{mosimage} I've been watching the goings on in Ann Arbor and Morgantown for awhile now. When you think about writing an article like this you realize you only know so many facts and there is a bunch of stuff you don't know about this deal so you end up doing your own figuring. I'd like to know more, but the players in these deals haven't called.

Les Miles wanted to coach at Michigan, but I believe LSU dealt Les a hand that gave Les the choice of LSU in the SEC Championship game and beyond, or don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out. Les leveraged the situation so as to benefit himself, his coaches, and the program-all the while showing loyalty to his team and school. Bo would have been proud of Les. I wanted Les to take the job because I question some decisions on the field. Les came out of this thing looking pretty good, but without the job he wanted.

Rich Rodriquez, who would have thought? I mean really, after what happenned last year with Alabama who could have imagined RR doing this agan. RR has a full set of nads.

I think here is one those spots wherein it would be nice to know more about RRs relationship with his bosses at WV, and the status of some of the deals made a year ago. Figuring there is something to all that I still land on the side I see RR as a DickRod. Again you can't take last year and Alabama out of the equation. You can look at a couple of last years losses, certainly remembering the South Florida game, but then you have the Pitt game. Pretty big choke job right there Got to put some of this on the coaches. I was struck by the emotion shown by RR Pitt postgame. Distraught maybe an apt description. Sure what I saw was real, but is it only me and the WV fans who see leaving the team now as pretty weak? How about what he has said over the last 48 or so hours. Are you impressed?

My thoughts, pretty weak. What about calling recruits that had WV as one of their final schools, apparently not to tell them his situation, but to recruit these guys to Michigan. Is it just me or doesn't some type of honorable coaches ethic exist about not taking recruits with you from the old school? If not, there should be. Is Bo Pelini recruiting LSU recruits to Nebraska right now? Just to make sure you know that I am talking about potential WV recruit Terrelle Pryor who is saying he has spoken with RR and is now considering Michigan. Also, Josh Jenkins says he has spoken with WV DB coach Tony Gibson, saying on Scout.com that Gibson expects to go to Ann Arbor and that Jenkins now is considering Michigan. This stuff doesn't pass the smell test to me. To digress, what do you think about Terrelle Pryor calling Scout.com to tell them about RR calling him, and that he was considering Michigan. Is that a young man who enjoys the process or possibly wants to be part of the story? The world would be a simpler place if everyone thought like I do. I would understand more. I wouldn't want to be part the story. How about Josh who points out to Scout the whole loyalty recruiting pitch to attend WV and then this is how RR shows loyalty.. Then he says he now is considering Michigan. In the tenor of the article, didn't see that part coming.

Now on to Michigan. You guys see to run a pretty leaky coach search. Leaks probably cost you Les. Hell, the public knew what was going on this week before the West Virginia administration. Preseason heard alot about a "Michigan Man" with whole Harbaugh thing, and again with the coach's search. I just don't see RR as a Michigan man.

Certainly the standards of incoming recruits will change for RR. Having listened to him over the last year how can anyone really believe him? He just walked out on his players before they have to go to war wth Oklahoma. Can't see Bo ever doing that. .Two Saturdays ago we saw a world class choke job. He badly handled the last couple of days. His team failed on some large stages the last two years. He doesn't come with a reputation as a defensive coach. His offense I don't like in the north in November. He has no chits with the Michigan community. I can't believe Lloyd loves this pick and what is Lloyds position now in the program? Think back to the hire of Urban Meyers to Florida. To me that choice seemed to fit. I don't get the same feel here. Maybe Michigan needed a high profile more than I understand. My fear as a Buckeye was that Michigan would hit a homerun in the coach search. My feeling this evening is my coach will outlast their coach and I should trust my coach more than you Michigan fans should trust yours.

