out to The Hut. Or in nicer words, take a great opportunity for a young person on the rise. How does this poor pizza guy respond? In the glare of the media ANYTHING he says will be open to a thousand interpretations, contexts, inaccuracies. You simply cannot accept what the media reports as truth, whole or otherwise. Ever.
The great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges had something to say about all this: "Fame is a form of incomprehension. Perhaps the worst."

for buckeyeheart - Resting your hopes on one loss to Pittsburgh seems as silly as Illinois resting its hopes on one victory over OSU. Rodriguez, like Zook, will occasionally win recruiting victories over OSU. And with his spread offense Rodriguez may win some of the battles that count the most. There's really no where for OSU to go but down, unless they make some major changes. I think this means that we are in for even more parity in the Big Ten, and maybe a new order with Illinois and Michigan on top of OSU.

Hey Charles!! OSU is going to thier third National Championship game since 2002 with one title in hand and they are also appearing in thier fifth BCS bowl in seven years with only the loss to Florida in those games. OSU,USC, and Oklahoma have been the elite teams in college football for the past ten years and with no signs of slowing down for the BUCKEYES now that Michigan hired Carr's brother from West Virginia. Michigan still sucks and until they realize that they need another Buckeye to come in and take over as head coach like Bo did.

Maybe Rich can go and recruit some more freshmen to never win a bowl game or get a win against the great BUCKEYES!! After the example that Log, Henne and Hart set Michigan might have to rely on JUCO transfers to get a win against OSU so they might get to a National Championship game eventually and any team in the BIG TEN will have to go through Tressel and Co. for that right.

It cracks me up that some people say "it's Michigan, you've got to take the job" as if it's a mandatory experience. With that thinking, Bill Gates should have just worked for IBM and never created MSFT. The reason RR took the Michigan job was because he didn't think he could win the NC at WVU. That's not a slam on WVU, but rather and indication of RR's capabilities. As another famous person from the State of Michigan once said, "those who think they can and those who think they cannot are both right." (Henry Ford). If RR thinks he needs to be at Michigan to be a champ, then by default, he's not a champ. By default, he can never be Bear Bryant, JoPa or even Bobby Bowden. He can only be the current Michigan coach.

This must be a great hire because of all of the crying from WVU fan. comparing RR to BP is absurd. Does anybody remember the Georgia game? Yeah Bowdens's the answer...well you will not have to worry about Bowden leaving, hell no one will have him...

Good Luck Big Blue, you now have a guy who runs the hot offense in college football but does not send guys to the pros, I don't think was the great hire that Mandel does, of course that moron thinks a team should run the spread option in the pros.

Last I looked coaches didn't send guys to the pro's...Programs did...and Michigan sends plenty..What's that qb's name again..oh yeah Brady..

1st of all, i would like to say that I am a ture die hard Michigan fan and bleed the Maize and Blue. I have also followed WVU for the last 15 yrs and have found myself rooting for them in the last 15 yrs.

I would like to send WVU my condolences and I would feel the same way as you if Coach Carr would have bolted for another school.

I also would like to say, that I feel that Michigan hired the best guy for the job. I was skeptical about Les Miles but found myself wanting him due to the fact all I ever heard was Kirk Ferentz's name in the same sentence. I feel Coach Rod will do a great job in Michigan and could put a few wrinkles in Michigan's Offense. Lets face it Michigan fans, ever since OSU brought in Jim Tressell, he has had our number. OSU has outplayed us and out coached in every shape and form. I hate that I am saying this, but lets face the facts.

I am hoping that Coach Rod can field an offense that can compare to OSU. I am also hoping that Coach Rod will be true to his words and be in Michigan for a long time. I am leery on how fast that he jumped, but hey, sometimes everyone needs a change.

WVU, you have a fine program and I will not start writing things like U of M is a better school or that WVU can not sit in the same league with U of M. I will not discredit your school and toot Michigan's horn. WVU has a proud tradition in fotball and will find the right man to keep WVU in the fight. Good luck Mountaineers and I will be rooting for you against Oklahoma.

As for Coach Rod, good luck and we as Michigan fans are expecting great things from you.

As a Buckeye Fan I'm pumped. I like the idea of the spread in the Big 10-now the Big 10 will have plenty of practice to learn and understand how to stop it and people can stop saying "speed is an issue"; and Second, it will challenge OSU to get better. There is nothing more exciting to college football than not knowing quite how good your rival will be until gameday. Go Bucks!

You mean to tell me the greatest coaching job in a america went this long without finding a coach? I would think if the mighty michigan and its one national title in the past 60 yrs and being the winningest program ever would have coaches faxing in their resumes.....I guess I was wrong..

I am surprised that Les Miles, didnt take the job. I mean he sang the same song at OSU and the next day he was at LSU. Well at least at LSU every 4 yrs, the games in new orleans, so he has a chance to go from 7th to 2nd and play for a Nat'l Title.....B/c it damn sure wouldnt of happened had the game been in Miami or Arizona this year..Bet on that...

Then when the Rutgers coach turned it down, I was like....What someone actually told Michigan "NO"....He most be afraid of the pressure right?...LOL!!!

I do believe michigan unlike Texas A&M actually is a top team so I can see the hoopla, but in the end I think the Michigan job is more attractive to the media than it was to the actual coaches.

Coach Rodriguez will be able to get some great athletes there, but so did Carr and they didnt like the results. Theyve always gotten good recruits. Like I said before 1997 they waited 50yrs for a championship. Hell the way the media portraits the job you'll think they were winning titles on a regular basis.

