Bucknuts.com ~ Suspended Players Issue Mea Culpa

Click on the link below to read through the article, and there is a video clip of the players apologizing as well.

Suspended Players Issue Mea Culpa | Football Article

Ohio State Football: How To Turn 2011 From A Lump Of Coal To Diamonds

Earlier today, I wrote that I would withhold commentary until a decision had been rendered on the rumored Buckeye "Tattoogate". Ordinarily, I spend December 23rd with other thoughts on my mind.

With the NCAA's ruling that Terrelle Pryor, Daniel "Boom" Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas will be suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, here are my thoughts on how Ohio State should proceed ~

Very simply, move on. I have been receiving e-mails and texts from friends saying that the ruling is unfair. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith stated in his press conference that Ohio State will appeal the punishment.

Thomas Huxley once stated to "Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation."

If I were Ohio State, I would simply move forward upon the completion of the Sugar Bowl on January 4, 2011. Trying to reduce this punishment with the NCAA is only delaying the inevitable as it relates to Ohio State's program.

Terrelle Pryor was going to be leaving Ohio State after 2011. Same for DeVier Posey, "Boom" Herron, Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas. Simply treat the Sugar Bowl as their last game, and proceed into winter conditioning and spring practice with the idea that there are several positions open for new starters.

Does this mean Ohio State should kick them out? Not necessarily. I would let the players know that it will be difficult for them to regain their starting positions, and if they decide to leave, thank them and wish them well.

The easiest spot of the starters to potentially fill will be "Boom" Herron. Quite simply, Ohio State has substantial depth at the position, with returnees Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry, Carlos Hyde, and redshirt freshman Rod Smith. Supposedly, Rod Smith has been turning heads at practice with his performances.

Solomon Thomas is a backup at defensive end. Thomas played primarily on special teams this season, and could have been in the mix to fill the departing Cameron Heyward's spot, but Thomas was by no means set to start at 2011. It would not surprise me if Thomas chose to accept the punishment, and return to Ohio State for the remaining seven games of the 2011 season.

Will it hurt to lose DeVier Posey if he leaves early? Yes, but remember - Ohio State was already going to be without Dane Sanzenbacher. With the departure of WR coach Darrell Hazell to Kent State, Ohio State will be breaking in a new WR coach, as well as potentially two new starters. Ohio State has several players waiting in the wings for an opportunity to play.

Another big loss would be OT Mike Adams. Adams plays the critical left tackle position, and was beginning to demonstrate his ballyhooed recruiting status. I would consider Adams to be the biggest loss of this whole sad saga.

Last, but not least on my list, is QB Terrelle Pryor. Ohio State's offense this season has largely centered around Pryor, and this leads me into how Ohio State can rebound from this debacle.

One of the challenges Ohio State has had over the years is deciding what kind of an offense they were going to be. This year, Ohio State was a predominant passing team, until Terrelle Pryor was injured against Illinois in October, leading Ohio State to rely more heavily on its running game for the remainder of the season.

Why not rely on the running game from the start of 2011, all through 2011? Heading into 2011, Ohio State can proceed with Joe Bauserman, Kenny Guiton, Taylor Graham, or the highly-touted Braxton Miller as their starter at quarterback. While Miller may have tremendous potential, it is important to remember that he will be a true freshman.

During Pryor's suspension, the team would benefit from establishing a ball-control offense with the aforementioned running game, allowing whoever the quarterback is to become more and more comfortable at the helm while leading the team in the first five games. As to the wide receivers, why not use a two tight end set with Reid Fragel and Jake Stoneburner, to offset the inexperienced wideouts and help the running game?

Ohio State will open up 2011 against Akron, Toledo, are away at Miami (FL), and return home to face Colorado, before opening up Big Ten play against Michigan State. While challenging, it is not impossible that Ohio State could be 5-0.

If Pryor and the others were to return, what would that do to team chemistry? Why not stick with the players who were the starters for the first five games?

Again, these are only my opinions, and I have no doubt other Ohio State fans may completely disagree. I would simply try to find the diamonds for 2011 after the NCAA left a lump of coal in Ohio State's holiday stocking with these suspensions.

