After the game, Rodriguez went out to midfield for the customary handshake with Purdue head coach Danny Hope. The problem was Hope brought a guest: Purdue offensive lineman Zach Reckman, who was suspended earlier this season for one game for a late hit, a suspension which Purdue seemingly believes was due to Rodriguez's meddling. Rodriguez made some public comments regarding how Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton was suspended for throwing a punch at a Notre Dame player during the Wolverines-Irish game:

"My conversation with the commissioner was that we will watch every Big Ten game very closely and any non-football act, whether it's a six-inch jab or anything that's not called for the game of football we're going to ask that person get the same type of punishment Jonas Mouton got. I'm sure the league will do that."

Reckman was subsequently suspended, even though no one can say for sure that Rodriguez's comments had anything to do with it. Nevertheless, it seems that Purdue wanted to make a point, which they did, and Rodriguez didn't seem too pleased about it.

"I was a little disappointed after the game (when Hope) seemed to bring the lineman over like I was the reason the lineman got suspended for that one game," Rodriguez said. "So he brought him over and said, ‘thanks for this' or whatever… I don't know where that came from. I talked to (Hope) on the phone and told him it wasn't me, this is way back when. I didn't have anything to do with that young man getting suspended for that one game.

"What are you going to do? I usually go over and shake hands and say good luck on the next game. To come over and say something about that? Whatever."

Ooooh, burn. Enjoy your comeuppance, Coach Rodriguez, because you just got come-upped on!

Michigan, who started the season 4-4, are now 5-5 (1-5 in the Big Ten) and are in jeopardy of missing out on a bowl berth, which I'm guessing wouldn't sit real well with the Wolverine faithful. Maybe if the Wolverines practiced more...

Either way, I'm guessing staying put at West Fuckin' Virginia doesn't look too bad right about now, huh?

Purdue wins at Michigan 38-36, 1st time since 1966 [Yahoo!]
Rodriguez meets disgruntled Boilermaker after game [Detroit Free Press]
#2: Colleges They Didn't Attend [Stuff White Trash People Like]

Now, let me first say that Chait is an excellent reporter who has much better things to do than to preach ethics at workaday sportswriters from his lofty perch at the magazine that gave us the Bell Curve and Betsy McCaughey. He has decided, nonetheless, to lose his freaking mind.

Rosenberg, he wrote, has "hated [Rich Rodriguez] from the moment he appeared on Michigan's radar and has made it his life's work to run him out of town." He "has crusaded" against Rodriguez, a coach whom Rosenberg, "with his deep connections to the anti-Rodriguez community" and with his "strong anti-Rich Rodriguez opinions," is actively "trying to get fired." Chait called the story "journalistic malpractice," and Michigan fans have been forwarding around the column ever since. The notion that Rosenberg is irredeemably biased against Michigan, his alma mater, is quickly hardening into fact.

But is there any truth to it? I went spelunking through the archives and counted 19 stories — columns, news items, Q&A's — in which Rosenberg makes more than passing reference to Rodriguez. Here they are, from first to last, with pertinent excerpts:

Dec. 17, 2007
Headline: "GREAT EXPECTATIONS; RECOGNIZING DIFFERENCES WOULD HELP TRANSITION"

Michigan hired a great football coach Sunday. Not a good one, like Greg Schiano. Not a very good one, like Les Miles. A great one. ... For the Michigan football fan who has complained incessantly for the last 10 years, Rodriguez might as well show up at this morning's news conference dressed in wrapping paper and a bow.

Dec. 18, 2007
Headline: "NEW BLUE THE JOB AHEAD; MANY HOPE RODRIGUEZ'S SUCCESS WILL 'SPREAD'"

The offense, of course, is the spread. But Rodriguez is fond of saying that while every wishbone offense is the same, spreads are all different. Sort of like how Tolstoy wrote that all happy families are alike, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. (Did I just compare Rich Rodriguez to Tolstoy? Good grief.)