Anyway, congrats Michigan... and although coach Rich, left those kids..I hope he took the time to explain it to them before he left.

Lol. Per usual all the buckeyes found yet another forum to talk trash about our program and how youll continue t beat us.
It's unfortunate Tressell doesnt share the sentiment of the fans-he's shaking in his boots right now.
He's made 2 or 3 trips to WVA to talk to RRod regarding his masterful offense to better YOUR team. YOUR COACH CAME TO OUR COACH TO LEARN HOW TO RUN THE SPREAD. How and where do you think he learned it? Its documented. How do you think he implimented it in your program the past 3 years? His trips to LEARN from RROD thats how!
Illinois runs the spread, they spanked you. You ran the spread against other big ten teams you spanked-yes, you beat us.
Now you have to face the man who INVENTED the offense-the man TRESSEL BEGGED to LEARN from.
Keep talking your trash, youll be chasing us all over the field with your heads cut off for years to come. Its ignorant that OSU fans dont even realize what their "SAVIOR" Tressel does-
Your days are numbered against Michigan. And any fast skilled players you manaeged to hold onto form OHIO over the past few years are heading north.From Woodson, Howard, etc etc....oh, and soon Pryor will be bouncing your school to head to U of M. He'll win the Heisman in 2010-the same year Michigan win win the NC.
Lastly, good luck against LSU.
Your Buckeys this year have far less talent than the team you fielded in the NCG last year,....and LSU is faster and more talented than the Florida team that embarassed you in '06.
You'll lose by 20 pts.
And after 2 straight routs in the National Championship game, good luck EVER getting invited again.
You'll have to earn a seat for once. And no one in their right mind will want to see a drubbing for a 3rd year.
See you in November, we'll be beating you in that garbage heap you call ColumbBUST

Whether he will succeed at Michigan is debatable but what is not is the fact that the cupboards are bare and Michigan football is about to be turned on its head. Can't wait to watch Little Blue go five and seven next year.

Why do the Buckeyes have so many comments. All this bragging about a short winning streak in the series. It just shows their ignorance about the rivalry. Why don't you just admire both schools for the history of excellence.

I'm not a fan of either school. However, this blog makes the Buckeye fans look like morons!

After witnessing Rodriguez press conference after WVA loss to Pitt, I was very disappointed in coach's response and attitude. He made no congratulatory remarks to Pitt and was practically comotose. Get a grip man. Certainly he needs to improve his delivery and his demeanor if he wishes to be successful at Michigan.

for buckeyeheart - You are obviously in denial. The only reason OSU is in the NC this year is because so many others lost it. OSU has come up against the spread offense at least twice this year and it is safe to say the cracks are showing. OSU was ill prepared for Illinois and Florida left them in tiny pieces. The myth is Big 10 speed. Troy Smith looked like he was running in a foot of mud. And you would agree that the spread offense does tend to negate Big 10 strength. Michigan would concur with this right?
But these are conjectures. OSU may prove me wrong to some extent against LSU. If not it will be a clear sign OSU should stick to its schedule of State of Ohio powderpuffs, and hope it doesn't face a real team in a bowl game.

Get off this guy's case. Players can leave early from school to pursue a new opportunity (NFL); why can't coaches? Listen to the WVU players. Most I have heard interviewed understand why he made this decision. I think they know that when Rodriguez said he was at WVU for life, he meant it. Has anyone considered the positive impact this has on the assistants he is bringing? Your stat regarding his 32-5 record while never having a recruiting class ranked higher than #26 is unbelievable. This is why Michigan fans should be ecstatic.

Go Blue!!

amend the above with, "...at the time he said it." Regarding his future at WVU when he turned down Alabama.

for Michael - If you had been totally dismantled by Florida, then had a much lesser version give you your only defeat of the season you would probably be telling everyone that listened that the hiring of Rodriguez would make no difference. It's called whistling in the dark which is not a bad description of where OSU fans have been keeping themselves since the Florida game.

If Pryor Commits to michigan they will be a great team. Look what rodriuez did with Steve Slaton and Pat White. Now Imagine what he can do with Sam Mcguffie and Terrelle Pryor. If you dont know who Sam Mcguffie or Terrelle Pryor are go on youtube and look them up. Pryor, hailed as the next vince young, 6'6 240lb runs a 4.4 40 yard dash. Then Mcguffie. a 6ft white running back with a 4.3 40yard dash. OMG I AM PUMPED. They would be the #1 duo ever.
GO BLUE!!!!!!!

If Pryor Commits to michigan they will be a great team. Look what rodriuez did with Steve Slaton and Pat White. Now Imagine what he can do with Sam Mcguffie and Terrelle Pryor. If you dont know who Sam Mcguffie or Terrelle Pryor are go on youtube and look them up. Pryor, hailed as the next vince young, 6'6 240lb runs a 4.4 40 yard dash. Then Mcguffie. a 6ft white running back with a 4.3 40yard dash. OMG I AM PUMPED. They would be the #1 duo ever.
GO BLUE!!!!!!!

for bwslam - It's already more than whether prior commits stay. One top recruit has already added Michigan to his list. He had not considered Michigan because of its archaic offense, but now things are a bit different. Even if Rodriguez does not take his staff with him I've got to believe that current WV recruits who like the idea of playing for a top school will be thinking seriously of offering their services to Michigan. Put yourself in their shoes. You've already committed to the coach and now you only have to choose between the national exposure of Michigan and the attention WV will get playing another soft schedule. Rival coaches will have a field day now with WV recruits, at least those in demand.

