The "National Title" Game? Yeah, Not So Much

I continue to be very annoyed as the hype-machine churns towards tonight's Florida-Oklahoma matchup. Mainly because people keep referring to the game as the "National Title" game. It's not. It's the "BCS Championship Game." No more, no less. It certainly is not the "National Championship" game, as it doesn't include the team that I would vote #1 in the country: Utah.

All Utah did was be the only team in the entire country to win every single game it played. Starting with a romp in the Big House over Michigan, to it's domination of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, there is no question Utah should end the season as National Champion. It won't, of course, but it won't be because of a deficient resume. It beat 4 Top 25 teams, including a 48-24 drubbing of BYU, and a clubbing of Alabama in what was practically a road game. You know, Alabama, the team that was #1 in the country for a significant part of the season? Completely over matched from the start, in a game lost 31-17, and it wasn't even that close. Oregon State, the only team in the country to beat vaunted USC, also lost to Utah. The only real question is, how can this team not be #1 overall at the end of the season?

But, they won't be. Florida or Oklahoma undoubtedly will. Laughable that Oklahoma could win the National Title, despite losing to Texas, on a neutral field no less, but that's been beaten to death, so I won't go on about it here. Not to mention USC, who also has a claim to a #1 overall ranking. But that's what the BCS is designed for: many teams, each with an equally legitimate argument for why they should win the national title, and with no resolution at all.

Oh wait, that's not what the BCS was designed to do? My mistake.

Rich Rodriguez on Ryan Mallet: "I think he's going to transfer."

University of Michigan Football coach Rich Rodriguez is being interviewed on the Jim Rome Show right now and he just said, when asked about the future of Ryan Mallett, that "I think he is going to transfer." He said that Mallett has not told him that personally, but that Mallett has apparently let people know in the program that he is planning on leaving, and Rodriguez sounded as if he was prepared for life with a new quarterback.

Whether that's prep-superstar Terrell Pryor, or somebody currently on the roster (like Georgia Tech transfer Steve Threet, high school quarterback-turned-wide receiver Junior Hemmingway) remains to be seen.

Michigan Upsets Florida 41-35, Sends Lloyd Carr Out On Top

Good for Lloyd Carr. Good for Jake Long, Chad Henne, and Mike Hart, who won't leave Michigan 0-8 against Ohio State and in Bowl Games. Good for the Michigan program, which picked itself up off the mat and won a game in a hostile environment that nobody gave them a chance to win (I certainty didn't -- And neither did Las Vegas, which made Michigan a 10.5-point underdog against the Florida Gators). Michigan defeated Florida 41-35 in today's Capital One Bowl, ending Lloyd Carr's career on a high note, and giving Michigan's seniors the signature victory they have been starving for.

And what a strange game. Mike Hart, who fumbled three times in his entire college career before today, and not once in his last 1,002 touches, fumbled not once, but twice, both inside the red zone, both as Michigan was about to score a touchdown. Wide receiver Mario Manningham carried the ball seven times for 53 yards on reverses. Seven carries for a Michigan wide receiver. Michigan had four turnovers, Florida none, yet Michigan led for most of the game. And the offensive firepower of Florida? No match for Michigan, which put up 524 total yards of offense (compared to 399 for Florida). 524 yards of offense -- That may be what we'll expect to see from new Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez, but to see it from a Lloyd Carr coached team, just incredible. And how about that defense, blitzing even on Florida's final drive and putting pressure on Tim Tebow and Florida all game long? Where was that all season? Not at all the game that anybody expected, but in a very pleasant way for Michigan fans.

In many ways, this was not just the end of Lloyd Carr's tenure at Michigan, but the end of Michigan as fans have known it over the past few decades. Rich Rodriguez' spread offense (whether run by a returning (or potentially not) Ryan Mallett, or by somebody within the program like current wide receiver Junior Hemmingway, or by potential freshman recruit and #1 ranked high school quarterback Terrell Pyror). And what a way to go out. Healthy, aggressive, and successful. A vision of what could have been this season had Michigan not lost to Appalachian State and Oregon, and if Chad Henne and Mike Hart not spent most of the season fighting various injuries.

Today though is not a day to look back on what could have been, but a day to celebrate the ending of the Lloyd Carr era, and the end of the Michigan careers of Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long (and potentially Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington as well, who had a remarkable game, with some of the best catches I have ever seen in a Bowl Game). Lloyd Carr went out, deservingly so, on top, leading his team to a huge upset, in an incredibly exciting game that will be talked about at Michigan for years to come.

Rich Rodriguez Already Recruting #1 QB in the Country

Rich Rodriguez does not waste any time. In what must have been either minutes before, or minutes after, he told his West Virginia team that he was leaving the school to take the University of Michigan's head coaching job, he already was on the phone with one of the top recruits in the country, Terrell Pryor. Thanks to my buddy Mike who forwarded me the link to Scout.com where this report appears, Pryor called Scout to have them update his on-line profile because he was now considering coming to Michigan to play for Rodriguez, a school he previously had not considered.

Imagine the surprise of this writer as my cell phone rings ten minutes ago and it is the top player on the East Coast Terrelle Pryor telling me that he may have just unlocked the biggest coaching story of the year.