Dec. 23, 2007
Headline: "SLIPPERY SLOPE: RODRIGUEZ NEEDS TO EMBRACE U-M TRADITIONS"

Rich Rodriguez appeared to make a huge mistake this week when he summarily dismissed all of Michigan's assistant coaches. He started to rectify it when he rehired running backs coach Fred Jackson. Rodriguez would be smart to rehire two or three more. As I wrote when Rodriguez was hired, I think he is a great coach. But as I also wrote, this is a major transition, and he needs to understand that.

Jan. 27, 2008
Headline: "GREAT PROSPECT STILL NEEDS GREAT TEAM"

I've never seen so many people act like the future of Michigan football hinges on one recruit. If that's really the case, coach Rich Rodriguez is in trouble, whether he gets Pryor or not. No program should be that dependent on one player.

Feb. 7, 2008
Headline: "COACH ROD HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING"

Michigan football will never be the same. That's not necessarily bad or good. It's just reality. Rodriguez is changing the culture of the program.

[...]

Rodriguez also seems to think he was the wronged party in his tussle with West Virginia — and in some ways, he might be right. His old employer is doing everything it can to make Rodriguez look like a shifty, lying weasel. But it's hard for Rodriguez to claim the moral high ground in that one because the fact is that he signed a contract that contains a $4-million buyout, and now he doesn't want to pay it.

[...]

Rodriguez could charm the skin off a snake, and he clearly can coach. But he rarely seems to think beyond the field, and it shows.

Rodriguez's lawyer recently said the coach took this job because of what West Virginia failed to do, not because of what Michigan offered. That's quite a change from 'a Michigan man will coach Michigan,' but these days, Michigan football is all about change.

Feb. 8, 2008
Headline: "RODRIGUEZ-WHITE THEORY IS FLAWED"

Proponents of the Pat White Theory say Rich Rodriguez has earned his reputation off Pat White. After all, Rodriguez was just 33-22 at West Virginia before White took over. Was he such an offensive genius then?

I find the Pat White Theory interesting for two reasons. First of all, I don't buy the conclusion. It's one thing to rip a coach for losing with a great player, quite another to rip him for winning with a great player.

This reminds me of the people who say Lloyd Carr never would have won the national championship without Charles Woodson. So what? He had him.

Besides, Rodriguez was a great offensive coach before he ever met Pat White. His offenses at Clemson and Tulane, where he was coordinator, were highly productive. Plus, Rodriguez's pre-White record is distorted by the 3-8 in his first year at West Virginia. He won 30 of his next 44 games before Pat White showed up.

July 10, 2008
Headline: "ORDEAL EXPOSES UGLY TRUTHS ABOUT RODRIGUEZ"

Michigan is just a name to him. The school is just a platform for winning championships. This is evident in everything Rodriguez does, from his abandonment of a century-old captains tradition to his bristling at the notion that Michigan holds itself to a higher standard. "The Michigan way is just the right way," he said in December, before adding that a lot of schools do it the right way.

Rodriguez is an excellent coach. I'm not sold that he is the right coach for Michigan.

He can charm the media, which is nice. But those who have attended his practices say Rodriguez's staff uses some of the foulest, most degrading language imaginable.

I know coaches curse, and I'm no prude, but this goes way beyond a few dirty words. He belittles his players. This is a big part of why offensive lineman Justin Boren left the team. He felt his dignity was at stake.

Aug. 31, 2008
Headline: "TALKING POINTS WITH . . . MICHAEL ROSENBERG"

Would a Les Miles-, Greg Schiano- or Lloyd Carr-coached team have won Saturday?

Impossible to know for sure, of course, but the best guess is: probably. That's not because they are better coaches than Rich Rodriguez. But all three would run a more conventional offense than Rodriguez, and that means they almost certainly would have kept Ryan Mallett, who is much more talented than either Threet or Sheridan. Even if you remove Mallett from the equation, a more conventional offense would suit the skills of Threet and Sheridan better than Rodriguez's spread does. That doesn't mean this offense will fail in the long term nor that Rodriguez was a bad hire. It just means there will be a few steps backward before the offense moves forward. These are transition pains.

Aug. 31, 2008
Headline: "ADMIRERS OF NEW REGIME JUST GOT A REALITY CHECK"

Rich Rodriguez's spread offense is supposed to score all sorts of points, and after one game of the Rich Rod Regime, I must ask: for which team?

