Capital One Bowl Preview

As a Michigan fan, I can' t remember caring less for a Michigan New Years Day Bowl game. There was always something speical about a New Years Day with a Michigan Bowl Game. Was it the anticipation of a Rose Bowl, or the overtime thriller against Alabama in the Sugar, or maybe the last time Drew Henson threw a TD pass to David Terrell in the Orange Bowl? There are some great games in there and many losses to USC. Tomorrow will be different though.

This years Capital One/Citrus Bowl is the end of the Lloyd Carr era and the end of the Michigan run for Chad Henne, Jake Long, and Mike Hart. Lloyd wanted to retire after last years Rose Bowl but "Sailboat" Bill talked him out of it. Lloyd in turn mailed in this season from day one. This team of seniors leave with out a bowl win and with out a win against OSU. Not to say they didn't accomplish anything, this group of seniors never lost to the Spartans or Penn State. But the year that was so full of expectations, came crashing down as early at September 1st at 3:30.

Now Lloyd is out and everyone is excited about Rich Rodriguez and the excitement he will bring back to the Big House. I'm sorry to say even though it will be great to see #20 run one more time in the Maize and Blue and #7 throw a bomb to Mario, nobody caries about this game. It's an after thought for what is to come.

See Michigan should be playing Tennessee or Boston College. Either one of those teams would be a great match-up against the Wolverines. In the great "mail in" year, Michigan's good luck continued as they get the worst possible Bowl opponent possible, Florida. Heisman Tim will be running and throwing the ball around the yard. The stadium sold out in record time as the Florida Fans can't get enough of this Florida team and what is to come next year. Did I mention the game is in Orlando?

Michigan will be lucky to even stay in this game as memories of Oregon run through every Michigan's fan head. We will watch this game as tradition predicts but this year, we really don't care. We will root for Chad to throw bombs, Jake to Pancake, and Mike to run for a 100 yards as we wish them well in the NFL. But this New Years Day we won't care what happens on the score board, because like Florida we have bigger and better things to come.

The Rich Rodriguez Era begins at 4:15 on Tuesday.

Open the Bar and start drinking if:

• This game actually kicks off



• Heisman Tim runs for 150 and passes for 300 yards +



• The speed of Florida makes us look like Ohio State in the National Championship game last year



• The Michigan coaches are surprised Florida runs the spread offense



• Michigan can't move the ball and gets a ton of 3 and outs



• The score is embarrassing at half time

Sing Hail to the Victors:

• For Coach Carr, Mike Hart, Chad Henne, and Jake Long one more time



• If Mike Hart goes for 100+ yards and gains a few spots in the draft



• Chad's shoulder is healed and he has time to find A2 and Mario deep



• If we don't get embarrassed and keep the game within two touchdowns



• Because this is the last time we have to watch a team that is not prepared to play against a top opponent/coach in a Bowl game



• Because January 2nd is a new day and a fresh start
  
  

Florida 42 Michigan 21

Quick Big Ten Previews # 4,5,6: Insight, Outback, Rose

I would love to give some great insight on today's game, but time is short and this game is on the NFL Network. Indiana is excited to be in a Bowl game and the 6-6 Oklahoma State Cowboys have under achieved this year. IU will make enough big plays against the Cowboys.

IU 21- OK State 17

Wisconsin vs Tennessee: Both of these teams are very similar, they started slow but finished strong. This is the Power of the Big Ten vs the Speed of the SEC. Wisconsin does win bowl games and Tennessee was a few snaps away from a BCS game as the Champions of the SEC EAST. This game is a toss up. Tennessee wins a close one. UT 32 - Wisc 28

USC - Illinois: Anyway you slice it, Illinois doesn't belong in the Rose Bowl. The highlight to their season was beating OSU in Columbus. They also lost to Iowa. USC might be the best team in the country now that they are healthy. This one won't be close with USC playing in their backyard. USC 41- Illinois 14

'Bama wins 30-24 over the Buffaloes

Alabama used a 20-point first quarter and relied on a stingy second-half defense to withstand Colorado in the PetroSun Independence Bowl Sunday, gaining 388 total yards in a 30-24 win over the Buffaloes at Independence Stadium.

The win extended Alabama’s NCAA-best bowl wins total to 31.

Sunday’s game was Alabama’s NCAA-best 55th bowl appearance. The win extended Alabama’s all-time bowl record to 31-20-3. The Independence Bowl marked Alabama’s fourth consecutive bowl appearance, the first time Alabama played in four consecutive bowls since the Tide played in 10 straight from 1985-94.

Full Story @ rolltide.com

Sunday's News and Notes

• Trainer hits nerve in Henee's shoulder before the Wisconsin game. Never thought a trainer would cost us the Rose Bowl. Kind of crazy.
• Michigan's Golden Boy makes history
• Rick Neuheisel gets the UCLA job. I always expected Rick to get back into College as a head coach but I didn't think it would be with such a high profile program. On one hand, I think this choice makes a lot of sense for UCLA. On the other, I think it's very risky and Rick won't get any second chances or the benefit of the doubt if anything goes wrong. The Ravens Offense hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire this year either. Maybe UCLA needed to take a risk with USC in town.

GAME DAY! Independence Bowl

Fearless Prediction: Alabama 30 ... Colorado 17

As the lone bowl game of the day, it should be a worthwhile watch if recent history is any indication. Seven of the last eight Indy Bowls have been decided by seven points or fewer with six of then decided by four points or fewer. Alabama played nine games decided by a touchdown or less, while Colorado has played five, so these two well coached, relatively even teams should play a good 60-minute battle.

Since the bowl started its regular tie-in with the SEC, the league has gone 10-1 with last year's 'Bama loss breaking the string of seven straight wins over the Big 12 in the game.

Follow the Game Online @ FoxSports

Cardinals Speaking English

ESPN is reporting that Ron English will become the next DC at Louisville. The Cardinals are in need of defense (any defense) and Ron might just be the guy to do it.

This article quotes Ron saying that he is considering the job and that Louisville has been very aggressive. Southern Illinois passed on Ron as their next head coach.

Practice and Big Ten Bowl Update #3: Alamo

Are we talking about Practice, Practice? English also interviews for the DC position at Washington.


WVU may have to eat a few tickets for the Fiesta Bowl.

Former OSU Basketball Star father maybe mixed up with an NCAA Violation with Darren McFadden and his new SUV.



The Spartans played well, but in the end same old Spartans. 4 Picks just won't get it done.






JoPa is 81 and coaching his 500th game tonight in San Antonia against a Texas A&M program that is going through a ton of change. A&M's coach Dennis Franchione was forced to resign after his secret website newsletter gave Boosters inside information on his program.

So here is a coach that is coaching his 500th game against a team with an Interim Head Coach (their Coach in waiting still in the NFL). PSU is coming off a loss to Michigan State (who lost their Bowl Game) and A&M is coming off a big win against Texas (who won their Bowl Game big over the co-Pac 10 Champ).

Even though Penn State limped home and A&M had a big win over a top 15 team, I think the PSU offense will eat up A&M's defense. Penn State will play physical on both sides of the ball and have the advantage against a weak A&M offense. I don't expect to see a lot of scoring but a ton of good hitting. The problem is, most of the nation will be watching Michigan's Golden Boy Tom Brady trying to make history on NBC and CBS instead of the watching the Alamo Bowl on ESPN. PSU 20 A&M 13


Enjoy the full slate of Bowl Games and the historic NFL game tonight!

WVU Update and Big Ten Bowl Preview #2: Champs

WVU is still not happy with their native son who got a better job. I think it's funny that if anyone else at the University had a chance to make more money and advance their career, I'm sure they would turn it down in loyalty to the University. Either way, WVU wants it's money and are willing to take it to court.