"Add Michigan to my list," Pryor said.

Michigan, the Wolverines? Of course I had to ask is Rich Rodriguez going there because its the only thing that would draw Pryor to Ann Arbor right now.

"I just spoke to Coach Rodriguez about ten minutes ago and he told me he is going to Michigan," Pryor explained. "He said they made him an offer an he can't refuse it."

Pryor, who Scout.com lists as the #1 quarterback recruit in the country, is compared favorably to Vince Young.

Pryor has great size and good quickness and speeed. He shows a good arm and great athletic ability in the pocket. He is a “Vince Young” type of signal caller in that is very dangerous in the open field because he has the ability to make a move or run right through would be tacklers. As a passer Pryor shows a good arm and can throw with accuracy and touch.

Not bad for your first afternoon on the job. No wonder ESPN.com reports that he's not coaching West Virginia in their upcoming Fiesta Bowl, he's got recruits to visit and kids to convince to come play for the new-look Wolverines.

Rich Rodriguez Agrees To Coach Michigan

A new era begins today for the University of Michigan's Men's Football team as the school has hired Lloyd Carr's replacement. As ESPN reports (and unlike the last time ESPN reported a coach is coming to Michigan, they have it cold this time, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez has agreed to replace Lloyd Carr as Michigan's head football coach. This all came together really quickly after Rodriguez met with University President Mary Sue Coleman and Athletic Director Bill Martin on Friday and after a few days of consideration (and rumblings that Rodriguez was going to stay at WVU) Rodriguez told his team at a Sunday team meeting that he was headed to Ann Arbor.

In an early afternoon meeting with his football team, Rodriguez announced he was leaving to become the head coach at Michigan.

Rodriguez walked into a scheduled 1:30 p.m. meeting with his team and emerged 10 minutes later without comment and walked briskly back to his office. Shortly thereafter the players began to file out of the meeting room, somber-faced and generally without comment.

(HT: M-Go-Blog.

After it looked very bleak, and after Les Miles turned us down (in fact, perhaps, turned us down twice) and Rutgers' Greg Schiano did the same it looked like Michigan was going to be caught without a top-tier head coach. Reports had the school contacting Sean Payton of the NFL's New Orleans Saints, but he wasn't interested either. But then the Rodriguez story broke on Friday and everyone in Ann Arbor got excited again.

As I wrote on Friday, Rodriguez may not be Les Miles, and may not have the connections to Michigan Miles did, but he may be every bit the coach. He turned a West Virginia team that was 3-8 in his first season into a national power, with a 32-5 record the past three seasons (11-1, 11-2, and 10-2 going into this year's BCS Fiesta Bowl) with two BCS Bowl births. He's known was an incredibly hard worker, and as an offensive mastermind, who helped turn Shaun King and Tulane into household names while guiding them to a 12-0 record in 1998 as the team's offensive coordinator.

It will surely be a change for Michigan, which may ditch it's usual pro-style attack for the spread offense Rodriguez has helped make famous. Whether current quarterback Ryan Mallett, who has a gun for an arm, but isn't nearly as mobile or athletic as Rodriguez' former quarterbacks, will be able to run Rodriguez complex offense is certainly a question mark. Rodriguez, though, is such a talented offensive mind, that one would think he would be able to adjust his offense to suit Mallett's strengths, while recruiting a quarterback who is better suited to run his offense. Mallett has so much potential, especially given his incredible arm-strength, so hopefully Rodriguez can design a system which gets the most out of a very talented sophomore quarterback. Michigan's defense will be interesting too, with that side of the ball never being a strong-suit for the WVU Mountaineers. Whether the team keeps current defensive coordinator Ron English, or Rodriguez brings in someone new, that will be an issue to keep an eye on.

Today is a great day for the future of the Michigan Wolverines. At only 44-years-old, Rodriguez has already amassed an impressive resume, and if successful, he could be the Michigan coach for the next 15-years (though, that may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves). We certainly will see a change from the traditional and conservative offense which has defined Michigan for decades, but it's a change Michigan needs to make if they will continue to be an elite program in college football. This coaching search may not have started on the right note, but it certainly finished on one.

Sporting News: West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez Negotiating With Michigan?

Thanks to my buddy Ben who sent this link along, the Sporting News is reporting that West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez is in Toledo today with his agent to negotiate a potential deal with the University of Michigan to become the team's next head football coach.

There's a new twist in Michigan's ongoing search for a head coach: University officials are meeting with West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, according to Sporting News Radio correspondent Michael Bradley.

Rodriguez and his agent are in Toledo today to negotiate with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and university president Mary Sue Coleman.

Michigan has been looking for a head coach since Lloyd Carr announced his retirement Nov. 19 after 13 seasons leading the program.

Rodriguez would be an incredible choice, may be every bit the coach Les Miles is, and would make the school two-for-two in stealing West Virginia coaches as Michigan hired former WVU men's basketball coach John Beilein last year. Rodriguez is 60-26 at West Virginia, an amazing turn around at a school which was 3-8 in his first season. Since that time (2001) he has never lost more than 4 games in a season, and the last three seasons he has led the Mountaineers to 11-1, 11-2, and 10-2 seasons with two BCS Bowl births (a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in 2005 and another trip this season against Oklahoma).