Rodriguez was quick to accuse Rick Trickett of unethical behavior last year when a WVU recruit followed him to Florida State. So who did "coach rod" call as soon as he got the offer from Michigan, WVU to recruiting taget. West Virginia deserves better than Rodriguez and Michigan fans beware, he will demand a new contract after every good season and he will constantly be in the market for someone who is willing to give him more.

This is a good hire for michigan.I think rodriguez can doa good job recruiting offensive players to michigan if givin an ample amount of time to restore michigan to prominence.However, I'm not sure he can win the big 10 let alone a national title because his value of defense isn't that high.I am anxious to see that offense in the horseshoe or in state college against a good defense like ohio state or penn state.The one problem i have with this offense he's bringing to michigan is that they can't really throw the ball that well.Pat white was great but he never really showed he can win a game with his arm.Other than that it's a great hire and i'm looking forward to the challenges it bring...GO BUCKS and CINCY!!!!

wvu fans...find another reason to burn couches! i hate wvu and live in w.va. they think if you are not a wv fan you have no right to live. they even tormented their own kicker after the Pitt game. they don't respect other programs like michigan and notre dame that have many many national championships while wvu has NONE (note: wvu has the record of the most wins without a championship) and want everyone to respect what they've accomplished. their fans leave the game early when they are behind and turn on their coaches the instant they leave. they brag that they beat PSU once, once out of a hundred times. they never, I repeat NEVER beat Notre Dame. they call their band the pride of w.va. because their team sure isn't. there is no loyalty here in w.va. from the coach or the fans. they think they are better than anyone because they beat Louisville? The whole Big Least conference is a joke, and wv's coach just proved it. Why do you think BC, VA.T. and Miami hit the road? now back to some serious football.....Go Irish! at least they WILL be back, and now they can beat Michigan more easily!
Folks in Huntington are laughing hard. Do you know what the problem with Marshall becoming a Division I-A team was? Now the people in Morgantown want a Div.I-A team. Good luck with that one!

I wonder if Rodriguez will be able to recruit the type of athlete that will pass the academic and character test at Michigan. I don't know if many of the current WVU players could.

for smb513 - Michigan is a better team than their 8-4 record suggests. Rodriguez is probably inheriting a more talented team than he leaves behind in WV and I suspect Rodriguez will milk the situation for what it is worth. Rodriguez should have a very positive initial impact, both on recruiting and on the field. He now has the reputation of Michigan to throw at the kids and an exciting new offense. As one person stated Michigan is now on Pryor's list, and not WV. Plus I would not be surprised to see WV lose more.
Will all of this put Michigan in a position to gain equality with OSU? It might. And don't forget Trussel will lose some recruiting battles to Rodriguez as he does to Zook. So OSU may falter as well.
If OSU is cooked by LSU its image as the leader of the Big 10 will be diminished greatly. OSU may still be the best of the Big 10, but being the best of the Big 10 won't mean what it used to. If this happens rival Big 10 coaches will be using it to sway recruits away from OSU.
And I suspect that Michigan with Rodriguez will hire better coaches as Rodriguez will not limit his choices to Michigan people. As you pointed out defense is a key and if he gets a good person OSU will not have an easy time.

The Big 10 is going to be a lot different than the Big East as Rodriguez is going to find out. On average, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State, etc. are much better than Rutgers, Connecticut, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, USF, Cinn, and WVU.
He better recruit well and start winning quickly, or he's going to have a short stint at Michigan.

As a mention to the gripes about Dilrod being a great coach until he turns tail and runs then everyone hates him...a lot of folks have never been impressed by him and there was a lot of questions around my crowd about his play calling and adjustments...as a WV fan I have to say his record looks better on paper. I think the BE is stronger than people think, but not a super conference (and who is the Big 10 trying to fool with their 'mighty' schedules) but Dil was a definite choker. The problem most WV fans have is the slimey way he handled the entire situation. Everyone can say that this is the way the business is handled today...or 'you would do it too to care for your family' strawman...but most WV folks tend to think giving your word means something. He could've stayed or left but to say he handled this 'like a man' is a joke. There is no perfect time to do coaching changes but man there was some REALLY crappy moves by Rod...again, hold him to every penny on the buyout.

Michigan might have a new head Coach in Rich Rodriguez. but hall long will he stay a year are two after he goes 6- 14.

Get your story straight. Rodriguez call recruit Pryor BEFORE even told his team he was leaving. He is classless. He will never be a true Mountaineer. "...retire from Michigan..." Yeah right!

why is Rodriguez basically getting a pass for doing the same thing that Saban and Petrino did? He signs a contract extension, then bolts the next year...why is he any better than the other guys?

charles
I never said michigan wasn't as good as their 8-4(soon to be 8-5)record indicated.All i'm saying is i am not sure the offense will work in a timely fashion for rodriguez to kepp his job.He will be givin 3 yrs max to put together a winning team.Michigan graduated a lot of their starters this year and it will take a few yrs to recruit the type of players needed for the new offense.But thats not the biggest problem for UM...Their defensive secondary is a joke and can't defend the pass...Rodriguez is going to have to do a better job coaching his DB's if they stand a chance to win big games....GO BUCKS and CINCY!!!!