Seems they still can't decide on a coach either. CMU head coach Butch Jones got a second interview on Thursday but we haven't heard anything regarding an offer. They could pay Butch for 4 years on just the buyout from Coach Rod.

On to the preview:

Let's see Michigan State is still concerned about being a little brother and are missing their best defensive player due to academic problems. Boston College is ranked in the top 20 and has a Hesiman candidate at QB. Did I also mention that MSU averages 200 yards rushing a game with their combo RB's Ringer and Caulcrick and need to run the ball to win? Well, BC has the best rushing Defense in the country where they give up 68 yards per game.

Not only that, but they had to face Mike Hart at a kids Charity Event in Orlando this week, where players were still upset about the "little brother" comment. Seems the Spartans are concerned with games that happened months ago and not going to class.

Not a good thing when your facing the 14th ranked team in the country. Would you say the Spartans are out classed in this one? Maybe they should have been in class.

MSU as two shots in this one, slim and none. BC 28 MSU 10

Enjoy the game.

Ask the Warden

A new feature at BighouseBlog is ask the Warden. Today's topics will focus on what's next for some important Wolverines:

Will Ryan Mallett Transfer?

Maybe. Ryan would you like to weigh in?: "It gets old when people keep asking me about it; we're trying to beat Florida," said Mallett, who likely would have to play next year without his quarterback coach, Scot Loeffler, who recruited Mallett and was fired by Rodriguez last week.
Carr has had multiple discussions with Mallett and his family. "It's a career decision for him," Carr said. "I will support whatever he does. The Warden's take: Ryan gives Michigan the best chance to win next year with the experience he gained this year, he did run a throwing spread in High School. If Pryor commits to Michigan, I think the likelihood of Ryan transferring is high.

Will Mario go Pro?

Yes. Mario what's your take: "The stuff that matters: Am I ready? Who's coming out next year? And this year?" Manningham said. "Stuff like that."What about Rodriguez? What's his role in Manningham's thinking? "Nothing," Manningham said. "He has nothing to do with my decision." The Warden's take. Mario is a great talent and was a 2nd team All American this year. I think he had a very "up and down" year last year and couldn't catch a cold against OSU on National TV. I think he could use another year but they say his draft grade was high during a the recent NFL grading process for Juniors. If he as a good Capital One Bowl he is gone for sure. High probability he is gonzo

What about Adrian Arrington?

I think he stays. A2 your thoughts?: "Of course, I applied for the papers and I'll get back and talk with Coach Rodriguez and make my decision," said Arrington, who smiled and added the NFL feedback "looks good." The Warden's Take: A2 has matured since his off the field problems and I believe he would like to get his degree and be Michigan's #1 option next year. High probability he stays in Ann Arbor (A2 in A2).

How good is recruit Terrelle Pryor?

Really, Really Good. He was just named USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year. He is the first Pennsylvania high school player to pass for more than 4,000 yards (4,249) and rush for more than 4,000 (4,250) in his career. Led his team to the state’s AA title and a 16-0 record as it scored a state-record 860 points. He can throw a football 75 yards, or 50 yards on his knees. Passed for 23 TDs and ran for 34. Also a top basketball recruit. The Warden's take: Damn, that boy has some serious skills! He will announce his choice on 1/5 during the Army All American Bowl. Michigan, Florida, OSU, and Penn State is his final choices.

Does Michigan State have a shot against BC on Friday?

Nope. Mostly with the loss of Saint-Dic and some other Spartans. Does anyone think it's ironic that Saint-Dic was declared academically ineligible on Christmas? I guess making all those gifts doesn't allow a lot of free time for classes and home work.

What is the status of Texas 4-Star WR Darryl Stonum?

Darryl has graduated early and is excited about Coach Rod's offense. Darryl is expected to enroll early at Michigan and be in class at the start of next term. A lock to be on the team next year.

Should Coach Rod hire anymore Michigan Assistants?

The Warden's take: Yes, I would like to see quarterback coach, Scot Loeffler retained. I would also keep a few others but I think Scot has the best shot of staying on with the new staff.

On Friday: Look for the preview of MSU vs BC and enjoy the Holiday Bowl.

My prediction was correct for the Motor City, I just got it backwards. CMU faded early and came on late. Look for CMU HC Butch Jones to get an offer from WVU today or Friday. I can't help but think this isn't one of their top 5 choices, since he has 1 year of head coaching experience.

Big Ten Bowl Preview #1: Motor City

During this bowl season I will try to preview each Big Ten Bowl Game. Today has the first match up between Central Michigan vs Purdue at the Motor City Bowl in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It also happens to be one of the bowl games this year where the Big Ten isn't over matched and is actually a favorite by 8 points.

Nothing like going somewhere warm for the holidays as Purdue gets a round trip ticket for 20 degree weather and one of the best stadiums in the NFL. Unfortunately, this will be the only chance most players on the field will get to play in an NFL stadium, so both teams would like to go out with a win.

1st year CMU head coach Butch Jones, would like to pull off the upset and continue his momentum to take over West Virgina's program (where he was an assistant last year). Joe Tiller, just wants to stop getting embarrassed in the State of Michigan as he took a whipping from the Wolverines in October down the road an hour or so.

So how will this play out? Both teams met on 9/15/07 at Purdue and the Boilermakers won easily 45-22. The Chips are better now then in week 2 but they don't have enough to stop Purdue's spread offense run by Curtis Painter, Purdue's Senior QB.

The Chips will be in the game in the 1st half but fade late. Purdue 38 CMU 21

Enjoy the game.

Merry Christmas!

Cartoon by Joel A Morgan.

• A busy week for Coach Rod
  
• Chad looking forward to his last game and a healthy shoulder
• Update on the Battle over the Big House
• Jimbo Fischer from FSU decides to stay at FSU and won't be the next West Virgina coach.

Merry Christmas!

Changing Minds and Happy Holidays!

• A special report on Coach Rod from the Freep. Interesting points: he turned down Arkansas and WVU fans think he threw the game against Pitt to get the Michigan job. It's a good read.


• Boubacar Cissoko (above) who yesterday said he was de-committing to Michigan has changed his mind and now stays committed to the Wolverines.


• Les always has something to say: Miles weighs in LSU coach Les Miles didn't take the Michigan job, but he called the man who did. Miles, a U-M alumnus, wanted to congratulate West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez and he wanted to give him a hard time.
  Rodriguez's mother, Arleen Rodriguez, told the Free Press the phone call was a good-natured exchange this past week. According to her, Miles thanked Rodriguez for losing the game against Pittsburgh. Miles then joked with Rodriguez that the loss cost Miles his dream job. "He told my son that if West Virginia had beaten Pitt, they would've been in the championship game, and that would've left an opening for him," she said.
  Rodriguez has said it would have been hard to leave if the Mountaineers were playing for the title. As it is, LSU is in that game Jan. 7 against top-ranked Ohio State.

Happy Holidays!

Enjoy Coach Rod on some National Radio Shows!

Coach Rod on ESPN Radio with Mike Tirico

Coach Rod on with Dan Patrick. Click Interviews

Recruits Starting to Bail and H&H Injury Update

When you fire all but one person on the current staff you have to expect you will lose some recruits that are close with position coaches that were just let go. The highest profile recruit to pull his commitment is Boubacar Cissoko, a 4 Star CB from Detroit. This is a difficult loss for Michigan, since we all know CB has been a weakness for the Michigan defense. Boubacar is a very athletic cover corner, even though he is below 6 feet in size. He is now looking at Penn State. I expect Coach Rod and the new DC to take another run at him after the silent period is over.