This would be a an amazing coup for Bill Martin who has not had a good few weeks. Pulling Rodriguez away from alma matter is going to be tough, but if Michigan could pull it off, it would certainly make up for the mess that was the Les Miles courtship. It's actually kind of surprising Rodriguez name has not come up substantively before now considering Michigan's early hiring of Beilein. And considering Michigan's other options at this point (Brady Hoke? Ron English?) Rodriguez would be everything a Michigan fan could ask for and more.

The Dream is Over: Les Miles Not Coming to Michigan

Despite increased hopes in the past few days that LSU coach Les Miles was once again Michigan's top candidate for their head coaching job, it's over. Miles released a statement, read on ESPN this afternoon, saying that while he did speak with Michigan Athletic Director Bill Maritn and University President Mary Sue Coleman on Friday, it was only to assist them in their coaching search and not to place himself in that search. He will not be coaching Michigan next year. LSU has now posted the statement in full on its website, and it's about as pretty clear-cut as you can get (which is saying a lot considering how ambiguous Les has been so far).

“I had a conversation with Michigan last week that covered a wide range of topics. I was doing nothing more than helping them with their search for a football coach, just as any loyal alumnus might do. It was nothing more than that.

“I’m not a candidate for that job and I will not be a candidate for the job. I was only assisting them in their search for a coach. I have a great job at a wonderful place, a place that my family calls home. It’s time that Michigan goes on with their search for a football coach. I’ll say it again, I’m going to be the coach at LSU next season.”

So, what now? M-Go-Blog is floating Marvin Lewis as a possibility. Despite his lukewarm success with the Cincinnati Bengals, I like Lewis a lot, and I think he'd be better than any of the other candidates interviewed or talked about so far. The only good news? It appears Cam Cameron is not interested in the job. Well, there's something positive.

Pro Football Talk: Michigan After Cam Cameron?

Well, if you can't get the coach of the potential NCAA Champion Louisiana State Tigers, Les Miles, and you can't pry Greg Schiano away from Rutgers and the potential future of Penn State's head coaching gig, and Kirk Ferentz decides to stay at Iowa, why not go to the world of the NFL? Great idea actually. Talk of Sean Payton, a successful, innovative, young offensive mind was a giant step in the right direction. Word of whom the Wolverines may be targeting now? Well, not so much.

According to ProFootballTalk.com, the Wolverines, instead of Les Miles, coach of the potential National Champions in college football, they are focusing on another former assistant coach, but one whose season, well, has not quite gone as well as LSU's. The coach's record? A mere 0-13. Yes, 0-13, and most likely 0-16, the first coach to ever lead his team to such a milestone. That coach? Former Michigan assistant Cam Cameron.

With Saints coach Sean Payton not interested in becoming the next head coach at the University of Michigan, there's talk in league circles that Athletic Director Bill Martin wants to pursue Dolphins coach Cam Cameron, if Cameron is fired.

Per one league insider, Martin believes that Cameron's 0-13 (and counting) performance in his first year as an NFL head coach is an aberration.

Cameron was an assistant coach at Michigan from 1984 through 1993, and he was the head coach at Indiana. The program is looking for an offensive guru to lead the team after the retirement of Lloyd Carr.

Thankfully, the website reports that Cameron would prefer to stay in the NFL and that alumni (like myself -- I will have two degrees from here in less than three weeks time, when do I get some pull?) aren't likely to warm to a candidate who has been an abysimal failure in his first NFL season. He wasn't much better as a head coach at Indiana, his alma matter, where he went 18-37.

Cameron's best work has come as an offensive coordinator and assistant. At Michigan, (1983-1993) he helped develop a ton of top talent, including Jim Harbaugh and Desmond Howard. In the NFL, he found success as offensive coordinator in Washington and most recently in San Diego, where he helped turn Drew Brees and some guy named LaDainian Tomlinson (who had a great profile on 60 minutes tonight -- Seems like a genuinely good guy and guy the NFL should be showcasing for both his on and off field behavior, which are both exemplary) into Pro Bowl players.

While Cameron may be an offensive genius, if he's proven anything over the past two decades, it's that he's not head coach material. He failed at Indiana. He failed at Miami. To be fair, Indiana is hard to win at, and the Dolphins were a disaster well before Cameron arrived on the scene, and injuries to both quarterback Trent Green and running back Ronnie Brown haven't helped. But, I'm just not convinced Cameron has what it takes to be a successful head coach. Rutgers is not an easy place to win either, but Greg Schiano found a way. Brian Kelly, who isn't even a candidate for the Michigan job because apparently he rubbed some people the wrong way at some point (probably by winning at a school, Central Michigan, where current assistant Mike DeBord was a complete failure), won at both Central Michigan and Grand Valley State, not football hotbeds before he came around. Good coaches can win at run-down programs and can win without five-star recruits. Cameron couldn't.