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Lloyds Apple said:

45- My honest opinion is that you are being rough on everyone involved. You are clearly threatened, as a Buckeye fan, of "DickRod". To me it was clear Rodriquez thought he had a better chance to win and recruit the best talent at a big name school such as Michigan. This was evidenced when he checked out 'Bama, before deciding to stay at WVU. The SEC is just not the best fit for him and his east coast ties. His lack of Ohio connections is interesting, though, because successful Michigan coaches know how to recruit Ohio. As far as Pryor, sure he is playing the media and it's ridiculous and annoying, but so is recruiting as a whole but we can't help ourselves either. Pryor has an ego, that is known. RR calling him just pumped that. A Michigan visit would be epic. Michigan would instantly be on top perception-wise before taking a snap in 2008 if he actually committed to the Wolverines. Of course, if he goes to Ohio State he's stepping into a comfortable, less wear and tear situation where he won't get a ton of PT in year one, most likely. Josh Jenkins is just confused. The coach he committed to left. No way he visits UM. Or, doubtful anyways. Ultimately, this decision is a big step for Michigan. They are leaving the past behind and bringing in a system that has given them and most of the country a bunch of trouble. With or without Pryor (and right now you'd have to think without), it will take RR 2-3 years to get going like he wants. IMO, this is a better hire than Miles for Michigan. The extent of his success will rely on recruiting and designing a system to work in a physical Big Ten conference.

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December 17, 2007
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JEH45 said:

	Lloyds: Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I think Michigan could have done better. Re Pryor and jenkins-you need to get Super model to clear this up for us.
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December 17, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

Michigan and RR could have done it better but I don't know if the could have done better if you get my drift. I talked to the super model and her processes are in overdrive filtering out the b.s. She says a report is coming soon enough.... This morning I heard Shawn King hyping Pryor to UM on ESPN's 1st and 10. Apparently RR was O-Coordinator when he played for undefeated Tulane. Critics would point to King's NFL career, or lack of, as reason's for Pryor to think otherwise.

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December 18, 2007
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JEH45 said:

Again, among other things that I think stink about this thing-I read in the Parkersburg News Sentinel that Coach Gibson asked Josh jenkins to decommit from WV and to consider Michigan. Like I said before, I have a problem with this. Just think how much money WV has spent on DickRod and Coach Gibson to recruit guys like Pryor and Jenkins. WV made an investment and DickRod is attempting to steal the investment. This just does not seem right to me. Not what a "Michigan Man" would do.

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December 18, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

I see what you are saying. The bottom line is winning and RR has done that. Here are my question marks. Loyalty--Will he leave UM for another job one day? Seems doubtful because he is a college guy with a college system so that almost eliminates the NFL but you never know. Recruiting-Will RR bring in the right horses. Will he recruit Ohio well? All successful Michigan coaches recruit Ohio well, along the Cali and Texas. He will have to do well in PA and New Jersey for sure. Academics/Ethics- UM prides itself as an academic institution and Michigan Man Jim Harbaugh slammed their football academic standards as of late. Rodriguez is known to bring in guys with poor grades, some of which are downright shady that no other top program will touch. He can't do that at Michigan. It probably is only a good thing as far as wins and losses that RR will surely push the envelope to get his most wanted guys, but it could create unrest if they lose some games. Will his system work? A 3-3-5 defense would be interesting to say the least. I think Beanie Wells would have killed West Virginia's D this year or any year. The spread offense is fun and puts up great numbers and wins. It does not protect the QB though. As much as I hear about the big, fat and slow Big Ten, what people forget to mention - operating off of old stereo types - is the Big 10 is a physical conference where the least injured survive. I saw WV face 2 defenses that brought the pain and both came out with wins; USF and Pitt. USF especially made the Mountaineer guys look like pretty boy pansies. Even with all of that, I like this hire as a BIG 10 fan. It is exciting. There is no other realistic hire that would have been this exciting, except for Les Miles. Even with the excitement, Miles is not half as proven or good as Rodriguez. Harbaugh is too young it turns out but that would have been good too. Brian Kelly out of Cincy would have been great too but as Nick told us, apparently he has had some shady stuff going on that made UM apprehensive. Some of R-Rod's comments made him seem pretty ignorant towards UMs traditions and rival games. I'm sure he'll learn soon enough.

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December 18, 2007
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JEH45 said:

Bottom line has to be more than winning. Winning is what those eastern European women did who had muscles and hair in the wrong spots. There are ways to win and there are ways that cross the line. You can't convince me that trying to steal his former teams recruits isn't crossing the line. Head coaches who walk on their teams during the season is wrong. Take an opponents knee out so you can win is wrong. You aren't an athlete, you are a thug. I don't like this hire into the Big Ten anymore than I like the Ralph Sampson hire at Indiana.

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December 20, 2007
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