Holding Judgment On Buckeye "Tattoogate"

This won't be a long post, as this story is just now beginning to unfold through various media outlets. Until the investigation is concluded, it is my opinion that it does no good to speculate on which player(s) were involved, if they are going to be suspended for the Sugar Bowl, etc.

Let the process play out, and then Ohio State fans, myself included, can offer commentary. Until then, I will continue to enjoy this holiday season, and I hope everyone out there who reads this blog is doing the same.

Ramzy of Bucknuts.com: Jim Delany Is Shocked

Ramzy Nasrallah of Bucknuts.com writes phenomenal articles for that website periodically. In my estimation, this article below truly defines the mentality and mindset of Big Ten leader Jim Delany. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Jim Delany Is Shocked

Andy Staples of SI.com: Mark Cuban could be dagger to BCS, boon to playoff push - Andy Staples - SI.com

Mark Cuban could be dagger to BCS, boon to playoff push - Andy Staples - SI.com

ESPN.com: Big Ten to reconsider division names?

Outstanding! Like New Coke, the Ford Edsel, or the Gap changing its logo, The Big Ten's brilliant, infallible leader is possibly realizing what needs to be done. Now, about that playoff system…

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The reaction to the Big Ten's unveiling of its new football division names -- Legends and Leaders -- has been almost universally negative. The outcry about the names has been substantial from fans, media members and casual observers. After reading dozens of e-mails from passionate Big Ten fans, I can say that most of you simply don't like these names. The good news? Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany hears you. Delany on Thursday acknowledged the negative reaction in an interview with WGN Radio in Chicago. The commissioner also for the first time acknowledged the possibility of re-evaluating the names and changing them in the near future. "We've had enough experience with names and expansion and development of divisions that we know that you rarely get a 90 percent approval rating," Delany told WGN AM-720. "But to get a 90 percent non-approval rating was really surprising. It showed that we didn't connect with our fans in a way that we wanted to. It's humbling, to say the least, because we're trying to build fan bases, not push them away. "I've been around this business a long time, and I would say it's one of the more surprising things. There's a sensibility there that we did not connect with, did not read well." So what happens next? "We want it to breathe a little bit," Delany said. "I don't think you make a judgment in 48 hours or 72 hours. Eventually, we're going to have to address the issue of whether or not it's sustainable, but I don't think that's a decision for today. We have to listen and we have to be humble about the reactions we've gotten." This is certainly an encouraging sign. The Big Ten is open to change, and in this case, it should be. The Big Ten tried to show who it is with Legends and Leaders -- "It was an effort to recognize the past," Delany said -- but in the process failed to resonate with its fans. As a few users have suggested to me, "Legends and Leaders" is a good slogan for the league, but the terms don't work for division names. It's important to note that the Big Ten reached out to fans for suggestions, and a lot of folks felt misled when the names came out. You want to keep it simple and not confuse the public with similar-sounding, overly general terms. Delany seems to get that now, and while the division names remain in place for now, he's leaving the door open for change. "We're still listening and trying to figure things out," Delany said. "We'll probably make an assessment about whether or not it's sustainable. We'll try to do a little education, let it breathe a bit and then probably revisit it after the first of the year." Very interesting stuff from the commish. Stay tuned.

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ESPN.com: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban pursuing plan to implement college football playoff system

Saw this little blurb on ESPN.com and figured I would post it to the blog. What do you know ~ Mark Cuban is reading "Death To The BCS"…

Feed: ESPN.com - College Football
Posted on: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 9:49 PM
Author: Tim MacMahon
Subject: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban pursuing plan to implement college football playoff system

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is exploring a way to fund a college football playoff system.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=5924399&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines

December Has Not Been Good To Jim Delany

I have sometimes heard people who state they cannot wait until December is over. The holiday season, as well as all of the various activities associated with the holidays, can make December a very hectic month.