Come on Chuck, you're not going to draw me into that old debate. Ohio St. not an elite team? Please.
Rich Rod (how hilarious is that alias?) has been bordering Ohio for years now and the Buckeyes have still managed to stock their 3 deep roster with dangerous talent. Joe Paterno in neighboring Pa. hasn't plundered our talent dry. You think Rodriguez can? I don't believe that Ohio St. is infallible, but I certainly find it hard to believe that RR is going to change much. College coaching is a lot like the race for the Presidency. Some candidates look good in the early going, but when the competition really heats up, their lack of first-rate talent starts to show through (see recent Notre Dame coaches for good examples). I see Rodriguez in that class. He might be good enough for the Big East, but the Big Ten is a whole different ball game. Just ask Joe Pa or Kirk Ferentz or Lloyd Carr. It takes a truly special head coach to dominate the Big Ten like Tressel has.
Regarding the spread offense, it's a fad and a gimmick used by lesser talents to even the playing field. Anyone remember the "fun-n-gun?" It's only a matter of time before the truly good programs wise up to the spread and figure out how to shut it down. As a matter of fact, it's already happening. In terms of actually winning major championships, is the spread doing any serious damage? Oh yeah, the mighty WVU won the Big East, but they got slapped around at home with the NC on the line in the last game of the year. Did they really win that conference with 2 losses to Pitt and S. Florida?
Copping to what amounts to a hula-hoop like trend well illustrates the desperate state of football in Michigan as well as the inability of those in charge to right the ship the "Michigan way." What kind of elite, world-class university needs to go to WVU in order to remedy its outmoded state? Taking a guy who knows NOTHING about the OSU-UM rivalry further underscores that ill-conceived desperation. Could UM have actually just rid themselves of their Earle Bruce only to replace him with their own version of John Cooper?
I say take Terrell Pryor. He likely wasn't coming to OSU anyways. In a recent interview he was complaining because OSU doesn't run the same offense he ran in high school. If that's really his attitude, I doubt we want him anyways. OSU has a highly competitive program that produces one NFL talent after another. Something tells me we'll get along fine without that guy.
Regarding Rodriguez's scruples, I have no evidence to suggest that he's not, as jocks so eloquently like to say, a "class guy." However, there is the story of Taylor Hill. Taylor Hill is a heck of a football player who will be graduating from Ohio's Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High School (the alma mater of the Stoops brothers) this spring. Hill, wishing to be closer to home, recently decided to retract his commitment to play football at Oklahoma. On 12/14 he committed to Rodriguez and WVU. On 12/16 we found out that Rodriguez had committed to UM. I'm not going to make any assumptions about what happened here, but it looks to me like Hill's the victim of some pretty selfish maneuvers orchestrated by Rodriguez. I wonder what Hill is thinking of Rich Rod right now? Is he going to UM with him or what?
Who are these recruits that you claim have been taken from OSU by Zook? I know that Zook has done a good job of recruiting in Ohio, but I can't name one Ohioan on his roster that Tressel offered.

Face facts, Michigan is no longer an elite national program and has not been with the exception of Griese senior season for years. They have won 1/2 of a National Title in 50 years. They have consistently been beaten in the Rose Bowl, BCS bowls (when they have been lucky enough to get to one after losing to Ohio State) and also lost to Appalachian State and a Bill Callaghan coached Nebraska team in the past three years.

Just because you put 110,000 people in a stadium does not make you a national program. It just means you are popular. Michigan is a dying state financially (thanks to Reagan-Bush plus NAFTA). Rich Rod may not end up with the resources to keep up nationally 10 years from now and recruiting to one of the coldest campuses in America is not as easy as recruiting to warm weather colleges.

Come on Coach Rod?! I understand taking a new job, but at least wait to jump ship after the Bowl. You have truly let all of your players down by turning your back on them. Cold blooded and heartless. I guess it didn't mean anything that WVU took PRIVATE donations to give you the desired raise so you wouldn't go to Bama? Hope you enjoy looking at that new larger stack of cash...It's just money you can't take it with you when you go, but everyone who bleeds Mountaineer gold & blue can take the memory of you turning your back. Where's you class Coach Rod? Don't ever step foot on Mountaineer soil again.

money is not always the best choice. choosing that over friends, family and fans is low. rod could have been just as successful at wvu as in michigan. i have had oppertunities to deepen my pockets elsewhere... but I have chosen my friends, family and the state of WEST VIRGINIA.

Did RR talking to Pryor violate NCAA rules? I thought they weren't suppose to have any contact with recruits right now?? Is anyone asking this question?? Way to go Michigan - he may be getting you guys on probabtion before his first paycheck.

As I understand, UM should wait for a coach with big time experience who has never lost a big game. Any suggestions as to who that might be?

To Eric-Y-town
I too am a die hard ohio state fan but you go to far.Your comments are reminiscent of the idiot sec fans who think they are the only people on earth who play football.Your comments about terrel pryor are as ignorant as they are ill-advised.He has the right to NOT choose ohio state and you bashing probably does nothing to gain his confidence in our program.Im quite sure tressel would hate to read your comment because your opinion doesn't reflect all osu fans attitudes.We could use pryor.Boekman is leaving after next year and our other quarterback (dual threat Antonio henton)has not played a down of college football.Instead of bashing pryor you should do everything in your power to sway him to columbus.Rodriguez is nothing like petrino or saban because he didn't lie to his players and he didn't lie to the media.He made a tough decision and it may be a bad one in the long run if he is unable to be as successful for STINKagan Smitherines as he was for WVU...And Zook took Arrelius Benn and Juice Williams from us although he wasn't able to steal the ohio talent from us....GO BUCKS!!!!