Freep Reports:
HENNE, HART UPDATE: Quarterback Chad Henne said his shoulder was regaining the strength lost in the final month of the regular season, and a number of players said tailback Mike Hart was running well in practice in his continued recovery from a high ankle sprain. Both are expected to play against Florida.

Tressel and OSU self report NCAA infractions.

Bellotti to stay at Oregon

U of M Assistants need Monster.com

Update 2:30 PM: Coach Rod has rehired Fred Jackson. That is good news for keeping Sam McGuffie. I wonder if Coach Rod reads this blog? :-)

BTW: For those of you fans that are worried that Coach Rod hasn't contacted Sam yet. Well, he can't. It's the two week quiet recruiting period. There won't be any contact until next year.

Bellotti to UCLA?

In somewhat of a surprise move, Coach Rod has let the entire staff of assistant football coaches go. Bighouseblog.com had hoped that Coach Rod would keep current running backs coach Fred Jackson, WR coach Eric Campbell, QB coach Scot Loeffler, with an outside chance of keeping DC Ron English. Fred Jackson was very close to current top recruit running back Sam McGuffie.

Don't feel too bad for the 9 assistants that were let go yesterday. Each get their full salary for next year and most of them will get jobs at other schools or in the NFL.


If you think about it all those coaches I mention above are good coaches for traditional Pro sets, but don't have any experience in the spread offense.

How this will effect recruiting? only time will tell. I assume we will lose some.
_____________________________________

Does Michigan have and secret weapon in trying to get Terrelle Pryor to commit to Michigan? Come on Terrelle, keep it in the family!

News: OSU loses 2 players for NC Game

• Donald Washington, a starting cornerback, and backup Eugene Clifford will miss the BCS national title game in New Orleans on Jan. 7 for the unspecified violations, according to reports by WCMH-TV on Wednesday night and The Columbus Dispatch on Thursday.
• Former Arizona guard Lucas-Perry makes it official. This also means Alex Legion now can take his circus act to Notre Dame or Illinois.
• Coach Rod to make more then Tressel? List of big ten's coaches salaries. JoPa you might want to ask for a raise before your 100.
• Play that funking music, unless it's the Michigan fight song in West Virgina: A Charleston DJ and U-M fan has been suspended indefinitely from his post as co-host of a morning show on Electric 102.7 after playing the Michigan fight song repeatedly following the departure of West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.
  The Charleston State Journal reported, Coach Kidd was warned three times to stop playing Hail to the Victors, but after the third warning, he played the song back-to-back.
• WVU may look to the Wild West to hire it's next coach. Doc Holliday is rumored to be the leading candidate. Terry Bowden is pulling out all the stops and even asked daddy for help!
• Coach Rod at practice, working on buy out and new Michigan contract.

Wednesday News and Notes

Regarding the hiring of Coach Rod:

• Rodriguez lawyers are saying $4 Million is a bit high of a buy out since WVU didn't hold up it's end of the bargain. Let's work something out.


• I will resign my post on January 3rd. Oops I meant to say December 18th. It was just a typo, my bad!


• The WVU Boosters feel the WVU Administrators messed this whole thing up and they are to blame for Coach Rod leaving.


• Those folks in West Virgina are not a happy bunch. They are taking down signs and putting up new ones. Signs, signs, everywhere are signs.
  
• The rumor mill on the West Virgina interview list includes: Terry "this is my dream job - please hire me" Bowden, Butch Jones current head coach of Central Michigan and former WVU assistant, Some FSU assistants not named Jimbo, and maybe just maybe Nick "the quick" Sabin.

The Next Woodson?

• Sporting News names Donovan Warren Big Ten defensive freshman of the year.

Help for the Basketball Team?

• The good news could come today as former Flint standout and recent Arizona Wildcat Laval Lucas-Perry could transfer to Michigan. As we all know, this team needs some help!

Nick, What are you doing?

Below is the best scoop I've ever seen, please try to read the following with out throwing up or laughing.

From West By God Virginia:
Sources close to University President Mike Garrison have informed WBGV that Nick Saban's agent has contacted WVU regarding our vacant head-coaching position.These sources tell us that Saban is extremely unhappy in Tuscaloosa and has failed to recapture the situation he had in Baton Rouge with LSU. The purpose of the agent's call was to express initial interest in the position and to have WVU athletics put together a compensation package enough to lure Saban from Alabama.WBGV adds that the staff at WVSports.com, the WVU Rivals site, has confirmed the WBGV scoop.

Brian from mgoblog and AOL has it here also.

How does this hire effect recruiting?

So how does the hiring of Coach Rod effect the current 17 verbal commitments Michigan currently has and the 5-8 more it needs?

Monday started a 2 week silent period for contacting recruits. So there won't be any new contact from Michigan for the next two weeks, but that silent period doesn't stop the media from asking the the top recurits what they think. Here are some quotes:

Michigan's top recruit Sam McDuffie: The Texas Cy-Fair product told Scout he doesn’t know much about Rich Rodriguez, but was “excited that they named a head coach.”“It was a good hire,” McGuffie told Scout.com. “I have been watching guys like Steve Slaton and Noel Devine and what they have been able to do in that offense. I guess it is good for me.”

Michigan's in-state 4-star CB recruit Boubacar Cissoko: "This past month I was kind of back and forth with my commitment and bouncing around, talking to schools," Detroit Cass Tech cornerback Boubacar Cissoko told Rivals.com. "Now I feel more comfortable with my commitment to Michigan. (Rodriguez) seems like a good coach, but right now I just have to sit down and talk to the man and see what he is all about before I make any decisions."

Michigan's new QB prospect Terrelle Pryor (also rated the #1 player in the nation):

Pryor said Rodriguez called him Sunday to inform him of his decision to accept the Michigan job.
"That was special," said Pryor, who is widely considered by recruiting experts to be the nation's No. 1 prep player.

Pryor, who is also weighing scholarship offers from Ohio State, Florida and Penn State along with Michigan, said he likely won't make his final decision until February. But he said the chance to vie for a starting job in Michigan's new-look spread offense would factor into his decision. Rodriguez said Monday he'll bring the offense with him from West Virginia.

"I know I would have to work for everything I got," Pryor said. "But I just want the chance."

Rival says:

Michigan would provide Pryor with all the ingredients he seeks to show his wares – a huge stadium filled with rabid fans and colossal national TV exposure in an offense that suits him to a "T." With Rodriguez, the consummate tactician, pushing the buttons.

If he can get Pryor, and the quarterback can persuade others to follow, Michigan could go from having a decent recruiting class (currently ranked 14th by Rivals.com) to the top 10 in the nation and the best in the Big Ten, a distinction that rests with Ohio State right now.

Any De-commits?

Yes: John Wienke a QB recruit has de-committed to Michigan and now heading to Iowa. He did this btw the day before Coach Rod was hired and before Pryor showed interest in coming to Michigan. Good luck at Iowa.

Misc 'Bama Info

Injury Update:

Sophomore Javier Arenas (ankle) wore black during individual drills Monday, but has yet to be cleared to participate in practice. Coaches are optimistic that he could be back in red with teammates by the end of the week.“Rest helps anything,” Arenas said.

True freshman running back Demetrius Goode (knee) was also in black for individual drills, and is still on course to be ready for the spring. Sophomore Roy Upchurch (shoulder) and redshirt freshman Terry Grant (hip) are all healthy, and, with Glen Coffee also in the mix, coaches have all three running backs active and at full strength for the first time since midseason.


Three to miss bowl:

Walk-ons Thomas Darrah and Jacob Vane, who were charged with third-degree assault for a Dec. 2 incident, will practice with the team this week, but not make the trip to Shreveport.