Based on the events of the past few weeks, I am surmising that Jim Delany of the Big Ten is one of those people who cannot wait for 2010 to end and 2011 to begin. Think about the events of the past month for Jim Delany ~

First, Jim Delany had to deal with the annual BCS firestorm of criticism - yes, I know, Delany deserves that, as he is arguably the only person in America who believes the BCS is good for college football. Little did Delany know that the BCS' computer rankings were going to have issues that helped to hurt the BCS' already shaky credibility.

Delany then embarrassed himself in New York City, alongside other college football commissioners, with statements that sounded like a petulant child who threatened to take his ball and go home. Maybe he should have worked this phrase into his little rant in New York City.

Mr. Delany actually used the phrase "BCS defense fatigue" - Mr. Delany, do you really think college football fans feel sorry for you?

Making a bad situation even worse, Delany unveiled the Big Ten's new division names to an incredulous fan base. Legends And Leaders? It took six months to come up with those names?!? To quote Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com's reaction- "Meh".

Confounding the new division names is a new conference logo that leaves much to be desired. What was wrong with the old logo that already had a version with a "12" imposed into it?!?

Finally, Jim Delany gave in to the social pressures of making sure everyone gets a trophy by creating eighteen new trophies. Eighteen! I can understand a coach of the year, an offensive player of the year, a defensive player of the year...Is there a Big Ten fan out there who really cares about the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year trophy?!?

The Big Ten has been targeted for ridicule by college football fans as playing inferior football ever since Ohio State was destroyed by Florida in the 2007 BCS Championship Game. Now their arrogant leader has simply opened up the floodgates with one gaffe after another this month.

As an Ohio State fan, I can only hope Jim Delany begins 2011 better than he is finishing 2010.

Ramzy of Bucknuts.com: Legends & Leaders: From Excellence’s Womb

I always enjoy Ramzy's articles on Ohio State football, and I enjoyed this one on the foolish division names that The Big Ten recently unveiled this week. Enjoy!

Legends & Leaders: From Excellence’s Womb | Football Article

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com ~ Thoughts on division names, logo, trophies

I agree with Adam Rittenberg below – Legends and Leaders? That took months to come up with for division names?!?