Is Cam Cameron a brilliant coordinator? Absolutely. But can he run an entire program? I'm just not sold. 0-13 takes a special kind of ineptitude, one the Detroit Lions never reached. Is that really who we want taking over Michigan at this crucial moment? Especially somebody who prefers to stay in the NFL, but can't because he's not head coach material, and somebody who likely would jump back to the NFL at the first opportunity? And somebody who failed at their first college head coaching job? Bill Martin needs to think long and hard about that.

Greg Schiano Accepts Michigan Job -- Then Turns It Down -- Or Did He?

The University of Michigan cannot catch a break. First was the Les Miles fiasco, where apparently he was all set to accept the job but nobody could find Athletic Director Bill Martin because he was yachting (I wish I was joking about that, but I'm not) and now the next best candidate, and perhaps the only other candidate mentioned so far which would excite the Michigan fan base, has turned Michigan down. According to the New Jersey Star Ledger, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano accepted the Michigan job Wednesday night, but had a change of heart and is staying at Rutgers.

Greg Schiano told his players in an emotional team meeting this morning that he will stay as head football coach at Rutgers University , according to the parent of a player on the team.

The player's parent, who requested anonymity because of the nature of the meeting, said Schiano told the team he had tentatively accepted the Michigan job, but had a change of heart. The person said Schiano left the room in tears and it remains unclear if Schiano was indeed offered the job.

The Star-Ledger first reported last night Schiano had met with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin "for quite a while" Wednesday in New York City to discuss the Big Ten school's coaching vacancy. Those talks were described by a person who speaks regularly with Schiano and confirmed by a second party.

Schiano would have been a perfect guy for the Michigan job -- Demanding, intense, a defensive guru who not only demands the most out of his players, but gets it, and was successful at Rutgers where he had little talent and little power to recruit. Plus he was young and could have been the coach here for 15, 20 years if he wanted and he was successful.

Where does Michigan go from here, having lost their top two candidates (and their top three if rumors of Kirk Ferentz being near the top of the list but choosing to stay at Iowa are true)? I have no idea. Current defensive coordinator Ron English certainly seems like a stronger bet, but he's never been a head coach, and Michigan's defense has certainly not been the team's strongest link in English's tenure. And Ball State coach Brady Hoke, a former Lloyd Carr assistant keeps being named as a I candidate, but I can't see any way he gets the job.

The Detroit News reports the Wolverines may be interested in New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. That would be a great hire. He's young, innovative, successful. Would probably be a great recruiter due to his NFL pedigree (he was a Dallas Cowboys assistant before becoming the Saints head coach). I would also, if I were Michigan, contact Bill Cower and Jon Gruden. Michigan needs something out-of-the-box here. Hiring English isn't going to get the job done, and I fear that if English is the choice, we'll be in this same position three or four years from now, after a few 8-4 seasons leave us looking for a new head coach, again.

2:30 Update: As my buddy Seth points out in the comments, it now appears Schiano may have never accepted the Michigan job formally, but considered it strongly before at the last possible moment deciding to stay at Rutgers. I'll keep the above blockquote because that part of the New Jersey story is now gone, and it has been replaced with this:

Schianio never committed to going, the person said. The coach stayed up until about 1:30 this morning watching ESPN and went to bed not knowing what he was going to do.

Schiano had already told his players to assemble at the Hale Center on campus for a 7 a.m. meeting, even though he had yet to make up his mind. When he arrived, he told the players he "still had work to do" at Rutgers. Schiano said "this was a hard decision," according to a member of the football staff who attended the meeting.

The member of the football staff requested anonymity because of the private nature of the team meeting, but said Schiano looked "tired, beaten up and physically exhausted." He said the Michigan job was Schiano's if he wanted it, but the job was never officially offered.

Either way, not good for Michigan, as we are back to the drawing board.

Recapping a Crazy Day in College Football

That was an unbelievable day in college football, both on and off the field, and it's still going on as I write this (Hawaii is playing what could be a very important game against Washington -- But we'll get to that in a moment). But before we get to the mess that is the BCS, let's do some clean-up on the Les Miles fiasco.

As I wrote, and wrote, and wrote some more about earlier in the day, we went from Les Miles coming to Michigan, to Les Miles returning to LSU, to a press conference which led to more questions and more ambiguities, to finally, what we think is absolute, definitive words that Miles is not coming to Michigan.

"For a coach to be an issue, on a day like this? It's not forgivable. That's why I had to take the podium and tell the truth. I promise you, it's not a press conference I wanted to have. I wanted the game to be the focus, not the coach. I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed that my name was on ESPN. I was embarrassed for my team."

Miles said he was saddened for Michigan and his team, but made it clear that he will sign an extension with LSU and is no longer a candidate to succeed Lloyd Carr in any way, shape or form.

"There's no wiggle room," Miles said. "I just want you to know. It's very difficult for me to take another job if I'm not talking to anybody, and I said that. I'm very fortunate to represent LSU. It's a great place. My family is happy. ... We have great support. It's a special place. I'm glad to be home."