Neither will senior linebacker Marcel Stamps, due to academic reasons.

Otherwise, it appears that everyone got through finals pretty well.“I’m really pleased with the way our players finished up academically,” Saban said. “This is going to be one of our better semesters.“The new graduation rates have come out and we have some pretty impressive numbers from 2001-2002.”


Full Story @ tuscaloosanews.com

New Linebacker

Jimmy Johns has a new position with the University of Alabama football team, and it’s on the opposite side of the field.

Source - Tuscaloosa News

Staff Questions

One of the big burning questions is who will come with Rich and who will stay on staff at Michigan. The Charleston Daily reports the following:

A team source said Magee and Gibson will join Rodriguez's staff in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Rodriguez was introduced this morning at a press conference. The source said Rodriguez is also interested in retaining defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jeff Casteel, safeties coach Bruce Tall, associate head coach/special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Bill Stewart and strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Barwis.

Potentially Out: Debord, English, Szabo, Bedford and Moeller
Potentially in: Stripling, Loeffler, Jackson, and Campbell

The above is good news. I had hoped English could continue with the Defense.


Bill Martin Q & A: Here is an answer Bill gave to the A2 news about the search.

Obviously there was a lot of concern about why this process took so long - 28 days. You know, when you haven't replaced a coach in almost 40 years, I wasn't going to be rushed to make an early decision on this. I wanted to make absolutely certain we got the right coach for Michigan, so I took our time in this process. I didn't read anything any of you wrote. I didn't look at any blogs. I didn't pick up one newspaper. I simply focused on this process.

What? You didn't read Bighouseblog.com everyday? No wonder this search took so long. Come on Billy! :)

A Fresh Start

Doesn't it smell like spring outside? The sun on your face, the smell of fresh cut grass and flowers in bloom. Today is like Spring Time for the Michigan Football program. It's a fresh new start with a brand new direction led by a young but experienced leader. So don't worry about the 12 inches of snows that fell on Ann Arbor the last 24 hours, go outside and ride your bike, throw the football, mow your lawn, it's spring time in Ann Arbor!

When LC retired this is what I wanted for the Michigan program:

• A leader with a new offensive philosophy - Done


• A young coach that could be at Michigan 10-20 years. - Done


• A big name coach that would excite fans and recruits - Done


• A new day for Michigan Football - Done

Timeline: As we all know RR met with Bill Martin and Mrs. President on Friday for 6 hours.

After that, the Internet message boards did a 180 on what RR would do. Rich meant twice with the WVU Athletic Director on Saturday. The message boards were pretty confident that Rich was staying. Then Sunday morning things changed and changed fast. My guess is that Don Nehlen, former WVU coach (and coach under Bo) and Rich's mentor talked Rich into taking the job. I believe Don told Rich opportunities like this only comes around once in your life and that maybe if he was ever offer the job at Michigan he would have taken it in a heart beat. Here is a quote from Don.

"I think it's a great, great, great opportunity for him," said Nehlen, who coached at Michigan under Bo Schembechler from 1977-1979. "I think it's tremendous. There are very few Michigans. When you coach at West Virginia you walk on water in West Virginia, but when you coach at Michigan, you walk on water, period. There's a difference. Some people around here don't want to believe that."

What about the buyout? Not sure at this point. Rich said the "lawyers are working on that" . There have been rumors that Billy picked up $3 Million of the 4. I bet they try to negotiate that amount down. Maybe Michigan could sign an agreement not to take anymore WVU employees for the next 10 years or so.

Coaches? Rich mentioned that he would be bringing some of his coaches with him to Michigan and keep some of the current staff. The two we know for sure are offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Calvin Magee and secondary coach and recruiting coordinator Tony Gibson. It is also expected that Rich brings super strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis with him as well. Michigan has been long rumored to have one of the worst strength and conditioning programs in the country. This is a huge deal on how the Wolverines will prepare in and out of season.

• Side note. Hopefully Rich will keep Ron English on staff as the defense coordinator. Others I would like to see stay is Fred Jackson, RB coach and QB Coach Scot Loeffler.

Will Mallett transfer? His dad was quoted by the AP that Ryan is keeping an open mind about the new coach and will wait before making an transfer decision. Ryan ran a "shotgun" spread offense in High School.

Will RR coach in the Fiesta Bowl? That decision still hasn't been made. But it doesn't sound like he will.

Today is a good day!

A Pile of Riches!

Today, Rich Rodriguez accepted the head coaching job at Michigan. What seemed like the longest head coaching search in history will end officially on Monday, when Rich Rodriguez will take the head coaching job at Michigan.

Rich told his team today that he accepted the job in a regularly scheduled team meeting.

Along with that good news: Terrelle Pryor, the #1 recruit in the country. Has added Michigan to his list of schools.

• Michigan will welcome Rich at a press conference Monday morning.



• The offer is believed to be $2.5 M a year.



• No word yet on his $4m buyout.



• Reports are that Rich does not plan to coach in the Fiesta Bowl.



• We are 2-2 for WVU coaches this year

My take: A very good hire. A young coach with nothing but upside that will bring a new offense to Michigan. He also is a good recruiter that could pull in Terrelle Pryor. Rich is 44 and could be in Ann Arbor a very long time. He was most definitely on my top 5 wish list of college coaches to replace Carr.

"Sailboat" Bill pulled this one out after a very poor start to the search.

"I am thrilled to have Rich Rodriguez as Michigan's new coach," athletic director Bill Martin wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Sunday. "Rich brings an exciting brand of football to Michigan Stadium. We welcome the entire Rodriguez family to Ann Arbor.

The way he coached against Pitt makes me nervous but hopefully he learned something from that experience.

Even ESPN likes Bighouseblog.com! :-)

BREAKING NEWS Alert
Rodriguez Sold On The Big House
West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez informed players at a meeting Sunday that he was leaving to coach at Michigan, only 48 hours after an initial sitdown. Story Schad's analysis

Today is a good day. BTW: Only a hours left before the recruiting silent period.

R Rod?

As most of you have heard by now Michigan President and Sailboat Bill met with Rich Rodriguez, WVU head coach in Toledo yesterday to discuss becoming the next head coach at Michigan. RR did not give any further information and only told reports he was meeting with his financial analyst and was heading to practice.

My thoughts:

• Insiders are saying there is a good possibility that RR jumps to Michigan
• There is a "huge" buyout of $4 Million if he leaves WVU
• He turned down Alabama last year (offer was $2m a year for 6 years)
• This would be the second head coach we hired from WVU in less then a year
• I believe this would be a good hire for Michigan. Rich is 44 and has a ton of upside and could be in A2 for along time
• Was not impressed on how he coached during the Pitt game. He coach and the team played tight
• RR has a 10:30 press conference today that has been scheduled for weeks
• I expect him to stay at WVU

If this is Michigan's man, they better have him locked up or lock him up this weekend. Time and media will kill this deal. 2 Days until the recruiting quiet period.

Namath Graduates 42 Years after He Started!

Joe Namath, who won a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 1964 but quit school before going on to become a pro football great, returned to the University of Alabama on Friday to pick up the degree he earned 42 years later.

Namath completed a 30-hour program over the last five years to earn bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies. Bum knees aside, Namath will be one of 900 graduates to walk across the stage at Coleman Coliseum during commencement Saturday morning.

"It was fun, but it was hard," Namath, 64, said at a news conference. "I had a very difficult time getting myself to sit down and spend the time (studying)"

Full Story @ foxsports.com

Crimson Tide’s Ranks No. 3 in the Country in Recruiting

Cornerback Robby Green commits to Alabama

Robby Green, a 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback from John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, La., committed Tuesday to the University of Alabama.

