For Rich Rodriguez, 2010 is it.
The single hottest coaching seat in college football burns in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Head coach Rich Rodriguez enters his 3rd and perhaps final season as the Maize and Blue commander-in-chief. Unfortunately, it has not been all glitz and glamour for a coach who took the West Virginia Mountaineers to their greatest success in school history.
If the 2009 season is any indication of what is to come, Rodriguez better pack his bags and update his resume. Last season, he led the Wolverines to their worst Big 10 finish in 47 years. If it were not for a controversial call in the Indiana game, the Maize and Blue would have lost every single conference game. Since Rodriguez took over for Llyod Carr, Michigan has gone 8-16 with no Bowl appearances and no wins over heated rival Ohio State. So with all this pressure mounting, what kind of team will Michigan have in 2010?
The QB position is not as set in stone as one would think. Last season, freshman Tate Forcier showed some signs of greatness (his come from behind win against Notre Dame) but also showed that he is young and inexperienced (4 INTS v. Ohio State). Meanwhile, Denard Robinson continues to show why he is the most elusive man with untied laces, yet before he can dethrone Forcier, he must show OC Calvin Magee his accuracy and consistency when it comes to passing the ball.
All together, the offense may have the talent, or potential for talent, and should pick up where they left off averaging almost 30 points per game. Roundtree and Odoms have great hands and should improve each week. The cause for concern is the backfield. There is no senior leadership behind the QB. It’s either going to be Fitzgerald Toussant or Vincent Smith who amassed 276 yards and 1 TD as a freshman. The offensive line is solid and will need to shine to help the young backs inch forward.
Over on Greg Robinson’s 3-3-5 defense, Michigan is coming off of a horrible 2009 campaign being one of the worst defensive teams in the conference (9th in total defense; last in points allowed). The 2010 D-line is anchored by Ryan Van Bergen, but after that, there just isn’t the great talent like we saw in Brandon Graham. DE Mike Martin has some big shoes to fill along with sophomore William Campbell. The LB corp and the backfield both have explosive players, but with being young, only time will tell when evaluating their success. The defense could be great or could be Rodriguez’s Achilles heel.
The fact remains, Rich Rodriguez’s 2010 squad is young but will go places in the coming years, but the frustrated fans and boosters want success now. With a tough schedule, an unproven defense, and a gray cloud looming over the Big House, it would be a miracle if this team wins 10 games (a threshold for RichRod to get a contract extension). The reality is, this team will barely be over .500 and fans should be very pleased with a 7 or 8 win season. Unfortunately, it wont be enough to secure Rich Rodriguez’s job and he will certainly be shown the exit door.