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The Big Ten finally revealed the new names for its football divisions, along with a new logo and 18 (count 'em) new trophies for football. Sadly, my two suggestions for division names -- Delany and Delaney, and Adam and Rittenberg -- did not make the cut. I'll get to my reaction for each part below. Overall, I feel like many of you do: the league could have done better and didn't help its national perception, at least in the short term. But unlike many folks, I care a lot more about who is in the divisions than what they are called. The amount of attention this topic generated really surprised me. Overall, the reaction from fans and media members hasn't been positive. "Any time you have something new, whether it's a mark or trophies, it takes some time to get used to," league commissioner Jim Delany said on a teleconference. That might be wishful thinking. DIVISION NAMES Meh. After months of taking suggestions and brainstorming possibilities, the Big Ten ended up with Legends and Leaders. Here's the breakdown: Legends Division: Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern and Nebraska Leaders Division: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana While the league's intentions here are understandable -- to honor its rich history and long lineup of legendary figures -- the Big Ten got too caught up in avoiding specific names. Make no mistake: the Big Ten was never going to name the divisions Woody and Bo. Way too exclusive. But there are former commissioners who could have been honored or historical figures who represent this area of the country. The league also wanted to avoid geography in the division names. While I completely agreed that geography shouldn't have been the deciding factor in determining how teams were assigned to divisions, I didn't have nearly as big of an issue with geographical distinctions for division names. Lakes and Plains would have been just fine with me. The Big Ten also couldn't have gone wrong with names that sounded patriotic: Liberty and Freedom or Stars and Stripes (suggested by the Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein) would work. "People suggested Schembechler and Hayes," Delany said. "Any time you looked at it, it seemed to be too exclusive and not inclusive enough. ... As we looked at ourselves, we believed at the core of who we are are our traditions and heritage. And those traditions are largely people, legendary people." The Big Ten recognized plenty of those people in the new trophies. But Legends and Leaders is too generic, a little too arrogant and too Little League for me. Another good point raised by Greenstein: two divisions that start with the letter 'L' have a negative connotation in sports. LOGO As my wife often reminds me, I don't have a great eye for design. Aside from being named "Most Improved" in a middle school art class, my skills in this department are limited. The Big Ten's new logo has its flaws, but I can live with it. The mark, created by Pentagram Design, certainly comes off a bit Retro and looks more like something that would have been done when Delany first became commissioner in 1990 than now. There's no hidden "12" in the logo like there is with "11" in the current Big Ten logo. "A lot of people thought we would use negative space to [use] 12," Delany said. "Pretty much everybody in the design world said, 'No, don't do that.' " What the league tried to do was create a link back to its pre-Penn State logo with the B-I-G 1-0, substituting the 'I' in Big as the No. 1. Asked about the 'G' looking like the No. 6, which feeds into the conspiracy theory that the Big Ten eventually will expand to 16 teams, Delany said, "We were thinking 10, not 16." TROPHIES Of the three new elements, the Big Ten definitely did best here. While 18 trophies is extremely excessive, the league was able to honor some of its great players and coaches. The big additions are the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy given to the winner of the Big Ten football title game, which beings next year. The trophy honors former University of Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg and current Penn State coach Joe Paterno. The MVP of the title game receives the Grange-Griffin Trophy, which recognizes former Illinois star Red Grange and former Ohio State star Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy. The complaint some have raised with these trophies is that they honor current Big Ten coaches like Paterno and Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, whose name appears on the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award. I don't have a problem with this. We don't need to wait for Paterno to die or stop coaching to recognize what he means to the Big Ten and to college football. While he hasn't been in the Big Ten for most of his career, his presence in this league is felt. Many of the league's greats are still alive, so why not recognize them? "A lot of people say you can't honor somebody who was alive, you can't honor somebody who was active," Delany said. "I don't subscribe to those rules. We were trying to get a good blend of great people, deceased and alive, who stand for great athletic contributions." I also like that none of the Big Ten's trophies will be connected with corporate sponsorships. Here's the full list of new trophies: Championship game trophies Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy: Honors Amos Alonzo Stagg (University of Chicago) and Joe Paterno (Penn State) Grange-Griffin Championship Game MVP: Honors Harold Edward "Red" Grange (Illinois) and Archie Griffin (Ohio State) Postgraduate Awards Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award: Honors President Gerald R. Ford (former Michigan player) and Nile Kinnick (Iowa) Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award: Honors Tony Dungy (Minnesota) and Anthony Thompson (Indiana) Annual Awards/Trophies Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year: Otto Graham (Northwestern) and Eddie George (Ohio State) Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year: Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (Minnesota) and Charles Woodson (Michigan) Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year: Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes (Ohio State) and Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler (Michigan Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year: Darrell Thompson (Minnesota) and Antwaan Randle El (Indiana) Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: Honors Dave Rimington (Nebraska) and Orlando Pace (Ohio State) Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year: Honors Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith (Michigan State) and Courtney Brown (Penn State) Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year: Honors Bob Griese (Purdue) and Drew Brees (Purdue) Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year: Honors Alan Ameche (Wisconsin) and Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year: Honors Jack Tatum (Ohio State) and Rod Woodson (Purdue) Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year: Honors Dick Butkus (Illinois) and Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year: Honors Pat Richter (Wisconsin) and Desmond Howard (Michigan) Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Honors Ted Kwalick (Penn State) and Dallas Clark (Iowa) Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year: Honors Jim Bakken (Wisconsin) and Morten Andersen (Michigan State) Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year: Honors Thomas Dwight "Dike" Eddleman (Illinois) and Brandon Fields (Michigan State) Whew. A lot to digest. I'll have more on the announcement, so stay tuned.

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Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com ~ Big Ten to reveal division names, new logo

The wait is over. The Big Ten will announce the names of its new divisions, its new logo and some associated elements at noon ET today. The announcement will be carried exclusively by the Big Ten Network. League commissioner Jim Delany told me Friday that the process was nearly complete. It sounded as though the logo had been the hold-up, although the league took its time to sort through the numerous possibilities for division names. Here are your suggested division names from last month. As a reminder, the divisions are: Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan State, Northwestern, Nebraska Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana I'll have reaction on the announcement early this afternoon, so stay tuned.