Kudos, BTW, to Jim Carty for his excellent reporting all day on the Miles story and being the first to report Miles was staying at LSU, which could not have been easy considering ESPN was reporting he was already delivered to Michigan. So why turn down your dream job? That's an interesting question. Maybe it came down to money. LSU is set to make Miles one of the top paid coaches in the country, which I read to mean somewhere around $4.0 million (Nick Saban is the highest paid coach at $4 million per year). I don't know what Michigan would have offered him, but probably not more than $3 million (Lloyd Carr was only making $1.5 million per season). And maybe it was simply a timing issue, which made it hard for Miles to leave LSU. It had to be hard for Miles though, knowing he more than likely will never get another opportunity to coach his alma matter.

The question now is, what does Michigan do. Angelique Chengelis, of the Detroit News, had a list of potential candidates:

Meanwhile, sources close to the Michigan search said Martin will continue to look at candidates that include Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, N.C. State Tom O'Brien and Cal coach Jeff Tedford.

Outside of Schiano, who would be a very intriguing candidate and probably the best candidate at this point, that list of names is not awe-inspiring. Tedford is a quarterback guru, but he just finished a .500 season at Cal. Pinkel, Grobe, and O'Brien won't excite anyone in Ann Arbor, and none are more than mediocre candidates (Pinkel may have turned Missouri around this year, but he's been a 4, 5 loss coach each year until now). And word has it Brian Kelly, successful at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan (as well as Cincinnati this year) is not a serious candidate. There just are not very many blow-away candidates out there. Miles was it. Now, unless Michigan can get Schiano, it's going to be a sad, disappointing search for the Wolverines. Eerily similar to the difficulties Notre Dame had finding a head coach a few years back before Charlie Weis came to the rescue. I don't envy Bill Martin.

The only thing stranger than the Les Miles situation is the BCS mess. This college football season has seen more upsets and top teams falling and Saturday was no different. After the #1 (LSU) and #2 (Kansas) teams in the country lost last weekend, the same happened this week, as Oklahoma destroyed #1 Missouri in the Big 12 Title Game and #2 West Virginia, despite being a 28-point favorite, lost to Pittsburgh, at home (just an incredible loss with a BCS National Title birth hanging in the balance). So the question now becomes, what on earth to do with the National Title Game, with so many one and two loss teams (not to mention undefeated Hawaii, or, at least they were undefeated when this post went live -- After a day like today, who knows what may happen against Washington -- 12:00 Update: And, of course, on cue, Hawaii falls behind 14-0 to Washington in the first quarter. Go figure.)

It's all but a given that now Ohio State becomes one of the two teams in the National Title Game (talk about a bad day for Michigan -- They lose Les Miles, their basketball team is upset by Harvard, who just happens to be coached by the man they fired, Tommy Amaker, and arch-rival Ohio State makes it into the National Title Game) but the team they are going to face is anybody's guess. Georgia is the #4 ranked team in the country going into this weekend, so keeping that constant, they would move to #2, but can you really put them in the National Title Game after failing to even make it to the SEC Championship Game, especially when SEC Champion LSU just defeated Tennessee, which beat Georgia 35-17 earlier in the season? Then you have one-loss Kansas, but again, they failed to make it to their conference championship game, and were beat by Missouri, which again, got blown out by Oklahoma tonight. Virginia Tech won the ACC today, but they lost 48-7 to LSU during the second week of the season. If they make the National Title Game over LSU, then there's something seriously wrong. And of course, Hawaii is still the only undefeated team in college football (12:00 Update: See above, Hawaii falls behind 14-0 against Washington early on.)

I think at this point, I would say Ohio State should play either LSU or Oklahoma, and flip a coin on who deserves it between the two of them. I'm happy I don't have to make that choice, and you can bet, no matter what happens, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people, as the BCS will, once again, fail in its mission to eliminate the exact controversy it was desigined to avoid.

What a day, a full, very full day, in college football. Good thing there's a break before the Bowl Games start. After a day like today, we need it.

Video of Les Miles Press Conference - Les Says, Well, Nothing

Les Miles just held a very short press conference, just hours before LSU takes on Tennessee in the LSU title game, and he said, well, nothing. He didn't announce that he had signed a contract extension at LSU and he didn't announce he was leaving for Michigan. He did sound very angry that word had leaked earlier in the day that he was leaving, and he did say he was LSU's head coach and that he had no interest in leaving, and that he would answer questions later. It was, odd to say the least. If he does indeed have an agreement on a contract extension with LSU, why not announce it? Here's the video of the short and curt press conference from an obviously perturbed Les Miles. (I originally captured and posted the video of the press conference, but after reading Sean's post over at Michigan Sports Center and seeing ESPN has their own embed-able video, which is of much higher quality than my capture, we'll use that instead.)

The conspiracy theorist within me thinks this: The only reason why Miles would not announce that he had agreed to a contract extension, is because he hasn't. That word leaked earlier today that he was leaving, he and LSU's athletic department knew that such word leaking out would be a huge distraction to LSU's team going in to today's SEC Title Game, and thus, they decided to leak word he was staying, hold his pseudo press-conference in hopes of reassuring the LSU team and getting them ready to play this afternoon's game, and still leave Miles free to leave sometime later this week. I think that's highly unlikely a scenario, but, I have no other explanation for why Miles wouldn't just kill all speculation and announce he signed a contract extension if he has indeed signed (or even simply agreed to one).