Congratulations Michigan.
You may be smiling now but you may not long. I think Rich Rodriguez is a good coach on the field but I now have no respect for him as a person and that is an understatement. It’s one thing to leave a job for one you think is better but you should at least fulfill your commitments first. How could a person turn his back on the team and especially the seniors by not coaching in a huge BCS bowl game. That has to be a big let down to the Pat White, Steve Slaton, the seniors and the whole team.

Michigan fans, players and especially Terrelle Pryor, if he will lie to the mountaineers players and fans and turn his back on them, he will do it to you also it is just a matter of time. You aren’t that special. When he gets a better offer he will turn his back on you and throw you the finger when he quits before the season is over.

Pryor now has an important, yet easy decision to make.

Do I go to Michigan where I will have the chance to win the Heisman or do I go to Ohio State where I will have a chance to win the Heisman AND be ready to play in the NFL?

How many spread option QB's do you know of playing in the NFL outside of Vince Young (and he's overrated)?

for Eric y-town If OSU is indeed an elite team this season let me sincerely wish you many more seasons just like it. A close encounter with MSU, a beating by Illinois and facing USC next year. I'm smiling at the thought of more seasons like this one. And you are too if you believe the team is elite. In fact it is not as good an OSU team as you had last year. And you recall what happened to it.

All you buckeye haters out there , its wishful thinking to assume this coaching hire will automatically translate into Michigan beating OSU next fall.
Dont forget we still have Tressel. Tresselball has been working fine for 6 years now. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year when nobody gave us a chance to even win our conference, and yet, we are back in the NC game, our 3rd title game in 6 years.

Rodriguez coming to Mich. does make the rivalry whole lot more interesting. i fully expect Tressel and Heacock to be more aggressive on D to counter whatever spread offense schemes RR comes up with in Nov.

for smb513 - I never thought you stated that Mich was an 8-4 team, or even had that thought. I just see parallels between Rodriguez taking over at Mich and Meyer at Fla. If you agree that Mich has too much talent to go 8-4 then he is in Meyer's position of stepping in with a talented team that fell short in achievements, and maybe making it go. Carr was unable to get Mich beyond the snubbing for the NC last year and the trampling by USC. As good as he was at one time he never pulled Mich together this year. I think Rodriguez has a real chance to do so.
I do disagree with your statement that Mich is soon to be 8-5. I would agree that Fla should prevail but it will be Carr's last game and an emotional one for Mich. The emotions can lead to playing over your head as Boise St did with Okla, or they can result in mistakes. I just don't believe in soon to bes. That's why they play the game.
For all of the upsets and disappointments this bowl season may be one of the best ever. Mich has a chance to restore some luster to a lost season in which they were expected to compete for the title. OSU is in a do or die situation with LSU as another defeat by an SEC school will plague them for a long time. Of course we have Hawaii with its a win is a win and its philosophy with scheduling trying to show that it is not a big frog in a small pond. Of course it is and always will be as long as it is committed to finding the easiest schedule possible.

for sfbuckeye - I doubt even the most fanatical Mich fan sees Rodriguez as a god send who is going to start beating OSU with great regularity. I think there is optimism in their comments and if they want to be optismistic let them.
I do have a news flash for you. Tresselball started out with a magnificent win over a great Miami team. But lately I am not seeing so much magnificence. OSU looked good last year until they ran into a truly elite team. This year they had a close contest with MSU and got beat by a good, but not very good Illinois team. Correct me is I am wrong but OSU at its best does not get beat by good teams. Illinois would have stood no real chance in previous years.
Tresselball is showing more than a few faults in the foundation. With the spread offense OSU was beaten by a much less talented team, and if Rodriguez can make things work they could do the same. Mich probably has far more talent than Illinois.
But it will be interesting to see if OSU can overcome that 100 year curse put on it in SEC bowl games.

I am a Sooner fan, and, ironically, my #2 team is West Virginia. So, I'm always up on the Mountaineers.

I stopped watching pro sports, mostly, a few years ago because I was disillusioned with the petty commercialism. I really fear that college football is following the path of pro sports in that regard. Rich Rod was a great coach who couldn't quite seem to win the big one. But he was good for WVU and probably could have won it all next year.

As a Sooner fan, I'm a little happy because this distraction will probably mean my Sooners win in the Fiesta Bowl. But I would be much happier, if we do lose, knowing that RR was at helm of WVU.

The way he conducted things and jumped ship is terrible. Unfortunately, it is becoming commonplace in the NCAA. I'm not happy with how this all "went down." And I certainly lost a LOT of respect for RR in the process.

Good luck, Michigan. Coach Rich is a good coach. I wish you well with your new hire. But, like other WVU fans, I will just caution you to be ready to pony up some more $$$ in 2-3 years when the next high-profile coaching job comes available. It's a sad state of affairs when college football comes to this place.

NottheOFace,
Another thing Pryor needs to consider is does he want to follow coach Rod and be in the same situation that White and Slaton are in. Not only will those 2 be without their head coach for the BCS bowl but probably a lot of the coaches .
White and Slaton might be considering going pro after this season. A great showing in the BCS bowl might improve their draft status. A bad showing might hurt their status and their pocketbook. What is the chance of the Mountaineers , White and Slaton looking good in the bowl game with all new coaches? Does Pryor or any player really want to play for a coach that might leave him in the same spot when he is a junior or senior?

Just Wondering about Rodriguez. Should the Wolv's have hired a guy that is used to recruiting/tolerating the likes of Chris Henry, Pacman Jones, Gwaltney, to Michigan. Have we sold our soul?