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Ramzy of Bucknuts.com [article]: Garbage Time

Ramzy: Garbage Time | Football Article

My Annual "Airing Of Grievances" Includes "Death To The BCS"

For the past two years, I have taken the opportunity during this holiday season to combine my all-time favorite Seinfeld episode with my fervent belief that Division 1 college football needs a playoff system. Instead of elaborating on how a 16-team playoff system could possibly work, I am going to include a link to an article by Mr. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports that you may read at any time.

Having never met Mr. Wetzel, I would encourage any college football fan to ask Santa Claus for a copy of his excellent book, "Death To The BCS". While I believe my previous posts (and passionate, semi-inebriated arguments at tailgate parties) have articulated the need for a playoff system, Mr. Wetzel, and his co-authors Josh Peter and Jeff Passan, expose the fraud and fallacies of the current BCS system.

Using tax records, receipts, and interviews with various authorities such as bowl directors, athletic directors, and even people within the BCS, the authors of "Death To The BCS" educate the reader on topics such as ~

• How bowl game payouts are not what they are reputed to be. As an Ohio State fan, I found it interesting that Ohio State lost $1 million after not selling out its ticket allotment for the 2009 Fiesta Bowl (Page 39). Also fascinating was that despite a payout of $17.5 million for the BCS Championship game in 2009, the University of Florida only made $47,000 after expenses (Page 42)

• How the BCS contributes to lackluster non-conference scheduling. In 1988, there were fifteen games between teams ranked in the preseason top twenty. In 2009 - only four (Page 94). A case in point, Ohio State's 1988 non-conference opponents were Syracuse, at # 18 Pittsburgh, and # 7 LSU. In 2010 - Marshall, #12 Miami (FL), Ohio University, and Eastern Michigan.
  

• To further expand on this point, 23% of SEC teams' non-conference opponents are Division 1-AA, or FCS, teams. The Big Ten is just about as bad, with 21% of their non-conference opponents being FCS teams (Page 94). Yes, I am talking about Ohio State's horrible decision to schedule Youngstown State in 2007 and 2008.

• The excellent comparison of how college football cannot be compared to college basketball (Page 104)

• Even better, how the book shatters the classic argument that "every week in college football is a playoff...except when it isn't" (Page 106)

• Find out how the computer polls are tweaked by the BCS
  

• And how Ohio State's E. Gordon Gee, and any other university president who threatens to return to the bowl system if a playoff system is developed, is making a completely hollow threat (Page 177).

I feel I have been dropping lots of good hints throughout this post on why you should read this book, and hopefully you will. I believe Coach Steve Spurrier of South Carolina, on page 182 of the book, summarizes my feelings as well as I possibly could ~

"We have playoffs in every sport in the world except college football...How can we be right and everybody else wrong?!?"

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com ~ How the Big Ten coaches voted