“I’m going to be playing my college ball at Alabama,” Green said. “I always knew that I wanted to play there and for Coach [Nick] Saban, and now it’s official.

Through nine games, Green had 30 tackles, four interceptions, 10 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and one kickoff return for a touchdown. He reports a 3.0 core GPA and a 17 on the ACT.

TGIF and Still No Coach

Thank goodness for the Mitchell Report. Maybe the Michigan head coaching search can stay out of the media headlines for a day or two.

So the beat goes on another day no coach and the recruiting dead period right around the corner on December 17th.

Any News?

Not much. The name I keep hearing is Jim Grobe of Wake Forest. Not sure he is a good hire for the Wolverines. We need a guy that will stay 10-20 years and bring some new life to the program. I don't believe Jim to be that guy.

Another Internet rumor is Lane Kiffin the Oakland Raiders young head coach. Just Win Baby! I don't think Al Davis would allow it. What if we throw in the draft rights to Jake Long? Come on Al! Let's make a deal. We will throw in DeBord for free.

ESPN keeps pimping Jim Harbough is there any chance he might be considered? No Chance!

Is there anything else going on at Michigan?

• The basketball team is open to taking any transfers from good basketball programs.
• Maybe Alex Legion from UK as well.
• No knowing if they will have jobs next year. Some Michigan assistants have decided to drink and not breathe into a machine.

So how many Michigan - App. State references will we hear tonight when Delaware plays App. State for the D1A NC? The over/under is 16.

How many Michigan AD's does it take to hire a head coach? Sorry, gone sailing. Will call you on Sunday.

Please keep it down Sailboat Bill is Sleeping

Where have all the good rumors gone? Bill Martin is now running a very quiet (ship) search. During these past 3 + weeks, Bill has gone from a little no named Michigan AD to a guy that is written up everyday by most papers across the country. He even has a nifty new nickname.

So now he has plugged all the leaks in his department and the "insiders" are staying quiet. Who knows what he is doing? Is he ready to surprise everyone and pull a "big name" coach out of his current job and do in in the dark of night? Or is he going to pay, Hoke a $150K to come coach and save the rest for the bathrooms at Michigan Stadium?

I have no idea what Billy is doing but I'm hoping he does. There is 4 more days before the recruiting "quiet" period for two weeks. So I'm guessing Bill isn't in a hurry to fill this spot. None of the 17 commitments have de-commited and the two week dead period can give Michigan the shot at making news when the other coaches around the country aren't in the ear of each one of the Michigan's recruits.

Below I will address some of the rumors that have been floating around lately:

• Fox reported that Bobby Petrino sniffed around the Michigan job and Michigan wasn't interested. Way to go Bill! This is the first thing you've done right in 3 weeks. I know Bobby is a good x and o guy, but he is getting killed in the media and by his ex-players on the Falcons. He is a guy that will always jump for the money. Well done.
• Jim Grobe: a good coach but maybe a little too old for this gig. I wouldn't hate him as HC but not sure he is the right fit.
• Jeff Tedford: Could be a good fit. But went 6-6 with a pretty good team this year. I think the upside on Jeff is higher then Grobe. I'm also not worried about his non-ties to Midwest recruits. What if we attracted more West Coast recruits? That would be a good thing!
• Brady Hoke, is a pure desperation move by Martin. If he is named HC then Martin has failed to bring a quality coach with a proven track record to Michigan.
• The Delaware Coach - This has to be a joke.
• Brian Kelly - Something has turned off the Michigan Search Committee on Brian Kelly and it must not be a big secret among NCAA AD's. He should be one of the hottest candidates this year and he didn't get a sniff from anyone. Something is going on with him and I'm not sure what it is.
• Will Michigan go the assistant route in the NFL or at USC? Maybe. I would love to see Jason Garrett, OC for the Dallas Cowboys. A hire like this would have a ton of upside but could also flame out in a couple of years as well. It would be risky but could also bring a breath of fresh air to the Big House.
• Jim Harbaugh - Sorry Jim, no shot after your cracks this summer and your DUI.

At this point, nobody really knows anything regarding this search. Billy what do you know?

Is this the next guy in line?

The Jim Grobe rumors are now front in center of the Michigan search party. Jim has turned down Arkansas last week and Alabama last year. So there is little chance he is coming to Ann Arbor. Wake is a basketball school and Jim isn't exactly a spring chicken.

It's time to open up this search and start to look at some non-traditional names like Dallas Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett or even someone like Butch Davis.

Who knows what Bill is doing? Does his sailboat have a ship to shore phone?

Saban's Process - Those that Won't, will not Be Around Long!

Saban declined to name any specific players who will not be retained on scholarship, saying that was "their decision" and not his, but he indicated one or two players, as he did in August, will be retained on non-athletic scholarships and released from the team for medical reasons.

He also pointed at a rash of suspensions this year as an indicator of the types of problems the staff incurred in enforcing their will on players.

"What I think our calling is, is to try to establish the things that we feel are important, to get consistency in performance and players doing things correctly," Saban said. "It's no secret that you guys know how many players were suspended throughout this season for whatever reasons, so why were they suspended? Did they do what's right? If you do it right, that doesn't mean you are going to have success. But if you don't do it right, you have no chance.

"What defines success to me is consistency in performance. Then you are going to play to a standard of excellence that is not determined by your opponent. It's in you. It's your burning desire of what you want to accomplish and how you want to do it. We just have to continue to build on that."

Full Story @ montgomeryadvertiser.com

Who's to Blame?

Lloyd Carr retired on 11/19. Since then this so called search has been a huge mismanaged cluster (insert your own F Bomb here).

Michigan was the first program to have a opening and after Arkansas wild ride last night with Bobby Petrino, it looks like it will be the last to fill their spot. Will the music stop and Michigan be left without a chair? The timing doesn't bother me as much as how this search has been fumbled from the beginning. So who is too blame for this? The following is my top 10 reasons this process has failed so far:

1) Billy "Sailboat" Martin: Not sure what you were thinking since last September when you knew this would happen. Your process or plan is failing at every check point. Your not speaking with the media, you decided to go to Florida and not answer your phone during important negotiations, you offered the job to a guy at Rutgers who didn't take it, you make another failed attempt at the one guy who really wanted this job, your boss is now involved, and you seem lost at sea with out any true candidates. I now don't have any confidence in you making the right decision for this program.

2) The Media: We all know that "Herbie" didn't help the Les Miles situation any. We also know the media attention on Les Miles talking on the phone or not talking on the phone is way too over blown. But the way the Media has been during this search has been out right neglectful. They have either been to early (aka "Herbie") or way too late, for example; the media was 3 days behind the Schiano story and 4 days behind the last contact with Miles. When they don't have any news to report all they all give the same "tired" opinion.

3) West Virgina: You lost to Pitt at home with the National Championship on the line? WVU beat the co-Big East Champions UConn the week before by something like 40 points and they can't beat Pitt who had a losing record at home on National TV with the National Championship game on the line. Nice work guys. For those of you that wonder how this relates to the Michigan Coaching search. WVU win equals an LSU trip to the Sugar Bowl.

4) The Les or Bust fan base: I think Les is probably the best fit for the Michigan head coaching job and Martin should have locked him up a month ago. But there has to be other candidates out there just as good or better then Les. Time to put him behind us and move on.

5) Mary Sue Coleman: Should have been more closely involved from the beginning. She has experience with Kirk Ferentz at Iowa and understands how these things play out. Her University is now getting killed nationally and the buck stops with her.