The fact that Rich Rod called a recruit BEFORE he told has own team and the school's A.D. speaks volumes about his character. Good riddance to a man with such low values...

To Charles
I don't understand your logic in believing michigan stands a chance against florida...You don't think florida knows it's Carr's last game and the last game for henne and hart.They are fully aware and tebow and all those receivers are going to run hrdles around that pathetic michigan secondary.And since when is illinois a far less talented team than the bucks.The last time I checked they have had great recruiting classes the last few yrs and it finally paid off for ron zook.You do a terrible job of explaining your thoughts.I'd like to know who you are a fan of.Also you say you see similarities in rr taking over at um as meyer did at florida, but rr is inheriting a horrible pass defense and a young offense.He is not going to be able to just magically fix the problem in a year or 2.It will take 3-4 yrs to make michigan a force in the big ten like the old days.By then I believe the big 10 will have adopted to the spread attack....GO BUCKS and CINCY!!!!

charles

and why do you keep comparing illinois to michigan...so what the bucks lost to illinois.We may have won if we challenged a 4th qtr fumble and if boekman showed up to play.Lsu lost to uk and arkansas,usc lost to stanford,oklahoma lost to texas tech and colorado.....it doesn't matter...you play to win and we lost 1 game....get over it...GO BUCKS!!!

for smb513 - I hope you are right about Fla vs Mich. But emotional teams can sometimes play over their heads. If I were force to put money on it I would bet on Florida.
I don't compare Mich to Illinois. Maybe I am badly mistaken but I believe that Mich played well below its potential this year. I also don't put a lot of stock in the Illinois victory over OSU. I just think that Mich is the better team, if coached properly. I think Lloyd Carr was already giving thought to this being his last year when the roof caved in with Ap St, and he lacked the resolve to right the ship.
I believe that Illinois got lucky in beating OSU. But I think that last year's OSU team would have easily beaten Illinois this year. Illinois got lucky, but OSU was not the team it has been in the recent past. There is evidence to support that statement, but I certainly respect your opinion.

To all you haters the only reason you are on this post is you are worried that a sleeping "GIANT" will wake up and take your candy. To all You SEC fans the last time I was even remotely interested in your over-rated conference was when I read about Wisconsin and Penn ST. beating Tennessee and Arkansas in bowl games played in the south. Try coming north and play a game in December or January. To all you "LUCKEYE" fans winning in this rivalry goes in cycles. you guys coveiniently have forgotten the likes of Tim Biakabatuka running John Cooper into retiement. That being said I will be rooting for all "BIG TEN" teams in their bowl games, beat them "BAYOU BENGIRLS". As a message to the rest of the country good hire "MEECHIGAN" "GO BLUE!!!

People Please Wake Up. The problem is not with Coach Rod. It is with the AD and WVU Admin. Picture 2 top notch coaches leaving to the same school in 8 months. U of M is just smart enough to see the problem and will reap the benefits. The next person to leave should the AD and not by choice.

It's rather strange these days that fans and media are concerned so much about coaches and their lack of loyality, when the fans (and media personel), themselves, would probably find ways to obtain the best paying job for their families especially when things are not going well at their current job. Just give it a rest. The only ones to blame are the employers for losing coaches. They didn't offer enough incentive to stay. So Saban, Petrino, and Rodriguez are OK in my book. Ask yourselves what you would do first, before you condemn these men.

Look at how some of the schools have treated coaches instead. Ron Zook of Florida and Frank Solich of Nebraska for example.

To everyone posting a comment. When you have so much money involved, loyalty is a hard thing now a day.

Heck, the NCAA rips the student-athletes for all money they make in bowl games, etc. The whole system is a wreck to be honest.

I, being a UM and Buffalo Bulls fan, understand both the joy and happiness felt. Heck, Turner Gill was considered to leave for Nebraska. While he stayed and his character shined, it is something all "non-tradition" program will always face. Buffalo Bulls fans are aware that in less than 3 years, he might leave if he is very successful.

The system creates these bigger fish eat little fish, etc. So do not blame the coach or the school. This is what happened with Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, etc. Why do people ignore that all schools do this. This has nothing to do with class but how the system is setup.

Personally, RR is a good move for UM. I think the talent present and the offense (which has been lacking on a consistent basis even with the talent on offense like Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Mario MAnnigham). Do I think Michigan will be a powerhouse anytime soon? I do not think so with the style change that RR will bring. If he is, it just shows his coaching talent. Choke is so relative too. I remember everyone saying with Michigan with App State (and they did win FCS). Did not OSU choke with Illnois (same team Michigan did beat)? LSU losing to Arkansas and Kentucky in OT when they supposively had an unstopppable offense and defense? Teams loses (like it or not) and one game could not always reflect a coach. Heck, the players are as responsible as the coach. Look at Florida with their losses (when you consider how many people still think they were the best team in the SEC with injuries or not).

I do feel bad for thw WVU faithfuls because the "smaller" schools always loses out to the bigger schools. Trust me, I will be feeling the same for Turner Gill for Buffalo... But what we have to understand is that this is part of the crap system that we call College Football. Things change and people shuffle and until culture is changed (money, playoff, etc.), I have come to terms that this is the norm.. One resolution is even profit sharing between schools to prevent these crazy salary. Some schools can't even afford it and pay their coach the money to keep them at the expense of the school (look at Rutgers with Schiano... This includes his demand for renovation, etc.). This might prevent the high price coach salary. Other way is to control the level of contract salary. I do not know if it would ever work but it is something to consider... One thing I do tell all the WVU. Stop worrying about RR and focus on your team. I think getting all wound up and bitter about the matter does not change the situation. Nor will that improve the WVU program. I think the program is still solid. No matter how classless or questionable action RR took, WVU will survive and most likely thrive (especially those who stated that RR is a complete choke).