The final regular season Coaches' Poll came out Sunday, and the ballots were made public. Six Big Ten coaches participated in the poll this season: Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, Michigan State's Mark Dantonio, former Indiana boss Bill Lynch, Michigan's Rich Rodriguez, Ohio State's Jim Tressel and Illinois' Ron Zook. You can check out the complete ballot breakdown, but here's how the Big Ten coaches voted on some of the key teams: Bret Bielema: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 7 Stanford, No. 9 Boise State, No. 16 Nebraska. Mark Dantonio: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Michigan State, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 7 Stanford, No. 15 Alabama, No. 16 Nebraska Bill Lynch: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 8 Boise State, No. 14 Nebraska Rich Rodriguez: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 13 LSU, No. 17 Nebraska, No. 21 Mississippi State, No. 23 West Virginia Jim Tressel: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 15 Nebraska Ron Zook: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Michigan State, No. 6 TCU, No. 7 Stanford, No. 12 Boise State, No. 18 Nebraska A few notes: Only four coaches didn't have Stanford in their top 6, and three of those coaches hail from the Big Ten (Bielema, Dantonio and Zook; Middle Tennessee's Rick Stockstill was the other). Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh returned the favor by ranking no Big Ten teams in his top 6. Harbaugh had Ohio State at No. 7, Wisconsin at No. 8 and Michigan State at No. 10. Zing! If this guy ever gets in this league, there will be some fireworks. Michigan State's lowest vote didn't come from Harbaugh, but rather Nebraska's Bo Pelini, who listed the Spartans at No. 11, three spots below his 3-loss Huskers. The Spartans and Huskers, by the way, will be in the same division beginning in 2011. Zook was one of five coaches who ranked Wisconsin at No. 3 (the Badgers received no votes for No. 1 or No. 2). Zook also gave TCU its lowest vote (No. 6) of any coach. Dantonio gave his Spartans their highest vote (No. 4) of any coach. Zook was the only other coach to have Michigan State in the top 5. Is anyone else surprised to see Tressel rank Michigan State at No. 7, below Stanford? Tressel is tight with Dantonio, but he didn't let his loyalty get in the way of his voting. That's refreshing to see. Only three coaches ranked Ohio State outside the top 6: Harbaugh, Notre Dame's Brian Kelly and Iowa State's Paul Rhoads. Other notable ballots: Stanford's Jim Harbaugh: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 TCU, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Virginia Tech, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 9 Nevada, No. 10 Michigan State Nebraska's Bo Pelini: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Nebraska (ha!), No. 11 Michigan State Alabama's Nick Saban: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 15 Alabama Notre Dame's Brian Kelly: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Stanford, No. 6 Virginia Tech, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan State Northern Illinois' (now Minnesota's) Jerry Kill: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 12 Boise State, No. 14 Nebraska

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ESPN.com ~ Rich Rodriguez gets emotional at U-M banquet

From Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com. And I agree that Dave Brandon could not have been too happy with this at the football banquet…

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It was an uplifting, interesting, awkward and potentially embarrassing night at the annual Michigan football banquet, depending on whom you ask. The uncertainty surrounding coach Rich Rodriguez's job security was palpable Thursday as Rodriguez delivered an emotional speech. Rodriguez talked about the stress he and his family have been placed under because of the speculation and how he takes inspiration from Josh Groban's song, "You raise me up." Rodriguez, fighting back tears, even recited lyrics from the song and played it for the crowd. "It may seem kind of cheesy, sappy, what have you," Rodriguez said. "I've been listening to it the last couple of weeks and kind of gets the mood we're in right now." Annarbor.com's Pete Bigelow set the scene: As the song concluded, Rodriguez grabbed the hands of his wife, Rita, and the night's emcee, Frank Beckmann, and raised them above his head. Several seconds passed before others on the dais, including [athletic director Dave] Brandon and the entire Wolverines team, followed suit. Rodriguez also cited the Bible in his speech to talk about the faith he had in the program. "I came here three years ago, leaving my comfort zone, because I thought this was a great opportunity," he said. "I knew after being on the job for a few months there were going to be some challenges. And more come out in front of us. We never ran away from it. It's going to happen, and it's going to happen in a big way. I wish it happened yesterday, last year, the first year. Believe me, my life would be a lot easier." Rodriguez, who choked up during his address, ended things with: "My name is Rich Rodriguez. I'm honored to be the football coach at Michigan. I hope you realize I want to be a Michigan man." And I thought Jim Harbaugh not showing up to the banquet would prevent awkward moments. Wow. Rich Rodriguez, three years into his tenure, shouldn't have to be saying things like, "I hope you realize I want to be a Michigan man." His emotions were genuine Thursday night, and while he's trying to fire up his constituency, you have to question his confidence right now. Does Rodriguez sound emboldened or desperate? Or a little bit of both? He needs his boss, Dave Brandon, to make a decision on whether or not he'll return in 2011. Letting this drag on until after Michigan's bowl game doesn't serve the current players, the coaches, the verbally committed recruits or the fans. I wasn't there tonight, but I can't imagine Brandon came away thrilled by what he saw and heard from his head coach. Michigan simply shouldn't have to endure another month of this. If Brandon wants to fire Rodriguez, do it and let him pursue other options like the Miami job, where he'd be an absolutely fantastic fit. If he wants to keep Rodriguez for another year, make the announcement and deal with the assistants later. Forget saving money or being courteous to potential replacement candidates like Harbaugh. This is Michigan. This is big-boy football. This is the time when major decisions are made. If protecting the Michigan brand is paramount, as Brandon always says, he needs to step up and settle things. "It may seem kind of cheesy, sappy, what have you," Rodriguez said. "I've been listening to it the last couple of weeks and kind of gets the mood we're in right now." From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101202/SPORTS0201/12020495/Emotional-Rodriguez-brings-crowd-to-its-feet-at-U-M-banquet#ixzz171ZKOCJl

