Changing of the Guard
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/951/1/Changing-of-the-Guard/Changing-of-the-Guard.html
Jason M. Williams
Jason M. Williams is an avid sports fan looking to make an impact as a multi-faceted sports journalist, with primary focus on professional basketball. He is also a featured columnist at RealGM and a regular blogger at InsideHoops. Jason has recently covered such events including the 2006 Summer Pro League at the Long Beach Pyramid, the 2007 NBA Draft Media Availability Day, and the 2007 NBA Draft. Located in the Los Angeles area and can be reached via email at jason.m.williams@atomicsportsmedia.com.
By Jason M. Williams
Published on 12/29/2007
When the 2008 season begins, Michigan will have more than just a new head football coach. Rich Rodriguez brings with him a stellar track record and an exciting new offense that, as Atomic Sports columnist Jason M. Williams writes, has already proven to torment other Big Ten teams.
When the 2008 season begins, Michigan will have more than just a new head football coach. Rich Rodriguez brings with him a stellar track record and an exciting new offense that, as Atomic Sports columnist Jason M. Williams writes, has already proven to torment other Big Ten teams.
Changing of the Guard
Wake up Michigan fans; it’s finally time for the Wolverines to enter the new millennium.
Following his sixth loss to rival Ohio State in the past seven years, University of Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr finally announced his retirement. For many Michigan fans, this announcement comes nearly three years too late.
The days of seeing the Maize and Blue run a halfback dive on third-and-16 are over. No more punting on fourth-and-1 at the opponent’s 40-yard line. No more watching an immobile 6-foot-6 quarterback incapable of improvising once his pocket collapses.
At first glimpse, it would appear that Michigan Athletics Director Bill Martin failed in his first two attempts to bring in his primary candidates for the head coaching position. The Wolverines were believed to covet their highly renowned alumnus and prodigal son, BCS Championship game-bound Les Miles of LSU. Martin then followed his botched attempt to land Miles by whiffing on Greg Schiano of Rutgers.
But in reality, Michigan may have lucked out when it was able to lure former West Virginia alum and coach Rich Rodriguez to Ann Arbor. Rodriguez installed his explosive spread-option attack in Morgantown and coached his way to at least a share of the Big East title in four of the past five seasons. His 32-5 record over the past three seasons stands proudly alongside the likes of USC’s Pete Carroll (33-5) and Ohio State’s Jim Tressell (33-4), while towering over that of his predecessor Carr (26-11).
Michigan fans may have trouble adopting the new-look offense and may not be willing to accept abandoning the conservative smash-mouth football style that built the program into the nation’s all-time winningest program. But after years of being embarrassed by the spread offense, the vaunted Michigan defense will now get to face it every day in practice.
Maybe now the Wolverines will be able to contain the likes of the Armanti Edwards, Dennis Dixons, and Troy Smiths of the nation. Even better, perhaps they will be equipped with the next installment of a quarterback cut in the same mold as Vince Young.
Before Michigan held its press conference to announce the hiring of Rodriguez, No, 1 overall high school recruit, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, spoke privately with one of his favorite coaches in the nation. Once Rodriguez confirmed to Pryor that he was headed to Michigan, Pryor told Rivals.com, “Add Michigan to my list.”
Pryor is a 6-foot-6, 235-pound dual-threat quarterback who has utilized his 4.4 speed to score 36 touchdowns on the ground while throwing for an additional 23 his senior season at Jeannette High in Pennsylvania. If Rodriguez gets his man, we could be seeing the most talented big-game mobile quarterback since Young walked off the field with a national title in January of 2006.
The Big Ten has been notorious for being beat down by the spread offense. Not only has Michigan itself demonstrated its complete ineptitude in containing the dynamic offensive strategy, but so have other top conference foes. Just last year, the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes were slaughtered 41-14 by the likes of the Florida Gators’ Chris Leak and Tim Tebow off the option.
Within the conference this season, the biggest surprise was the remarkable improvement of one of the latest game-changing dual-threat mobile quarterbacks in the nation. Illinois sophomore Juice Williams’ 1,498 passing yards and 774 rushing yards carried the Fighting Illini to the Rose Bowl and a 9-3 record, after finishing an abysmal 2-10 in his freshman campaign. Will Pryor be able to avoid the same struggles Williams faced if he chooses the Maize and Blue?