For the longest time Saturday, every time Michigan's offense took the field, Utah fans got excited.

Very strange.

Michigan's defense, meanwhile, gave up an astounding 7.5 yards per play in the first half and fell behind, 25-10, early in the second half. But that's weird, too, because I've been told that Lloyd Carr's teams were poorly coached, and Rodriguez would finally (FINALLY!) get the Wolverines to play to their talent level from the opening kickoff.

Hey, what happened to all that?

Rich Rodriguez is 0-1 at Michigan, and let's be clear on this: One game, no matter how ugly, does not define a coach or even a season. Rodriguez has been successful in the past and could win a ton of games at U-M.

But this game should end the deification of Rodriguez and bring fans into reality. Frankly, it is only fair to him. Don't expect miracles and don't assume he will improve a program that made three Rose Bowls in the past five seasons.

Yes, Rodriguez has updated the strength and conditioning program. No, that does not mean the old staff was soft on players. Yes, he is bringing a different brand of offense to Michigan. No, "different" does not necessarily mean better, just as it doesn't necessarily mean worse.

[...]

If this happened to the old regime - heck, when it happened to the old regime - a lot of fans screamed about poor coaching. It was way overdone then, and I'm not suggesting fans overdo it now.

But when a coach takes over the winningest program in college football history, the free pass ends when his first team takes the field.

Welcome to Michigan, Rich. I know you expect better. So does everybody else.

Sept. 7, 2008
Headline: "MCGUFFIE SHOWS OFF U-M'S FUTURE"

It is often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you saw beauty in this one, we're penalizing you 10 yards for beholding. Michigan's 16-6 win over the Miami RedHawks "certainly wasn't pretty," in Rich Rodriguez's view. But it was definitely well-earned.

Oct. 14, 2008
Headline: "SYSTEM FAILURE: THE EARLY TAKE ON RODRIGUEZ: ATROCIOUS"

Rich Rodriguez may yet restore Michigan to Big Ten supremacy. He might win a national title and justify athletic director Bill Martin's decision to hire him.

In the meantime, this needs to be said:

Rodriguez has done an awful coaching job this season.

[...]

Once again: Rodriguez might win big. He is six games into his Michigan tenure, and it would be foolish to give up on him after six games. He might win championships when he gets "his guys" into "his system." But the guys who are already here should have a much better record, and that falls on the head coach.

Oct. 24, 2008
Headline: "RODRIGUEZ'S RECRUITING MAY BE HELPING DANTONIO'S"

Nonetheless, there has been a pretty clear shift in philosophy. Rodriguez is looking for a specific type of player, especially for his spread-option offense. He targets small, shifty athletes. Nine of his 17 commitments are listed at 190 pounds or less, according to Rivals.com. His linemen tend to be lighter and more agile, too. None of his recruits is heavier than 272 pounds. Only two are from Michigan.

[...]

Rodriguez's approach might do wonders for U-M, but it is also helping Michigan State.

Oct. 26, 2008
Headline: "IT CAN STILL GET WORSE FOR U-M; PLAYING FOR A BOWL BID NO LONGER A MOTIVATION"

I know it seems like it can't get worse for Michigan. But it can. It can get worse if the coaches continue to put it all on the players, and if the seniors feel like their final games don't mean enough to everybody else. That is Rodriguez's challenge now.

With Michigan football these days, the talk is mostly about the future - about what Rodriguez will do when he gets his players, and whether U-M is taking a step back so it can take two steps forward. Sometimes you hear talk about the past, about the bowl streak and the pro-style offense.

But for the seniors on this team, there is only the present. These past four games still matter to them. We'll find out soon if they matter enough to everybody else.

Nov. 16, 2008
Headline: "CRAZY EIGHT; U-M SETS SINGLE-SEASON FUTILITY MARK IN FALLING TO WILDCATS"

"We are what our record says we are," Rodriguez said. "But again, we're making progress Sunday through Friday, and it ain't showin' up on Saturday."

No, it is not. Rodriguez's track record and Michigan's history suggest that he will win big down the road. In the meantime, this transition is about to get uglier.