6) The Search Committee: What are you guys doing? Anything? Do you have any power at all? Are you contacting candidates? Desmond come on!

7) Lloyd Carr: He says he doesn't have a say, but we all believe he does. We also believe he has been throwing Miles and Kelly under the bus and promoting Brady Hoke and Ferentz. LC get out of the way and get your team ready for the ass whipping that Florida is going to give us.

8) Les Miles: We all know Les wants to coach LSU and Michigan at the same time. He loves the media attention and loves his damn good football team . He has not made this easy on Michigan as Michigan has not made it easy on him. Either way, he gets paid after the NC game and with a win will make $3.45m a year.

9) Blogs: Yes, I will throw myself under the bus as well. The blogs that have been following this story usually has had information days before the mainstream media. Our obsession has made this search bigger then life itself. We are also the vehicle for the rumor mill.

10) Michigan Tradition: I don't want to hear about this job isn't what it used to be. In fact, it's exactly what it used to be! A top program that wins 8-10 games every year and goes to some type of bowl game. I don't think coaches are scared to come here, I think they are happy making the same money and having less pressure at smaller schools.

Enough Already!

The rumors and media attention from today has forced Les to make a statement on the LSU web site.

He is LSU's coach and he will be next year. Don't you just love this circus!

Bill you couldn't have messed this up any worse if you tried. I think it's time for you to step down from this leading this search or even your job as AD.

The Media is a day late and a dollar short

Cartoon by Joel A Morgan

Why is the media so late in reporting information in this coaching search?

The Free Press ran an article today that Les Miles was contacted by Bill Martin and Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman on Friday. Well it's freaking Tuesday! Come on Media this is your job. Your paid to find out this information and report it the next day not 4 days later.

As you might have noticed, more information on the Miles contact was on this very blog yesterday.

Now every paper in the country is coming out with the the same information and giving their own opinions on the situation. I'm sure we hear a quote from Les today or tomorrow that says, "he is very happy at LSU and that he is focused on his pretty damn good football team right now"

LSU's athletic director is more nervous then Britney Spears at Dunkin Donuts. Will this nightmare never end for him? That poor guy keeps signing Les to deals with Michigan buy out clauses. Hey, Skip why don't you make the Michigan buyout clause $5 million? That will stop all the speculation.

It also would help if Les didn't go national radio shows (Dan Patrick) talking about his love for Michigan.

So where does this go from here? No, freaking idea. I expect Les to decline the Michigan offer and coach his team in the National Championship game.

So hopefully Sailboat Bill and Mrs. President is working on some other candidates.

Here we go again..........

The latest rumors out of A2 is that sir Les Miles has a valid offer on the table from Michigan.

Here are some of the details as the rumor mill reports:

• Offer is for $2.5m a year plus incentives
• One sticking point is the assistants money (Les wants more $$ in the pool)
• Also the role that Lloyd will have in the program moving forward
• He has a couple of days to consider it
• Les is concerned about how Michigan, LSU, and himself will look in the media
• What would his status be for the NC game?

The anti-Les people are still pushing Brady Hoke (you have to be freaking kidding me) hard. Also Michigan President, Mary Sue Coleman has gotten personally involved in this search after all the mail she is being flooded with.

So how will this play out? Does Les really have an offer now? Is $2.5m enough? He could make a $1m more a year if he wins the NC from LSU.

This has been a crazy search, every time I think were close, were not. I guess we will know more soon. Or maybe we won't.

If it is true, I hope ESPN doesn't report on anything until Les has signed a contract at Michigan and doing his press conference in Ann Arbor.

No News - Bad News

So we have gone another weekend without a head coach with Greg Schiano letting us know on Friday that he wasn't interested. The pressure continues to grow on Bill Martin finding the right candidate for today and more importantly for the next 5-10 years. There continues to be a number of college coaching vacancies available right now including, UCLA, Arkansas, Washington State, and others. Those that have been filled have been filled with less then "high profile" candidates.

What does that mean for Michigan? It means that smaller schools are now paying top dollars to keep their coach and thoes coaches are happy in those smaller "less" pressure environments. If your the head coach of a Rutgers or Bosie State, your fan base is happy if you make a bowl game. If you win the conference or get to a BSC game you are crowned a hero. Winning the Big Ten and getting to the BCS is the expected outcome at Michigan every year. Which job would you rather have if the money was the same?

If I'm Bill Martin, I have to do one of two things. Break the Bank on a top candidate like a Miles or a Urban Myer if they will even listen (I doubt it) or go get the next "Sweater Vest" or "Bo" from the MAC or Division 1A or 2. I have read a bunch of articles from C-Bus on how Michigan is down and nobody wants this job. It's funny how short their memories are in Columbus, when Tressel wasn't on top of their wish list after Cooper was let go. In fact, he was number 3 or 4 and things have worked out pretty well.

Look at the recent openings the last few years; ND, Alabama, Arkansas, even USC before they landed on an NFL wash up. Each one of these programs thought every coach in the country would come running. That's not the case anymore and Michigan hasn't been in the business of finding a new coach for 40 years. So they are learning a difficult lesson and Bill Martin wasted the fall by not doing enough research or the proper homework.

It's time to fish or cut bait (sorry Bill couldn't resit another boat reference) and hopefully Billy was in town this weekend and not in Cancun enjoying some time off.

So who's left? The rumor mill is saying the following:

Big Names: Falcons Head Coach Bobby Petrino, offering Les Miles the keys to the kingdom after the NC game or Chis Petersen from Boise State.

Not so Big Names include: Brady Hoke Ball State, Ron English current Defensive Coordinator, or Steve Sarkisian, USC Offensive Coordinator.

I'm not sure if our next coach will come off this list or not, but I'm not sure Michigan can go another week with out a head coach. Bill, you keep talking about your plan and process, I hope for all of us it's working.

3 weeks and counting...............

Who can it be now?

So what now? I sure the hell don't know.

We didn't offer the job to the one canidate that would take it. Greg Schiano said, thanks but no thanks.

The two guys on staff don't have a snow balls chance in hell in getting the job.

Who's next? Chris Peterson? Someone in the NFL?

Will this search be Bill Martin's downfall in a successful term as AD?

I don't blame Greg Schiano one bit, but Bill had months for formulate a plan and it looks like he if flying by the seat of his pants.

Sailboat Bill has one shot to save this search and his name is Les Miles and there is little to no chance it will happen.

Breaking News

• Bill Martin interviewed Greg Schiano and there seems to be interest on both sides and an offer could come as early as today.
• Update: Just like that he is gone. ESPN is reporting Greg is staying at Rutgers.


• Looks like Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints has also been contacted via back channels.


• Les signs his extension. BTW: Which doesn't mean anything. The Michigan buy out is still in there. If Michigan wanted Les, Les would be the Head Coach at Michigan. Period.

This is some cluster.

Been There Done That

I don't know about you, but I can't stop checking the Internet for reports on who Michigan is looking at for their next head coach.

The problem is nothing is coming up except the same old candidates. Today, I ran across an article from a Oklahoma news paper. They believe that Les has a track record for saying one thing and doing the other.

It's a good read. It's also ironic that the last time Les was in this situation he was getting his team ready to play Ohio State.

If Les signs his new deal today, it really doesn't mater because he could pay LSU the $1.2m and say I'm out. Nothing really has changed.

You never know. You never know.

Billy Jumps off the Boat and Talks

It seems if Bill Martin had kept his Microsoft product and not replaced it with a Blackberry, Les Miles might be the new head coach at Michigan. Bill decided it was time to come out of his hole or off his boat to talk a little bit about this slow coaching search.