This transformation of offensive philosophy begs one question of Michigan fans across the country: Are they willing to wait a season or two before Rodriguez is able to recruit the type of athletes he needs to make this program successful? More importantly, how will the largest living alumni base of any American university with more than 425,000 alumni handle each defeat to Tressel’s Buckeyes before they begin calling for the next in line?
The one thing the 113,000 fans packed into The Big House won’t be booing about will be the exciting new offense that will restore their arrogance and give them a good chance to win, no matter who the opponent.
Following his sixth loss to rival Ohio State in the past seven years, University of Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr finally announced his retirement. For many Michigan fans, this announcement comes nearly three years too late.
The days of seeing the Maize and Blue run a halfback dive on third-and-16 are over. No more punting on fourth-and-1 at the opponent’s 40-yard line. No more watching an immobile 6-foot-6 quarterback incapable of improvising once his pocket collapses.
At first glimpse, it would appear that Michigan Athletics Director Bill Martin failed in his first two attempts to bring in his primary candidates for the head coaching position. The Wolverines were believed to covet their highly renowned alumnus and prodigal son, BCS Championship game-bound Les Miles of LSU. Martin then followed his botched attempt to land Miles by whiffing on Greg Schiano of Rutgers.
But in reality, Michigan may have lucked out when it was able to lure former West Virginia alum and coach Rich Rodriguez to Ann Arbor. Rodriguez installed his explosive spread-option attack in Morgantown and coached his way to at least a share of the Big East title in four of the past five seasons. His 32-5 record over the past three seasons stands proudly alongside the likes of USC’s Pete Carroll (33-5) and Ohio State’s Jim Tressell (33-4), while towering over that of his predecessor Carr (26-11).
Michigan fans may have trouble adopting the new-look offense and may not be willing to accept abandoning the conservative smash-mouth football style that built the program into the nation’s all-time winningest program. But after years of being embarrassed by the spread offense, the vaunted Michigan defense will now get to face it every day in practice.
Maybe now the Wolverines will be able to contain the likes of the Armanti Edwards, Dennis Dixons, and Troy Smiths of the nation. Even better, perhaps they will be equipped with the next installment of a quarterback cut in the same mold as Vince Young.
Before Michigan held its press conference to announce the hiring of Rodriguez, No, 1 overall high school recruit, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, spoke privately with one of his favorite coaches in the nation. Once Rodriguez confirmed to Pryor that he was headed to Michigan, Pryor told Rivals.com, “Add Michigan to my list.”
Pryor is a 6-foot-6, 235-pound dual-threat quarterback who has utilized his 4.4 speed to score 36 touchdowns on the ground while throwing for an additional 23 his senior season at Jeannette High in Pennsylvania. If Rodriguez gets his man, we could be seeing the most talented big-game mobile quarterback since Young walked off the field with a national title in January of 2006.
The Big Ten has been notorious for being beat down by the spread offense. Not only has Michigan itself demonstrated its complete ineptitude in containing the dynamic offensive strategy, but so have other top conference foes. Just last year, the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes were slaughtered 41-14 by the likes of the Florida Gators’ Chris Leak and Tim Tebow off the option.
Within the conference this season, the biggest surprise was the remarkable improvement of one of the latest game-changing dual-threat mobile quarterbacks in the nation. Illinois sophomore Juice Williams’ 1,498 passing yards and 774 rushing yards carried the Fighting Illini to the Rose Bowl and a 9-3 record, after finishing an abysmal 2-10 in his freshman campaign. Will Pryor be able to avoid the same struggles Williams faced if he chooses the Maize and Blue?
This transformation of offensive philosophy begs one question of Michigan fans across the country: Are they willing to wait a season or two before Rodriguez is able to recruit the type of athletes he needs to make this program successful? More importantly, how will the largest living alumni base of any American university with more than 425,000 alumni handle each defeat to Tressel’s Buckeyes before they begin calling for the next in line?
The one thing the 113,000 fans packed into The Big House won’t be booing about will be the exciting new offense that will restore their arrogance and give them a good chance to win, no matter who the opponent.