Nov. 22, 2008
Headline: "PERMISSION TO SPEAK FREELY? NO!; LET'S HOPE RICH ROD'S NEXT REMARKS ARE DULL"

If Rodriguez has shown anything since taking the Michigan job, it is that he will do it his way. He is recruiting more heavily out of state than Michigan once did. He says what he thinks and bristles at his critics. Before he even looked at the Michigan roster, he was trying to lure Pryor, the No. 1 player in the country, to be his quarterback.

And this "his way" theme takes us to the controversy surrounding Rodriguez this week, when he said this:

"The biggest thing that is disappointing is when somebody, not necessarily the media, but when a fan or somebody would make it personal to your coach or to your players, especially to the players, because those guys are amateurs. When they would make a personal comment or say something that's not related to coaching or not related to playing.

"I don't get on message boards. I don't think anybody, any of our players or family should, but it's amazing some of the things that people would say or amazing things people will yell at you of a personal nature. You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.' "

Rodriguez's defenders say the comment was taken out of context. They are correct. It was taken out of two contexts.

First, of course, Rodriguez was definitely not telling all fans to "get a life." He was speaking to a small group of fans who go way over the line. Most of us agree that some fans are indeed rude, vulgar and hurtful.

But the second context is the question that Rodriguez was asked. I don't think many people have any idea what it was:

Q: What have you learned about yourself this year?

How do you go from that question to telling some fans to get a life?

Nov. 23, 2008
Headline: "TRANSITION'S OVER, COACH: TIME TO CLEAN UP THE MESS"

It will definitely turn around; Michigan obviously won't keep going 3-9. The question, then, is this: Once Rodriguez turns this around, how far in the other direction will he go? A lot of pieces have to be in place. Rodriguez can start putting them there now.

Feb. 5, 2009
Headline: "HOME AND AWAY"

The Rich Rodriguez Era is truly starting to take hold. With this recruiting class, Rodriguez has brought in the kinds of players he likes, the ones who fit his style.

Rodriguez has signed a 5-foot-6, 159-pound running back; a 5-8, 165-pound running back/receiver; and eight other players who are listed at 6 feet or smaller. The Wolverines now are favored to win the 2010 Big Ten Limbo Championship.

Will the smaller, faster Wolverines win big? Rodriguez thinks so. He clearly errs on the side of speed, quickness and playmaking ability. And offensive coordinator Calvin Magee said some of the recruits play a lot bigger than their size.

One thing has become clear about Rodriguez's spread-option: Quarterback is even more important in this scheme than in most offenses. And that is where Forcier comes in.

Forcier plays a lot like his older brother, Jason, who started his career at Michigan. Jason loved everything about the school but didn't fit former coach Lloyd Carr's offense. Jason was a mobile quarterback. So is Tate.

Last fall, as U-M stumbled to one of its worst seasons ever, Michigan fans wondered what Rodriguez's offense would look like with a quarterback who fit the system. They are about to find out.

Aug. 11, 2009
Headline: "Win at all costs a poor formula for Rodriguez"

Rich Rodriguez said Monday that he had no idea former Michigan football player Justin Feagin had dealt drugs in high school, as Feagin admitted to police in June. He also said he didn't know Feagin had been arrested twice in high school, as Feagin told police.

Rodriguez said "as soon as we found out" that Feagin had apparently brokered a cocaine deal in his first semester on campus, he dismissed him. "That instant," Rodriguez said.

I will take Rodriguez at his word. But other questions need to be asked, starting with this:

Should he have known?

Aug. 24, 2009
Headline: "QB contest will unfold during fall action"

Rich Rodriguez said Sunday he probably will play three quarterbacks in Michigan's Sept. 5 opener against visiting Western Michigan, and I think it would be awesome if he played all three at once. Perhaps this is why I'm not a football coach.

[...]

Most quarterback competitions take place in training camp. Sometimes fans complain the backup should be starting, even when they haven't seen the backup play.

In Michigan's case, the competition will unfold Saturdays in the fall. It is possible that at this time next year, Robinson and Forcier will still be battling for the position.

"Let's see who moves the team best and we'll go from there," Smith said.

That is the beauty of it: We'll all get to see.