He spoke to the Ann Arbor News about being in Florida and not returning phone calls. He also mentions he had trouble with his new Blackberry. They call them Microsoft Smart Phones for a reason! Boy, Bill your really making some great decisions right now. Why don't you turn in your Ipod (or Zune) for an 8 track player!

Wojo also got some time with Bill this week. Bill continues to beat the process drum and that the plan is going well. If the plan was to lose the current SEC Championship Coach and one of two coaches in the National Championship game then the plan is working well. If the plan was to spend a couple of days in Florida enjoying some sunshine, then the plan is working well.

The list of candidates are getting smaller:

• Miles new contract


• Wake Forest Grobe seems headed to Arkansas


• Angelique S. Chengelis is reporting that "Captain" Kirk Ferentz is no longer a candidate.


• Mel Kiper thinks Brady Hoke is the best thing since power steering!

Isn't this fun? Everyone is watching this coaching search and looking for updates every 10 minutes, we are getting no information, we lose Michigan's top candidate, only two current staff members have interviewed, it's been all most 3 weeks, and the plan is going well.

Some plan.

First-Team All-SEC

Alabama had Andre Smith, Wallace Gilberry, Simeon Castille and Rashad Johnson make the first teams.

The SEC individual award winners will be released today and the SEC All-Freshman Team will be announced on Thursday.

Full Story @ tidesports.com

Billy's got a gun

My family has known Bill Martin for years. I don't believe him to be a stupid man, in fact I believe him to be a very good business man and a person that would do whats best for Michigan.

With that said, I believe Bill is way over his head in this coaching search (if you can call it that). In his tenure as the AD at Michigan, he has gotten a solid basketball coach (give him time everyone - TA didn't leave much talent) and kept one of the best college baseball coaches.

Trying to fill the head coaching job at Michigan is a beast all it's own. Everyone has their own opinion on who should be the next head coach. But the consensus is that Les Miles, wanted this job more then anyone on the planet. I could give a rat's ass about whether Les and Lloyd get along. Who cares? Lloyd has been a dead man walking for 5 years and his teams have played like that. In fact, I like that Les didn't always agree with Lloyd. We need change and new ideas or we are headed the way of ND or Nebraska.

The reports are now coming in that Bill was on vacation this past weekend. You have to be kidding me? He was in Florida and turned his cell phone off, didn't' watch TV, and just took some time to relax? So what do you make of that? Either, Bill took the short bus to work last week or Michigan didn't ever really want Les and Bill thought it was ok to take in some sunshine.

Now everyone is pissed. Over 500 emails and faxes have been sent from former players and alums on how things went down this weekend. Billy is now in hot water. It's one thing to not be interested in a Head Coach that coached and played at Michigan, won the SEC, and now is in the National Championship game against Michigan's rival OSU. It's another to look really bad in the process. Yes, from the looks of it, Billy was asleep at the wheel or maybe better yet, asleep on the sailboat. Perception is Reality and the reality is Bill Martin looks pretty foolish.

Billy you have some explaining to do!

Can this be fixed?

Maybe. It will take a huge splash like getting Miles after all or hiring someone like Urban Myer (no chance) or maybe someone like Chris Petersen from Boise State. The leader in the club house Kirk Ferentz is not going to heal anything. If Bill were to go with someone like Debord, you better buy stock in Home Depot because they will be sold out of flares and pitch forks.

Bill, I would suggest doing some interviews and get on with this process. Feel free to go sailing on January 1 around 1:00pm. I'm pretty sure Michigan isn't doing anything important that day.

I couldn't say it any better

Below is an open letter by one of my fellow bloggers: Straight Bangin

Well done, Joey, Well Done!

Please read the entire thing it's worth the time. Here

From all the reports that's been coming out this weekend. It seems Bill Martin took a little vacation this past weekend and was not available when the entire Les Miles thing was unfolding. If this is true, Les was never a real candidate and the interest in him was all for show.

It is becoming very clear that Lloyd is pulling the strings and that Kirk Ferentz is and always has been the #1 candidate. Marc Morehouse, Gazette sportswriter on Iowa football is reporting that Kirk Ferentz is still in the running but money has to be an issue with "the captain" making $2.84 guaranteed until 2012.

What a freaking mess.

Look at all these Rumors...................

The problem with a high profile coaching search is you never know what is real and what isn't. Who is trying to get a raise and who is truly a candidate.

Here is the latest update from the coaching search ranks:

• Arkansas got Tommy Bowden from Clemson a nice raise and extension. I guess even bad coaches can get a raise in this process.
• WSU has a bunch of people of their list including John L. Smith and Brady Hoke.
• UCLA has reportedly contacted Steve Mariucci on their newly open HC position.
• Not much going on at Georgia Tech after UConn's coach said he wasn't leaving. Rick Neuheisel is a name I hear consistently.

What about our Wolverines you say?

• Angelique S. Chengelis brings up the regular list of candidates. I have heard this list for all most 3 weeks. If these are the top guys, why haven't their AD's been contacted?
• Schiano, Grobe, Pinkel, & Ferentz: None have been officially contacted.
• Ron English doesn't seem to be in the running at Arkansas and there is talk that he maybe named the interim HC at Michigan. This better be a bad rumor.
• There is also talk that Miles is not out of the question at Michigan. That he has a huge bonus in his contract if he wins the NC and might not sign his new contract this week. I hope this is a bad rumor as well, please be gone. You looked like a complete fool this weekend. Have a great day!

So basically nothing is happening with our search. At least it seems that way. "T i m e it's on our side, yes it is" No it isn't. Bill you better be doing something.

Head case Alex Legion who committed to Michigan Basketball and then de-committed. Committed and signed and then asked to be let out of his commitment, is now transferring from the University of Kentucky. Alex, please don't come knocking at Crisler Arena. Were not looking for any trouble.

What's the deal with ESPN Commercials?

Has ESPN had a down year or what? Do they have too many channels now and can't find real products to advertise? I've been watching ESPN all year for College Football and Monday Night Football and been treated to some of the worst commercials I've ever seen. Here are some of the top flight products ESPN continues to advertise on their football programing (that I'm sick and tired of hearing about)

• That short wave pool
• The Work at Home Institute
• Insurance Companies that I've never heard of (the one around the pool where everyone is hard working but nobody has insurance)
• College Loans
• That Tank sized leaf thing that sucks up the leaves in your yard

I'm sure there is more that I have removed from my brain. What is going on? Where are the the major advertisers? Is the ratings for football that bad? These are after 1:00 AM worthy not during primetime.

ESPN please have your sales department do a better job then they are doing. I can't take another short wave pool commercial.

Thank you!

Memo to Bill Martin

Bill,
I believe you to be a smart guy but a guy with a huge responsibility on your shoulders. Your decision to hire the next Michigan head coach is maybe the most important of your career.

Here is the problem. You seemed to have missed out on your number one candidate this weekend by either poor timing or poor decision making by yourself. You have reportedly been working on this since September and you've gone two plus weeks only interviewing non-qualified current coordinators.

What are you doing? Are you searching for the next head coach or waiting for that guy to walk in the door? At this point, your search seems to be a mess with little results. I read this afternoon UCLA has fired their head coach and already contacted their 3 top candidates. It seems they are further along then you.

What's the delay? The season is over now and you need to be working 14 hours days on getting a new coach. The recruiting dead period is right around the corner and you haven't interviewed anyone outside the current staff.

This is one of the most prestigious jobs in college football and we don't need a Lloyd clone. We need a good coach with some fresh ideas. Look to Boise State before he gets picked up by UCLA. Call Urban and offer him 3+ Million a year (before he kills us in the Capital One). The time is now for action.