Very very strange day and it keeps getting stranger as at 10:15 I was posting about ESPN.com's report that Miles was headed to Michigan then taking that back at 12:30 when I wrote about Jim Carty's report he was staying at LSU. Stay tuned, this thing may not be over yet.

Change In Plans: Les Miles Staying at LSU

Just hours after ESPN reported that Les Miles would become the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, MLive.com and the Ann Arbor News are reporting that Miles will instead sign a multi-year contract extension with LSU.

Sources close to both Les Miles and the LSU administration report the coach has reached a multi-year contract extension with his current school and will remove himself from consideration as the next Michigan coach.

Details of the extension are expected to be released by LSU shortly.

LSU will reportedly make Miles one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.

If true, and Jim Carty, the reporter who broke the story, is usually dead-on with his reporting, it's a big blow to Michigan. Instead of hiring Miles, one of the best coaches in the country, and a Michigan-man to boot, and bringing along one of the best defensive coordinators in the game according to some (in Georgia Tech's Jon Tenuta) Michigan will have to go back to the drawing board. Potential names you are likely to hear are Iowa's Kirk Ferentz again, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

Update: The story does indeed appear true. Both the Detroit News and the New Orleans Times Picayune confirm that Miles is staying at LSU, and that there will be a press conference to that effect at 1:50 EST, two hours before LSU takes on Tennessee in the SEC Title Game.

ESPN Reporting Les Miles to Michigan

ESPN is reporting, though announcer Kirk Herbstreit, that the University of Michigan will announce early next week that former player, assistant, and current LSU boss Les Miles will be the next coach of the Michigan Wolverine football team.

Sources have told ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit that barring any unforeseen circumstances, Michigan will announce early next week it has reached an agreement with LSU coach Les Miles to be its next head football coach.

Herbstreit is also reporting that Miles will make Georgia Tech defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jon Tenuta part of his staff at Michigan.

While the ESPN report seems solid, I'm siding with M-Go-Blog on this one, which is which reported yesterday that while Miles is indeed the front-runner, and in all likelihood will get the job, it's not as done of a deal as people believe (and the Detroit Free Press essentially reported the same thing this morning that while the job may be "Miles' to lose" it's not a sure thing, yet). I don't want to get my hopes up too prematurely.

The news about Jon Tenuta is new, and while I'll be honest, I didn't know much about him before this morning, I like what I've found out. Herbstreit called him one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, and he knows Ohio State backwards and forwards (he's from Columbus and coached defensive backs for the Buckeyes according to M-Go-Blog. Tenuta could be the first new hire in a new direction and new chapter in Michigan football, one far removed from the Lloyd Carr era, and one which, fortune or failure, you have to give Bill Martin and company credit for going with.

In many ways, Miles is not the "safe" choice, in so far as despite his impressive pedigree and ties to the Michigan program, he is in many ways the "anti-Lloyd Carr" and he doesn't have Carr's support for the job. The safe thing for Michigan to do would be to continue to hire coaches like Lloyd (which is why Iowa's Kirk Ferentz was mentioned so much in the early going -- He's a younger Lloyd Carr) and decide that Miles was too expensive, too much of a wild card, to fit with Michigan. Instead, it looks like Bill Martin and company are taking the plunge with one of the best coaches in college football and somebody who has admittedly coveted the Michigan job for decades. It's the right move, and it's the move Michigan needs to make in order to return their program to elite status. Let's just hope, for Michigan's sake, there are no hiccups in the next week, and Miles, Tenuta, and the rest of what already appears to be an incredible coaching staff, are coming to Ann Arbor.

The Lightning Round -- Weekend Wrap Up

It may have been a slow holiday weekend in some contexts, but with the NFL playoff chase heating up and the Michigan coaching search perhaps reaching a surprising (and for many Michigan fans, if the reports are true, disappointing end). So let's get to it.

** Scoreboard Watching for the Wild Card ** With the Detroit Lions continuing to blow games all that's left is hoping the Lions hang on to their Wild Card lead. And as that goes, every team the Lions needed to lose Sunday, did. Arizona was upset by San Francisco, Washington lost to Tampa Bay despite knocking Jeff Garcia out of action early on, and Philadelphia lost to New England (though they made that scary late). Those losses are important because each of those teams (the Cardinals, Redskins, and Eagles) have beaten the Lions, so to make the playoffs, the Lions must finish with a better record than each of those teams. And as of today, they do. But just barely. Next week's game against Minnesota, who now is only a game back of the Lions, is a must-win game should the Lions want to salvage their season. They cannot afford to lose that game and slip into a four-game slide. What's most maddening is that despite the three game losing streak, the Lions continue to hold a slim lead for the Wild Card, which means if they would have been able to win one or two of these games, they would be in prime position to make the playoffs. Now? They have to hold on for dear life and they've showed no evidence they'll be able to maintain their grip.