Lastly, RR is no way close to Petrino except the prospect quarterback. Petrino is KNOWN for lying to the public about inquiries for other schools. He did quit on teams and bounce in an instance. RR at least stayed for a bit (the longest stink for Petrino was 4 years with Louisville). RR stayed longer that Petrino in all sense. Also, RR provided a clean and discipline program that Petrino never did. Look at Louisville now.. That is all you have to see.... Now, what RR did with the prospect is something I do not agree with but the comparison is horrible.

Do I think RR is better fit than Les? I think so. I do agree with Stewart on this. As many post that he (Stew) is a moron or RR joins the weak Big Ten, etc., you have to see the fit is better with the spread offense that Lloyd slowing started to implement (zone blocking, etc.) I am a Lloyd Carr supporter still and the ties that RR will have makes it naturally. Les has the lineage but I see no reason for him to leave when the LSU Tigers are playing at the NC.
Stew could be wrong (as well as I with RR) but with all perception, it seems good and people should just respect the article. It is why it is called a BLOG! Those who can't seem to understand made themselves look like an idiot to call someone else an idiot... WHEN IT IS A BLOG (Peronsally view and opinion). And calling someone an idiot is your opinion (how valid or moronic it could be).

At the end, we get to see the future unfold...

In seven years Rod had one great win (and needed a fake punt to save it) and bunch of disappointing losses in the Big East. In the Big Ten, OSU will continue to dominate UM.

I have always had a fair amount of respect for WVU. In my mind I always thought they were a respectable, up and coming football program and I cheered their success. If this blog is any indication of their fans, the respect was definitely misplaced. What a bunch of whiney, ignorant rednecks. U of M is hard on it's coaches but the personal attacks targeted at a man who took an also ran school and made it a national power are pathetic. No wonder this man left WVU. The reality that you cannot deal with is that, contrary to a lot of your assertions, WVU is a new kid on the block, U of M has been a national power since they sewed pigskin together and pumped it up with air. For a "second tier school" we have drawn away two of your coaches in 8 months. What you really need to be looking at at WVU is why you can't hold onto caoches. If the posts I'm reading here are any indication, it is the fans that need to look up the meaning of the word loyalty.

Bluechuck:

Michigan is no national power. In Michigan's glory days, Bo boys always lost outside of the Big Ten. Calling Michigan a national power is a joke. Yes, Michigan gets great TV rating. So what, so does Notre Dame which hasn't beaten anybody in years. Oh excuse me, they certainly have beaten Michigan numerous times.

As for your redneck comment, I seriously doubt a Michigan graduate would have used the term. A Michigan fan might ues it, but I doubt a Michigan graduate would.

As an OSU and Big 10 fan, I'm happy to see RR go to Michigan...I think it's good for their program but also for the B10 and OSU. Will he bite a bit into recruiting for OSU? Maybe a bit, but that's more than offset by increasing the strength of the coaching and quality of play in the conference. Remember that whole "cyclical" thing guys? We're seeing it in action.

I also understand why it stings to WVU fans. Unfortunately, that's life, folks. And by the way, how many of YOU have never quit a job for one that was better? Like it or not, this is a job like any other, and I agree with Mandel that there's no easy way to handle this transition. No matter what he did, he'd have somebody upset.

Another thing to think about... how many of you have consistently spent 5 or more years at the same job? I think coaches generally spend a long time at top programs, and UM falls into that category. WVU might (and likely will) at some point but it isn't now, and that's just the way the world works. Same thing in business.

And Charles, to your comments--I agree that OSU this year may not be as talented as last year's team, but it's not always about talent...look at 2002 OSU vs. Miami...they had more talent, but we played better as a team. We'll see what happens this year. As for your latest comment about OSU not being an 'elite' team, how do you define "elite"? If it's at the program level and based on history, tradition, reputation, etc., I'd say it is (along with UM, Oklahoma, Florida State, etc.). If it's based on team performance this year, I don't think there are ANY elite teams..do you? Elite teams don't lose a single game in their season. Period. I personally don't think any team this season is elite, and I think "elite" status is going to be increasingly hard to come by as parity continues to increase.

Don't know if we'll have other blogs (probably will) before Xmas so I'll take this opportunity to wish y'all (Sas, Charles, Eric in Y-town, and the rest of you wild bloggers)happy holidays and safe travels!

Oh, almost forgot...Go Bucks! Go Boilers! Go Big Ten!

don't pick on rod,until you know his real reasons for leaving wvu.
He had a very strong negative
go around with the ad, over many
important athletic decisions, amd
was motivated to get out ,and into
a more favorable climate

MLG (michigan alumnus)

Clearly, lots of non-WVU commenters have good points to make, some good advice or criticism of WVU commenters--except maybe Bluechuck.

Calling folks who may’ve criticized Rodriguez a bunch of rednecks? Once, I spent months of my professional life in Michigan, including the Lansing-East Lansing area. News flash! Michigan’s got its own unique brand of rednecks, and plenty of them to spare.

That said, perhaps the University of Michigan deserves Rodriquez. Certainly, he cozied up to the classless underhanded way in with the Michigan president and AD courted Rodriguez and then closed the deal.