In summary: Rosenberg thinks Rodriguez can coach. He hates Rodriguez's careerism. He hates Rodriguez's disregard for Michigan tradition and his seeming willingness to recruit the Cali Cartel if he thought it might help him win. He likes the spread offense. He likes the new crop of quarterbacks. He likes the direction of the program. Does this really sound like someone waging a personal jihad against Rich Rodriguez? Someone who has allegedly "made it his life's work to run him out of town"? I know plenty of people who say the very same things about Rodriguez. Sure, I guess you could say they're biased, too, but no one ever accuses them of secretly campaigning to undermine the program. That's because they're Michigan fans.

Violations truly worthy of firing [Rivals]
Jihad The Second: Chait On Deadspin [MGoBlog]

There is a bigger issue that is getting lost in all the whining about bias and anonymous sources and what Michigan State (or Florida or Alabama) does or doesn't do at their practices too. It will be at the heart of any investigation of Michigan, but it's really at the heart of all college sports. When you are a scholarship athlete, can anything you do ever be considered truly voluntary?

First, let's back up a bit and look at the Free Press story again. There are basically two parts to it. The one that seems to be getting the most focus is the claim that Michigan players routinely spend more than 20 hours a week on football related activities during the season. This is not unique, nor is it a problem for the NCAA. Players can spend as much time as they want on football, provided that everything above and beyond the 20 hours is voluntary.

(If there is one criticism of the article that truly resonates, it's that it doesn't clearly explain the distinction between "counted" and "non-counted" activities, nor does it distinguish between the two when talking about the time demands put on U of M players. But the time factor, while eye catching, is not really the issue.)

The second, more crucial point of the piece is that some Wolverine players specifically stated that many activities that are supposed to be voluntary are not. Coaches are watching, attendance is taken, and those who don't comply are punished. The end. Everything else is just window dressing.

Rich Rodriguez will argue—and he may be correct—that no one was ever explicitly punished for missing a workout. No one was told, "Lift weights or we move you down the depth chart." No one is told to break NCAA rules. But they don't have to be told. Just like the NFL players who understand that there are consequences to sitting out with an injury, college athletes understand that if they're not doing everything possible to make themselves better, then someone else will. And they'll be out of a job. Even if a coach tries to be completely fair, he knows who works hard and who doesn't and that will always affect his judgment of who plays and who doesn't. It's a completely unspoken part of the culture, which is why it's so difficult to prove wrongdoing before the NCAA and so difficult to combat.

Perhaps the Wolverine's case will shed some light on this problem—and it is a nationwide sports problem, not just Michigan football. Maybe they will be made an example of and it will lead to more transparency and clearer rules. Is it fair that Michigan is being singled out? Probably not. But "The Leaders" comes before "Best," remember? I know, I know ... it's tough being you.

I wouldn't worry too much though, Ann Arbor, because the fantasy I imagine—the one where U of M gets the death penalty and college sports becomes a place of goodness and hope? That won't happen. At worst, you'll get a slap on the wrist, the team will start winning again and everyone will forget why they hated Rich Rod in the first place. Most of all, sports will not change, because it is fueled by competitive people who take every advantage they get, any time they can get it. The NCAA has no real interest in putting a stop to that. Maybe they shouldn't have one.

Rich Rodriguez knows the gravity of U-M's situation [Drew Sharp]
West Virginia says no time violations under Rodriguez [ESPN]
University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez sued for defaulting on real-estate deal [AnnArbor.com]

He goes on:

And I can assure you that each week we go FAR above the 20 hour limit, but when we sign the sheet saying we abided by the rule the NCAA set.. we have no choice but to sign it, or else we get cut from the team entirely. Sometimes we have put in 30 hours per week, including meetings and practice.

Sharp-eyed reader Bob alerted us to utah_utes_33's comment, which you can find here and which I hasten to add was not the work of the Utah Utes' No. 33, Justin Taplin-Ross. (Utah_utes_33 later clarifies: "And I do not live in Utah, that is just my username. I do not play for the Utes, but was merely a fan after the Sugar Bowl.") This is actually valuable context — if unsurprising — and may represent the first time in recorded history that an ESPN.com commenter has offered the world a glimpse into something other than the cymbal-banging monkey toy of his mind. Congrats, utah_utes_33, whoever you are.