** Michigan going after Ferentz, not Miles? ** While LSU's loss to Arkansas on Saturday knocked the Tigers out of the National Championship hunt, and thus makes it more likely that if Michigan wanted to hire former player, assistant, and renowned Michigan-man Les Miles, they could likely do so before LSU's Bowl Game, M-Go-Blog which first reported Lloyd Carr's retirement is now reporting sources are saying Iowa's Kirk Ferentz has been offered, and may indeed accept, the Michigan job. That groan you are hearing is coming from Ann Arbor, where Michigan fans are desperate for Les Miles or failing him an NFL coach like Jon Gruden and failing him a name like Cincinnati's Brian Kelley. And while Ferentz would be better than any of Michigan's current crop of assistants (like Lloyd Carr disciple Mike DeBord), Ferentz will not thrill anyone in Ann Arbor. While his name makes sense (he's familiar with the Big Ten, Midwest recruiting, and Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, who also came to Michigan from Iowa) he's a vanilla candidate, who may be another .500 season away from being fired from his home school, Iowa. While his Iowa teams won the Big Ten in 2002 (11-2) and 2004 (10-2) his last three seasons are 6-6, 6-7, and 6-6. His Big Ten records those seasons? 5-3, 2-6, 4-4. Underwhelming to say the least. Plus, he's making almost three million dollars a year at Iowa, so he wouldn't even be cheaper than Miles most likely. If he's the choice, and I'll have more to say if he is, it certainly won't make Ann Arbor happy, that's for sure.

Video of Nick Saban Comparing Loss to 9/11

Nick Saban is often one who attracts controversy, usually though it has to do with his decisions to continually hop jobs, from Michigan State to LSU to the Miami Dolphins to now Alabama. Monday, though, responding to his team's third consecutive loss, this time to lowly Louisiana Monroe, he compared the loss to a "catastrophic event" like Pearl Harbor and the terrorist attacks on September 11th. While watching Morning Joe this morning, their sports reporter, Fred Roggin, had video of Saban's comments.

An Alabama spokesman tried defending Saban's comments, by saying he was not trying to equate losing a football game with 9/11.

A Saban spokesman said the coach chose the 9-11 and Pearl Harbor references to illustrate the challenges facing his team.

"What Coach Saban said did not correlate losing a football game with tragedy; everyone needs to understand that. He was not equating losing football games to those catastrophic events," football spokesman Jeff Purington said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The message was that true spirit and unity become evident in the most difficult of times. Those were two tremendous examples that everyone can identify with."

Saban may not have meant any harm with his comments, but putting losing a football game on the same level as 9-11 or Pearl Harbor may go a bit too far. The logic of trying to get your team to come together after difficult times makes sense, but I'm sure there are many people who found Saban's comments, trying to use the tragedies of 9-11 and Peal Harbor to fire up his team is something a lot of people will find offensive.

Hail, Hail to Lloyd Carr

Lloyd Carr, as expected, and as leaked to the media yesterday (and originally reported by M-Go-Blog over a week ago), will announce his retirement today, ending a 13-year-run which will likely be much more fondly remembered a decade from now than it is today. While many Michigan fans are happy to see Lloyd ride off into the sunset, and while a fresh start and new blood will likely be good for the Michigan program, I am not celebrating today. Lloyd Carr never asked to be the head coach of Michigan, it was a job he took only after former head coach Gary Moeller was fired after a drunken escapade at a metro-Detroit restaurant, and he did something even Bo Schembechler never did, won a National Championship. He ran a completely above-board program, one that made Michigan proud, and he was great in the community. On the field, he was frustrating at times with his conservatism, but he was without a doubt successful, winning numerous Big Ten Titles and taking his teams to 3 of the last 5 Rose Bowls. And while many will focus on his 1-6 record against Ohio State in the past seven seasons (and his similarly futile Bowl record), I’ll choose to remember his 5-1 start against the Buckeyes, including the victory in 1997 which helped catapult Charles Woodson to the Heisman Trophy and Michigan to the National Championship.

These last seven years, despite the trips to Pasadena, Michigan fans have been on edge, in part because of the continuing losses to Ohio State. Carr, though, has remain steadfast, despite having to continually play true freshman quarterbacks before they were ready for action. First it was Drew Henson’s broken foot in 1999 which ushered in the John Navarre era before he was ready, and then Henson bolted for the New York Yankees, leaving sophomore Navarre to take the reigns a year earlier than expected. Then, when Carr groomed Matt Gutierrez to replace Navarre, Gutierrez blew out his elbow and forced Carr to audible and play true freshman Chad Henne instead. Now this season, when true freshman Ryan Mallett was supposed to have a year of absorbing the offense, learning from senior leader Henne, and preparing himself to take over in 2008, he too was forced into action early with Mallett’s continuing shoulder and knee problems. Now, injuries are part of football, but Carr never had a chance to develop and groom his quarterbacks the past half-decade like he would have liked. And despite that, Michigan remained a top national program and had chances (although they never capitalized on those chances) to win another National Championship.

Now of course, before Carr’s press conference is even over, the question will turn to Carr’s replacement. Surely LSU’s Les Miles (a former player and assistant under Bo) will be the leading candidate, but his tension with Lloyd Carr may prevent Michigan fans’ dreams from coming true. There are other numerous top candidates to consider as well, including Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez, and even Jon Gruden and Bill Cower of NFL fame (though, admittedly, both of the last two are probably pipe dreams). Michigan needs a fresh start, so hiring assistants Mike DeBord or Ron English would be an enormous mistake. Especially DeBord, who was a disaster at Central Michigan (as opposed to Kelly, who turned CMU around after DeBord’s tenure).