Of course, he did some terrific things for the football program, if you ignore some big games. He might even do some things in the short-term for Michigan. Sooner than later, Michigan will learn that Rodriguez cares only about himself and that he may not be able to deliver, regardless of the talent pool from which Michigan can draw.

That he informed a prep player of his departure before he informed his team, coaches and alma mater stinks. But perhaps no more than how he abandoned his team in its post-season. And how he's lured away the offensive coordinator who’s critical, you’d think, to team preparation for the bowl game.

Perhaps Rodriguez figured that given his move and its abruptness, why not really kick the team in their behinds, just to remind them he’d left, in case they may not have heard him on Sunday?

Whatever his motives, I hope what Michigan's promised in salary, bonuses and football-program investments work for him.

They will not remove the self-inflicted stain that he created by the ugliness and clumsiness of how he managed this move and its lousy timing.

And for what’ll be a very long time—and I don’t mean his absurd definition of about a year or so, based on his statement last year that he’d be at West Virginia for “a long time”—Rodriguez’s managed to ensure that his name is a four-letter word in the Mountain State and with, I presume, most WVU alums and fans.

No denying, though, the man's got guts. It takes a bunch of them to walk on, over and out on friends, fans, supporters, coaches, team and alma mater.

So, I think the big question now is: Will Michigan come out in all yellow uniforms against Ohio State?

MICHIGAN WILL ENTER A DARK AGE. YOU ALL FORGET WEST VIRGINIA'S IMPROVING RECORDS JUST HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH MIAMI, VA TECH, AND BC LEAVING THE LEAGUE. MICHIGAN WILL NOW GO THE WAY NEBRASKA DID A FEW YEAR AGO. A CONSISTANT 2ND RATE TEAM THAT WILL RARELY GIVE A FIGHT TO THE LOCAL SUPER POWER OHIO STATE. DID YOU ALL FORGET THE PITTSBURG GAME? WOW. WHAT A FAILURE FOR THE MAZE AND BLUE.

To all wvu fans sorry about your pain, plucking coaches is not cool.As a wolverine fan i'm not used to this as we haven't had to make a hire (coaching search) since 68 (I was 2). That being said with the exception of buckeye larry(the only intelligent osu fan post)you columbus peeps fail to realize that this rivalry goes in cycles how soon to forget the cooper years something like 2-11-1 right? Also the winning record for michigan v osu in the 70's 80's and 90's 57-41-1 remember those numbers? And thats after being dominated by tosu over the last 7 years. As a Michigan fan I will get behind RR and wish him the best. As all wolverine fans should stay united to defeat all of our foes. We have more than most(three natural rivalries)OSU MSU and ND! I was hoping for Brian Kelly from cincy but this is what it is. Finally being a fan since Dennis Franklin lead my team I am excited about the spread-O and hoping RR gets the coaches he needs to have a dominant D! Good luck wvu in your bowl game and beyond! Just remeber our Patriarch was a West Virginia man, Fielding H. Yost! Yet he also had to come to Meechigan to make his dreams cometrue! go Blue

Charles-
OSU is 11-1, Big 10 champs and headed to the NC game for the 2nd consecutive year and the 3rd time in what? 5 years? How many BCS bowl games in total have they qualified for in this decade? Five? I don't know if you'd call that elite, but it sounds pretty amazing to me. I can't wait for that USC game. Can you imagine the build-up for that one?

smb513-
You're not even worth responding to except to say you're not even worth responding to. I honestly do not have a lot of fondness for my "peers" in Buckeye fandom. Most of you are not particularly...how can I put this...BRIGHT?
I should also say that I look forward to seeing Pryor in maize and blue because I look forward to watching the Buckeyes rise to the occasion and defeat the best. Competition is good for everyone. What excuses will Michigan have when they're running the latest fad offense with the nation's hottest spread offense recruit yet still losing to OSU? It'll be hilarious.

Larry-
Happy Holidays to you too!!!!

Isn't it interesting how Rodriguez actually benefited by choking against Pitt? Had he won that game, he'd be preparing for the NC game and probably wouldn't have even put himself up for consideration for the UM job. So the guy wins by losing a game he should have won? And just think, if he had won, first choice Les Miles would probably be the new coach at UM. Wow. I'm sorry, but this does in fact have disaster written all over it from the git.

for larry - I believe that OSU this year falls short of the level of quality of last year. Still if they defeat LSU it will be quite an accomplishment and I doubt any OSU fans will dwell on the loss to Illinois.
Perhaps I am mistaken in thinking that last year's results and this year suggest an erosion in the quality of OSU. But it sure seems that way. I believe those who are wise at OSU will view the Zook results and the Rodriguez hiring as a red flag warning, and renew efforts to make OSU the best. Perhaps those at Wisc, Purdue, Penn St and elsewhere will have the same reaction and eventually the Big 10 will return to prominence. It will be good for college football. I also hope that some of the lesser schools like WV will see that they need to take steps to establish a better program and stop being feeder schools for coaches in training for elite positions. But likely not. When you can set up less demanding schedules, win your conference and challenge for the NC as WV has done there will be little reason to change. But the big schools will always take advantage as Michigan has done. When you can rank 117 in strength of schedule and go to a BCS bowl as Hawaii has done there is no incentive to try to take steps to become a top quality program. As long as we view an overtime victory over La Tech with the same respect as a victory over Florida or OSU then hallelujah and ignorance here we come.