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Woody Hayes & Rob Lytle

A co-worker grew up in Fremont, OH, and knew Rob Lytle before he went up to play for That Team Up North. Below is an interesting story that I wanted to post to the blog, in light of Rob Lytle’s recent passing.

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"I Thought the World of Him"

The relationship between Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes is well-documented. After Michigan upset Ohio State in 1969 in Bo's first year as the Wolverine coach, the media seemed to focus on their relationship. Part of the reason was because Coach Hayes was such a huge figure in collegiate football. When one of his former assistants beat one of Woody's greatest teams in a huge upset, their relationship took on a life of its own. As a matter of fact, Woody once told Bo about that '69 game, "You'll never win a bigger game."

It began the Woody Vs. Bo era. For ten years they met every November, leading their teams into a game that, in most cases, decided the Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth. While the following story doesn't happen in Michigan Stadium, it is still a very good tale about a coach who was the archenemy to the Wolverines for many years.

The competition between Bo and Woody wasn't just on the field. After the 1969 game, it moved to the homes of high school prospects in recruiting. Bo had great success in recruiting the state of Ohio, and Woody didn't like that too much. Schembechler tells the story that Woody used to follow him wherever he went on the recruiting trail. "I would go in to talk to an Ohio prospect," Bo says, "and when I was about to leave, I would tell the young man, 'Now listen, tomorrow, Coach Hayes will be here, and he'll want to talk to you about Ohio State.' The prospect would tell me that Woody wasn't scheduled in to see him. He would say, 'Coach Hayes was in about a week ago, he's not coming tomorrow.' I would say, 'Trust me, Coach Hayes will be here tomorrow.'" Sure enough, Bo remembers, "Woody would come marching in to this kids high school the next day. It was liek he had spies around or something," Bo laughs.

Such is the case with Rob Lytle.

Lytle was a great young running back out of Fremont, Ohio. He was being recruited by all the major football powers from USC to Notre Dame. Bo had worked on Lytle very hard, though, and had gotten him to commit to Michigan. Lytle thought that was the end of the recruiting battle, but Coach Hayes wasn't done yet.

"Just before the signing date," Lytle recalls, "Coach Hayes drove up to Fremont because he said he wanted one more shot at me. He made me look him in the face and tell him I was going to Michigan. When I told him, he said, 'WHY?' With all my courage, I looked him in the eye and said I was going to Michigan because I thought it was a better fit for me." Lytle says Woody was not happy. "Coach Hayes growled at me and got up and left. He never shook my hand. He said, among other things, 'OK, we'll get along fine without you.'"

Lytle says Woody never spoke to him again. It doesn't sound like a very pleasant story, but it isn't over. The finish will surprise you. It gives an insight into Coach Hayes's character that isn't often revealed.

Lytle went on to a brilliang All-American career at Michigan. He was drafted in the early rounds of the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He had a solid career with Denver and the recruiting battle with Coach Hayes was long forgotten.

But Woody kept tabs on Lytle all through his NFL career. A teammate of Lytle's in Denver was Randy Gradishar. He had been a great linebacker at Ohio State, and Coach Hayes kept in touch with Gradishar by sending him notes through the mail. "Gradishar would come to me during the season, and pass along these notes from Woody," Lytle says, "Gradishar would tell me, 'It's from Woody, and it's for you!' I mean, I was amazed!" Lytle exclaims.