Tick, Tock, Bill. Tick, Tock.

The Wolverine Curse

How was your weekend as a Michigan fan? Ya, mine too.

It started out well with a report from ESPN GameDay that Les Miles was a lock to come to Michigan and for a bonus one of the top Defensive Coordinators in the country was joining him.

That is when the good news ended and bad just started to roll in.

The Curse Starts:
1) LM is forced by LSU to agree to a contract before the game. Les had 3 choices, 1) agree before the LSU game for Big $$$$$, 2) after the SEC game for less $$$, 3) next week for even less $$. The report by ESPN forced Les hand to agree to the deal.

Update: Mgoblog is reporting that Les would have been fired if he showed interest in the Michigan job before the SEC Championship game. He called Michigan to give them the update and Michigan declined to offer him the job. So with out the Michigan job being a lock and with the embarrassment of being fired before the game, Les took the money from LSU. This seems to make some sense, but I'm not sure LSU would have fired their head coach before the game, mostly with Bo leaving for Nebraska the next day.

2) Tommy Amaker who has been causing Michigan Basketball Team to lose over the past 5 years. Did it again!

3) LSU wins the game, Mizzu loses, WVU loses. Which causes a BCS Mess

4) Michigan top rival becomes the #1 team in the nation and will play against the coach that took the money instead of his "dream job".

5) Michigan learns it's going to a New Years Day bowl against the worst possible match up for them in the top 25, the University of Florida. This will be a blood bath and LC will go out with 3 losses in a row.

6) Ron English is interviewing with Arkansas for their HC job.

I thought bad things came in 3's not 5 or 6's? Anyway, the Les Mess was fun and weird at the same time. After some thought, I think he is a little too crazy for Ann Arbor. The "Have a Great Day" comment had evil in it.

OSU to the championship game isn't that bad either, since we support the Big Ten and they got 2 teams in the BCS. What I don't understand is how in the world the Citrus Capital One Bowl is a good fit for Michigan? This is terrible, Michigan and the Big Ten office should have found a winnable game for Lloyd to go out on. Not one where Michigan is so over matched.

Bill Martin, I hope your not asleep at the wheel because this has been the worst possible weekend for you.

Current Search:

Does this mean anything?

"Our team in extremely excited for the opportunity to play a great Florida team,'' Carr said during a teleconference. "I've known (Florida coach) Urban Meyer for a long time. Certainly he's done a great job since he went to Florida.''

I would love Urban. That would be my 1st choice. But there are two chances that would happen slim and none. Mostly now that we are playing them in the Who cares bowl.

Martin has contacted Brady Hoke at Ball State. He has not officially contacted Greg Schiano at Rutgers who are headed to the International Bowl in Toronto. To play Ball State.

Post Season! 2007 PetroSun Independence Bowl

Alabama (6-6, 4-4 in the SEC) will play the Colorado Buffaloes (6-6, 4-4 in the Big 12) in Shreveport, La., on Sunday, December 30, at 7 p.m. (CST) in a nationally televised game by ESPN.

Latest Bowl Projection for 'Bama

INDEPENDENCE: Big 12 #8 vs. SEC #8 (Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN)
The Matchup: Colorado vs. Alabama

Applewhite, "He's not Leaving"

Star Jackson, a coveted quarterback from Palm Beach, Fla., told The Birmingham News that Applewhite informed him Thursday night that "he's not leaving. He's going to stick there. The only way he's leaving is if he gets fired."

As for Jackson, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is considered one of the nation's best quarterbacks, along with being the only player at his position on Alabama's commitment list.

Jackson said he and Applewhite "have a trust level that is pretty high" so he believes the coach when he said he does not plan to leave.

"He's one of the reasons I want to go (to Alabama)," Jackson said. "He just got here. Why would he want to try and find something else or another head coaching job? He informed me that whatever happens with Nick, he wants to stay with Nick. And Nick's not going anywhere, either."

The Les Mess

So I watched the pre-game press conference and watched his post game press conference as well. This is a man that wanted the Michigan job more then anything. This was a man that was trying to win a Championship while chasing his dream job. This was a man we saw "crack" under pressure on national tv.

See Les had exactly what he wanted, a chance to become the next Michigan coach or stay at LSU with all the talent, championships, and the big dollars. The Michigan job isn't about the money it's about being the head coach of Michigan. Les knew that and was willing to take less money to come to Ann Arbor.

What he didn't understand was making a decision on the eve of the championship game is the worst thing he could have done. He will regret this decision for years to come. He cracked, he chocked, he wilted under pressure (not exactly what we are looking for in our next coach).

Les could have addressed his team and the media by saying, he hadn't talked to Michigan, there wasn't a deal in place and was focused on the game and left it at that. Instead, he threw a hissy fit and looked pretty stupid doing it.

Yo, Les you could have dodged these questions today, won the SEC Championship, and taken the Michigan job next week (when it would have been officially offered). Instead, you let your dream job slip because the LSU folks put pressure and a ton of money on you. I hope that makes you happy, because this was your only shot at a job in Ann Arbor (unless you coach Pioneer). Enjoy your dollars and the SEC. Today you won a SEC Championship but lost something more important to you.

Don't feel bad for Michigan, feel bad for yourself and your family.

The Freep details what happened and that Brian Kelly is not a candidate.

Mich Albom throws Les under the bus.

Will the next candidate, please stand up.

What the Hell is going on?

Did Herbie cost Michigan the head coach that they wanted? Look at today's events:

• 10:00 - ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit reported that Miles had accepted the job at Michigan. Herbstreit also reported that Georgia Tech defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jon Tenuta would go with him
• 1:00 - Les Miles tells the media he is the coach at LSU and will be the coach at LSU
• Also the AD at LSU says that they have agreed in principal to a contract extension. John Wrangler Miles BFF is shocked at the news.
• 3:35: Les tells CBS lackey that he is staying at LSU and will be the coach there next year.
• 4:00: LSU tells CBS that they have been negotiating with Les's agent all night and into Saturday morning. If that is the case why is Les making a decision before the SEC Championship game?

I think Les isn't coming to Michigan but he should at least meet with Bill Martin. If Les loves Bo so much he should not have been thinking about new jobs or new contracts the week of a Championship game. All of this should have been done next week. Whether it's a new contract or a new job. Shame on everyone in this process. You all suck.

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So now what? Is this deal dead? Did he commit at some point to be the Michigan head coach? Has Bill Martin even talked to him? Did the news get out too early? Did Michigan low ball an offer?

Is this Brian Kelly's job? This is a crazy and stupid process.

Detroit News lists the follow candidates: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, N.C. State Tom O'Brien and Cal coach Jeff Tedford.

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My Take:

Here is what I think that happened:

• Michigan contacts Miles through a 3rd party. They discuss interest in the job and salary.
• Michigan asks LSU AD for official contact this week
• LSU gets nervous on what the blogs and Internet rumors are saying and they go against their word and start negotiating a new contract with his agent this week. Please note they stated in the past they wanted Les to focus on the SEC championship game this week and not on new contracts or new jobs at Michigan.
• LSU gets real nervous on Friday and does an all nighter with Les's agent on a new deal.
• The report from ESPN comes out this morning that shakes LSU and Les to their core. They get mad and announce a deal that is not signed.

I'm not a big fan of Lou Holtz at all. I think he does a pretty poor job on ESPN. With that said, he made a great point. Les should not be making a decision the eve before the SEC championship game. Take some time, meet with Michigan and then make the best decision. Making a decision in the heat of the moment is not a smart move. Lou is exactly right, we don't know if there was an offer from Michigan on the table but he may regret making a decision on Saturday morning that could effect the next 10-15 years.