Michigan coach denies wrongdoing [ESPN]

At his press conference today, the Michigan head coach was alternately angry and weepy over the besmirching of his character and the character of Wolverine strength coach Mike Barwis, who is a real sweetheart. Rodriguez bristled at the very idea that he could be accused of bending the rules. He cares about his players, so to imply that they were forced to attend workouts is to imply that his kids didn't want to work hard. Rodriquez tearfully spoke of "two freshman"—presumably Brandin Hawthorne and Je'Ron Stokes who were quoted in the article and who the Free Press expressly pointed out were not complaining—who came to his office asking what they did wrong. He had to tell those boys they didn't do anything wrong and the whole thing nearly broke his heart.

The thing is ... they didn't do anything wrong and no one said they did. All they did was tell the truth. More importantly, they had no reason to lie. If two guys who have no agenda against the program—in fact, they probably would have lied to protect the program if they'd known what they were saying—are volunteering that their schedule is as strict as it is, there's a good chance that they're not making it up.

That won't stop Rodriguez and others from assuming they are victims of a witch hunt. Jonathan Chait stepped down from his high horse at The New Republic to lambaste the Freep's Michael Rosenberg for his anti-Rich Rod bias, stating that no place he worked would ever let an opinion writer do hard news about a subject he was so "passionate" about. Interesting, if true. I wonder if any of those fine, upstanding newspapers Chait's talking about would let an alumnus (UM, Class of '94) attack another writer because they published dirt about an organization he used to be associated with? (P.S. All allegations of improper bias should be directed here.)

All the accusations in the article came from Michigan's own players and not just the ones who fled the program. Even though Rodriguez denies breaking any rules, he didn't directly refute or disprove any of the claims in article. (Chait even tries the "everybody's doing it" defense.) In fact, the coach apparently admitted to one violation during the presser, saying that they send strength coaches into the weight room during offseason lifting "so they don't drop a weight on their foot." (Caring!) Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's against the rules. (UPDATE: I'm probably wrong.) The rules he loves and defends so much.

No one is questioning Rich Rodriguez's motivation or commitment. They're questioning his tactics and at the moment the Free Press still looks to be right about them.

U-M football report met with anger, disbelief [Detroit Free Press]
Violations truly worthy of firing [Wolverine.com]
Fuck You Rich Rod…… [Horse Collar]

The Freep's Michael Rosenberg and Mark Snyder did a great bit of reporting here, getting several players and even some parents to air their concerns (anonymously, of course) about the workouts overseen by strength coach Mike Barwis, the Hans to Rodriguez's Franz. The newspaper found that Rodriguez and Barwis have routinely flouted NCAA rules governing how much time coaches can require players to spend on football:

In the past two off-seasons, players said, the Wolverines were expected to spend two to three times more than the eight hours allowed for required workouts each week. Players are free to exceed the limit, but it must be truly voluntary.

The players said the off-season work was clearly required. Several of them said players who failed to do all the strength and conditioning were forced to come back to finish or were punished with additional work.

"It was mandatory," one player said. "They'd tell you it wasn't, but it really was. If you didn't show up, there was punishment. I just felt for the guys that did miss a workout and had to go through the personal hell they would go through."

The newspaper adds that, should the NCAA choose to investigate, Michigan football could be found guilty of "major violations" for the first time in the program's history (which would mean, of course, that we'd be made to endure yet more retrospective fattening of Michigan's most sacred cow, His Surly Grace Bo Schembechler). For now, at least, let's all pretend to be shocked that student-athletes are worked so hard by the well-compensated bullies who coach them. My god, it's almost like playing college football is a job.

A look inside Rodriguez's rigorous program [Detroit Free Press]

"It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature," Rodriguez said Monday. "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'

"There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy."

He's right. The economy is dreadful in the Great Lakes State right now. That's probably why your fans don't like paying $60 a pop to watch your comically inept offense destroy everything they hold dear. Or that their school had to pay $2.5 million to West Virginia University just to get you out of the contract you bailed on. Or that you're earning another $2.5M to deliver the most losses in school history. (And they have a lot of history.) One fan even has to sell his allegiance to pay the rent.