According to Rob, the notes were very pleasant. They were encouraging. Coach Hayes would write Lytle to keep up the good work, and things like that. It was quite a turnaround from the last time they had seen each other, but Lytle says they still never talked, that he just got the notes.

Near the end of Lytle's playing career in the NFL, Woody surprised him one more time. "It was my fifth year, I think," Lytle remembers, "and I've had about six surgeries on my knees and shoulders and I'm about done. The year before, I had been way down on the depth chart. Red Miller was the coach, and he told me they would spot me on playing time. If another running back went down, I'd get some playing time, but it didn't look good," recalls Lytle. "About six games into the season, three running backs go down, bang, bang, bang. Well, I got in and had a great year. I got to play my natural position, and after the season, the coaches apologized for using me improperly. They tell me I'm in their plans to be more of a featured back. I should get ready for that role in the off season."

Lytle says he felt as if his career had been renewed. Then the Broncos got sold. The entire coaching staff got fired while Lytle was on vacation. "Dan Reeves was hired as the coach," remembers Lytle. "I know he's going to clean house. They had traded for a young running back out of Kansas City, which wasn't a good sign for me. So I figure I'm done, again."

Still, Lytle is on the team, so he headed to training camp, and he was pitted against all the new young backs. "I had to prove my speed," Lytle recalls. "I had to prove that I was healthy, and I did, but I still wasn't sure I was going to make the team."

"Well, I made the last cut," Lytle says with relief, "and we are in a meeting before our first practice before the first regular-season game. Reeves is late for the meeting. We are all waiting for him, but he's really late. So another coach comes in and starts the meeting without Reeves. Finally, Reeves comes in about the time we are finishing up, and he calls my name out to see him."

"I figure I've either been traded, or they are releasing me because they've picked up somebody else," Lytle recalls. "So I go up there, hand my playbook to Reeves, and I go on the offensive. I say, 'At least you could have told me beforehand, before I got taped and dressed and all this crap.' Reeves looks at me and says, 'What the hell are you talking about?'"

"I'm sure I'm getting released or traded or something," Lytle recalls saying. "Oh, hell no, you made the team before training camp started," Lytle remembers his coach saying in surprise. Then Reeves asked Lytle a question that seemed odd. "Didn't you play for Michigan?"

Lytle says he told Reeves that he had. According to Lytle, Reeves then got a curious look on his face and said, "The reason I was late for the meeting is that Woody Hayes called me and wouldn't let me get off the phone."

Rob says he was shocked.

"Woody has been on my ass for forty minutes," Lytle remembers Reeves saying. "I finally had to tell him I had players waiting for me and I was late for a meeting."

Lytle then asked Reeves what in the world Coach Hayes had called about, "You've got one of the biggest fans a guy could ever ask for," Reeves related to Lytle. "Coach Hayes called to tell me that the previous coach at Denver had made a huge mistake. Woody said they didn't play you properly."

Lytle says Reeves couldn't get Woody off the phone! "He told Reeves I could do this, I could do that. I mean he built me up like I was the second coming of Christ," Lytle recalls with a chuckle.

Reeves finally said, "Coach Hayes told me I'd be nuts if I didn't play you regularly," according to Lytle.

Lytle says the whole episode took him by complete surprise. Rob finally asked Reeves if Woody's call had helped, "I told Woody that you'd already made the team, and Woody said, 'Good, then you've made the right decision!'" Lytle remembers that Reeves was smiling as he finished the story.

Think about that. A full ten years after Lytle and Hayes had last spoken, Woody was trying to use his influence to keep Rob's football career alive. For Lytle, it was an unbelievable gesture. After all, Rob had turned Woody down at Ohio State and gone to Michigan, Woody's archenemy. Yet Coach Hayes had kept an eye on his career the entire time. He had been in Lytle's corner all the way.

Say what you will about Woody Hayes, but he was a complex guy with some wonderful qualities. Many young men benefited greatly from their relationships with him, including a Michigan Wolverine named Rob Lytle, "He was very complimentary to me. I thought the world of him. I liked Woody."