It seems forever since the #1 vs. #2 match-up where a veteran Michigan team was playing for a bid to the BCS Championship game against 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Wolverines supposedly had the best defense in the country led by current Steeler and Super Bowl Champion Lamar Woodley. The Wolverines had a Heisman hopeful in their own veteran quarterback, current Miami Dolphin Chad Henne. That night in Columbus the Wolverines played valiantly but came up on the short end of a 42-39 score. Since that night the hangover in Ann Arbor has lingered over Michigan Stadium as fans called for the head of Lloyd Carr after losing to division I-A Appalachian State and Oregon to open the 2007 season after pollsters ranked the Wolverines as high as #5 in the pre-season polls and many predicted Michigan would make the Championship game with returning All-Americans Henne, Mike Hart, 2008 top NFL selection Jake Long, and Mario Manningham. Not only would the Wolerines falter against two non-conference opponents in their own stadium to open the season but would also get spanked in Lloyd Carr's home finale where the high powered Michigan offense could only muster 61 yards of total offense against Ohio State in a freezing rain. The loss to Ohio State was their 4th straight loss and 6 losses in the last seven seasons for Carr against the hated Buckeyes leaving many alumni and boosters desperately looking for another leader to answer their prayers of beating their rival from the south.
Coach Carr under the heavy pressure resigned after the Ohio State game but remained true to his players committing himself to stand with his players in the season ending bowl game, The Capital One Bowl in Orlando against the defending National Champion Florida Gators and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. As an unheard of two touchdown underdog against the Gators the Wolverines showed the potential that had been expected of them all season long when despite turnovers manhandled the Gators in a game that was much closer on the scoreboard as Michigan dominated the line of scrimmage pushing around the Gators in front of a home crowd less than two hours from Gainesville. This was the last sign of life at Michigan. That last sign that Michigan the winningest program in NCAA football was an elite football program.
Today Michigan is heading into its second season under the leadership of their football messiah, Rich Rodriquez the architect of the Buckeye killing spread offense. This year before the ball has even been kicked off Rodriquez who was the center of controversy following his departure from his alma mater West Virginia for failing to hold up to his end of the buy out clause in his contract is again in the press for all the wrong reasons. Turns out his own players are crying to the Detroit Free Press that coaches are subjecting players to double and even triple the allotted time for off-season mandatory workouts. The players in the program certainly need the workouts after a 3 win season but with players complaining to the media this could cause a rift in team chemistry. The coach will have to answer to investigators, the coach will also have to be very careful about what he asks of his players not knowing who to trust. This is not the best condition for winning when the same alumni and boosters who called for his predecessors job are rumbling again in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines have lost two straight home openers something that had no happened in decades prior to the Appalachian State loss. Last year they lost to non-BCS conference opponent Utah, although Utah proved to be a great team with an undefeated season and bowl win over SEC powerhouse Alabama. This year the Wolverines open with Western Michigan from the MAC conference. The last MAC team to go into the big house, Toledo walked out last year with a huge win over the Wolverines and Western Michigan will be out to duplicate their conference's success against Michigan. Should Western Michigan win Rich Rod might not make it to the week two game against Notre Dame.
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