On the plus side for punch-drunk Michigan faithful, your football coach, too, is very much interested in one question: Why?
“As you learn the system, you understand ‘why,'” Rich Rodriguez said. “I want our players to be able to teach the offense. When you get to the point where they actually can teach it to younger guys, you can play a lot faster. That’s not going to happen in a year.”
Of course, that’s a very narrow interpretation of the why question, and it leaves unanswered the real thunderclap of a query: How?
As in, how could Michigan be so tenuous that a coaching change produces a 3-9 record? Which dovetails into: Why should anyone believe Rodriguez, beleaguered after just one year on the job, is the man to repair the damage?
Those answers probably depend on whether you feel comfort is, well, comforting. Quarterback remains a five-alarm issue, likely to land in the hands of freshman Tate Forcier. But the system shock of the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rodriguez should be non-existent. Instead of adjusting to personalities and expectations, the players can zero in on purely football matters.
“Coach Rod and coach Carr were different coaches,” linebacker/safety Stevie Brown said. “It was an adjustment. But this year, we know how coach Rod is in his best times and his worst times. So we know what to expect. It’s never going to be something that catches us off-guard.”
Or as punter Zoltan Mesko put it: “Last year seems about two years ago, because the learning curve has taken off really fast.”
Rodriguez has the track record for second-year surprises, going from 3-8 in Year 1 at West Virginia to 9-4 the next. There are still critical holes, though, so he must hope that a year of experience has made his players able to use caulk better.
“It was overwhelming for everyone in the sense that learning (the system) is one thing,” tackle Mark Ortmann said, “but executing it is another.”
Michigan will contend for a Big Ten title if … Forcier can play way above his head as a true freshman quarterback. The Wolverines’ defense, under new coordinator Greg Robinson, should be stout enough to compete. But can Michigan, uh, score?
The Wolverines’ indispensable players are … Forcier, Ortmann, defensive end Brandon Graham (10 sacks in ’08), linebacker Obi Ezeh (team-high 98 tackles), tailback Brandon Minor (5.2 yards per carry, nine touchdowns).
In a word, the schedule can be described as … welcoming. The Wolverines open with four straight at home and have a shot at four to six victories by late October, when a much more challenging corridor (Penn State, at Illinois, Purdue, at Wisconsin, Ohio State) makes the living substantially less easy.
Last season’s defining moment was … A 13-10 loss at the Big House to Toledo on Oct. 11. If there were any doubts that the season was in a nose dive to oblivion, that defeat vaporized them.
This season will be considered a success if … Michigan reasserts itself as a bowl-bound regular. Rodriguez worked wonders in his second year at West Virginia, but staving off another disaster is more imperative than conjuring miracles.
– – –
Michigan at a glance
Coach: Rich Rodriguez (above), 3-9 in one season, 108-71-2 in 16 seasons overall.
Coordinators: Calvin Magee, offense; Greg Robinson, defense.
Michigan Stadium,
Ann Arbor, Mich., FieldTurf
Avg. attendance (capacity): 108,571 (106,201) %% DT OPPONENT SERIES
Sept. 5 vs. W. Michigan, 2:30 4-0
Sept. 12 vs. Notre Dame, 2:30 20-15-1
Sept. 19 vs. E. Michigan, 11 a.m. 8-0
Sept. 26 vs. Indiana, 11 a.m. 50-9
Oct. 3 at Michigan St. 67-29-5
Oct. 10 at Iowa, 7 40-10-4
Oct. 17 vs. Delaware St. 0-0
Oct. 24 vs. Penn State 10-4
Oct. 31 at Illinois, 2:30 66-22-2
Nov. 7 vs. Purdue 41-13
Nov. 14 at Wisconsin 49-12-1
Nov. 21 vs. Ohio State 57-42-6 %%