The worst knock on Rodriguez has been the perception that he does not take the Michigan Mystique seriously. U of M fans care very much about their traditions and rituals—almost more than they care about the actual winning and losing—so to tell them that they might lose to Notre Dame, MSU and OSU in the same season and that they should basically just get over it ... that's not helping.

Neither are rumors that RB Sam McGuffie—one of the few bright spots this season and a big hope for the future—might be leaving school as part of a larger player exodus. The athletic director actually had to step in with a public vote of confidence earlier in the season, but if Ohio State embarrasses them this weekend (they're favored by 19; the largest spread in the history of the rivalry) it's going to be a long winter in Ann Arbor.

Or maybe they'll pull off the miracle upset and all will be forgiven? (That would actually help State reach the Rose Bowl, which obviously leaves me conflicted.) Of course, the fact that such an upset would be a miracle, is kind of why everyone is pissed.

Rodriguez says some Michigan fans need to get a perspective on life [ESPN]
U-M's Rich Rodriguez, meet (and beat) Ohio State [Detroit News]
Sam McGuffie, Others Leaving Team [M Go Blog]
Fire Rich Rodriguez [Fire R Rod]
Michigan Fan Auction [eBay]

Former Michigan offensive lineman Justin Boren, who left Michigan in mid-March citing a "decline of family values" under coach Rich Rodriguez, has transferred to Ohio State. Boren started all of last season at center and left guard for Michigan. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel confirmed the transfer to the Columbus Dispatch for a story in today's edition.

Fortunately, Michigan fans are taking this well.

Boren of course will have to sit out a year before playing his final three seasons with the Buckeyes; a situation made all the weirder by the fact that his father, Mike, played for Michigan under Bo Schembechler in the early 1980s. A bit surprisingly, not all Ohio State players are completely on board with this.

UPDATE: Michigan fans still taking the news well.

Justin Boren Transfers To Ohio State [Detroit Free Press]
Justin Boren Sweepstakes [Buckeye Commentary]

It's like back before the Civil War when slaves had the right to buy their freedom. A penalty of $4 million is almost like a slave from Africa trying to buy his freedom in America. I think it's an outrageous amount. It's just not fair and it's not related to any damages the university is suffering."

Well said, Marv. And perfectly timed, considering it's the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination. This is exactly the type of oppressive behavior Dr. King devoted his life to eliminating.

Rich Rod's lawyer uses slavery analogy in regard to coach's buyout [Charleston Daily Mail]

Rodriguez, who took the time to shred every file in his WVU office before departing to become the head coach at the University of Michigan, will have the favor returned at the Nailers game on February 2. The Nailers are offering discounted tickets to any fan that brings in a newspaper article or picture of the former West Virginia University football coach to contribute to the industrial sized paper shredder that will be stationed in the concourse.

But that's not all.

Any fan who wears WVU apparel to the game will receive $2 off their ticket price. Ohio State fans will also receive the discount by wearing their gear to the game to demonstrate their mutual distaste for Michigan. Any fan caught wearing University of Michigan apparel will be charged double in order to help Rodriguez pay his $4 million buyout to WVU.

Let's tailgate! I've got a few sensitive documents that would make a lovely salad.

STILL UPSET: West Virginia Hockey Team Hosting A 'Shred Rich Rodriguez' Promotion [Detroit Free Press]
Wheeling Nailers [Official Site]

They also mention a crazy theory put out there by certain Mountaineering nutjobs:

The level of vitriol has surprised even Rodriguez, whose guilt and empathy are slowly turning into defiance. What irks him the most is a theory bubbling from the hollers to the Capitol to the campus bars in Morgantown. A theory that suggested he threw the Dec. 1 game against Pittsburgh — the school's traditional season-ending rival — to avoid a berth in the national championship game.

[I]f the school lost, the theory went, Rodriguez would be free to pursue the Michigan job, because no coach would walk away from a championship game.

The Freep continues on to discuss a heated meeting between Rodriguez and the WVU president, how his brother's kids are being threatened at school, and how embedded the football program was with the entire state of West Virginia. In short, I really hope these two meet in a BCS game next year.

How and Why Rich Rodriguez Left West Virginia For Michigan [Detroit Free Press]