ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez might have done enough this season to save his job.
The embattled coach, however, desperately needs a win against rival Ohio State to quiet his grumbling critics.
The eighth-ranked Buckeyes opened the week as 18-point favorites to beat the Wolverines for the seventh straight year and clinch at least a share of a record-tying sixth Big Ten title in a row.
Rodriguez has a lot of respect for Jim Tressel’s program, but he’s not conceding anything.
“They deserve to be ranked where they’re at and that’s why they’re competing for the championship,” Rodriguez said Monday. “That doesn’t mean we can’t beat them. We’re not going down there just to show up.”
Rodriguez showed up at his weekly news conference, sat at a table to answer questions for about 30 minutes, then stood behind a podium to get peppered with more.
He cracked a couple of jokes, smiled occasionally and patiently responded to the inquiries.
“I’m patient because I have confidence in myself and I don’t want to create more drama with my words,” Rodriguez said, walking with his wife, Rita, to his car after the news conference. “I’m guarded at times because you know some people have a different agenda and they’re not writing objectively. They want to use whatever you say in a negative way, so why give them something?”
There’s been plenty of drama – and plenty of losses – in his three seasons with the Wolverines.
Rodriguez had a messy split with West Virginia three years ago when college football’s winningest team lured him away. Then, he lost a school-record nine games in his Michigan debut, flopped to a 5-7 finish last season and takes a 7-4 record into Saturday’s game at the Horseshoe.
The NCAA recently determined that, under Rodriguez’s watch, the proud program violated major rules – related to practices and workouts – for the first time in its 131-year history.
Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon didn’t hire Rodriguez and has repeatedly said he, like all coaches on campus, will be evaluated after the season.
Brandon doesn’t sound as though he’s eager to fire Rodriguez with three years left on his contract.
“Rich Rodriguez has won everywhere he’s been,” Brandon said. “He’s a very, very good football coach. There are things happening where we’re seeing improvement and I know he’s pleased about that. There are other aspects that we’re obviously not where we need to be and he knows that better than anybody.”
Rodriguez’s spread offense appears to be working in the Big Ten. The Wolverines rank third in the conference, averaging nearly five touchdowns a game, but the defense he delegates to his assistants has been simply awful.
Michigan ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring defense, giving up almost 40 points a game, with a ton of underclassmen being forced to play because of injuries, transfers and the inability of some recruits to get into the school.
Highly touted defensive back Demar Dorsey was denied admission this year and as of Monday night, the former Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) High School star was not playing football or taking classes anywhere.
Rodriguez, though, insists some good recruiting and development will get his defense to where it once was – even with an unpopular 3-3-5 scheme – when he turned the Mountaineers into a Big East power.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to win some games and have some success,” he said. “I didn’t get this job in Michigan by getting a lottery ticket that said, ‘Congratulations, you’re the coach of Michigan.’ We didn’t get stupid overnight.”
Add A Comment