There will be plenty of time for speculation though. Today should be about Carr and all that he brought to the Michigan program. He is a better coach than his 1-6 record against Ohio State the last seven years indicates, and a better coach than he likely will be initially remembered as. He has done a lot for Michigan, and once time heels some of the wounds of Michigan fans, he’ll be remembered and revered as such. And deservedly so.

Same Old Story: Ohio State 14, Michigan 3

In the stands it was brutally cold, rainy, and at times, snowy, and on the field, it was even worse, with the Michigan Wolverine defense giving the Wolverine offense every opportunity to defeat Ohio State, only to see the Wolverine offense struggle to gain any traction on the slick Michigan Stadium field turf. So the careers of Mike Hart, Jake Long, and Chad Henne end 0-4 against the dreaded Ohio State Buckeyes and the tenure of Lloyd Carr may have come to end, and if it does, he'll be 6-7 against Ohio State, and an amazing 1-6 in his last seven games.

You feel bad for Hart, Henne, and Long, who came back for their senior seasons, shunning the NFL Draft, to not only win a National or Big Ten Championship, but to beat Ohio State for the first and only time in their careers. Instead, their regular season ended just as it began, with two bitter losses in a row, and people left without answers, and Michigan fans and alumni questioning the future of head coach Lloyd Carr. You feel especially bad for Hart and Henne who obviously were nowhere near 100% and just could not get anything going against a tough, ferocious Ohio State defense.

In many ways, Michigan likely would have been better off, as tough as it would have been for Lloyd Carr to do, sticking with Ryan Mallett, who came into the game briefly in the third quarter when Henne had to return to the locker-room to have his shoulder examined. Henne was clearly not healthy enough to lead Michigan to a victory, as his throws were constantly sailing on him, and he had a very hard time directing the ball and getting it where he wanted it to go. Sitting down a senior quarterback like Henne, against Ohio State, would have been a difficult move, but for the good of the team, it may have needed to be done. Hart was also struggling, and came out of the game a few times, but both he and Henne really showed what they are made of, despite the loss. The same can't be said about the Wolverines' wide receivers, who could never get a handle on the wet football and continually dropped passes, and tight end Carson Butler, who singlehandedly killed two of Michigan's only significant drives with holding penalties. Ironically, it was the defense that kept giving the ball back to the Wolverine offense, largely keeping Ohio State in check (aside from one long touchdown rush by Chris Wells) but the offense never got started and kept going three-and-out.

If this was Lloyd Carr's last game at Michigan Stadium, it was a sad way to end an uneven era (and I'll have much more to say when/if Carr does retire). And I agree with Gregg Henson, who wrote today that in addition to Les Miles, the Wolverines should strongly consider Cincinnati head coach (and former Grand Valley State and Central Michigan head man) Brian Kelly. He knows the state of Michigan very well, will be able to recruit around here without a problem, and he's won everywhere he's been.

Today, though, is not about Lloyd Carr's future, or his successor, it is about another loss to Ohio State, and another lost season for Michigan. We still have a Bowl Game to play, but the season ended today, on a cold, snowy, rainy day at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State was victorious again, and one more time, Michigan has to go back to the drawing board with a lot more questions than answers.

Counting Down to Michigan - Ohio State

It is starting to get pretty exciting around Ann Arbor as our date with the Buckeyes of Columbus is under 48-hours away. Yes, some of the air of game was taken out when both Michigan and Ohio State lost last weekend but this is still one of the greatest rivalries in sports (which is why HBO produced a documentary focused on the series) and a trip to the Rose Bowl and an undisputed (and unshared) Big Ten Title is on the line.

It may also be the last game in the rivalry for Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. Great Michigan blog M-Go-Blog created some controversy earlier in the week when they reported that numerous sources have Carr announcing his retirement sometime after the Ohio State game but before Michigan's Bowl Game, wherever that might be. We've heard these rumors before of course (most loudly three seasons ago when many believed that Carr would follow Chris Perry and John Navarre off into the sunset) but the timing seems right (this time it's the next generation, Mike Hart and Chad Henne ending their careers, along with Jake Long) and we've heard rumblings all season this would be Lloyd's last. If so, even more motivation to give Carr a proper send-off by defeating Ohio State and giving him a 7-6 record against OSU rather than a sub-.500 6-7 career mark.

Not only does Lloyd deserve a victory, but so do I. In seven years at Michigan, as an undergrad and a Law Student, I have seen only one victory over Ohio State. Yes, Michigan is just 1-5 in my career as a student, and I've seen us lose at Michigan Stadium and at the Horseshoe. My junior year of undergrad, the site of my only victory, we rushed the field and played in the Rose Bowl (which we lost to USC, but that's another story -- But, man, Mike Williams was dominant in that game...Whatever happened to him?). Here's to hoping Saturday is a repeat of that glorious victory. Though with the health of Hart and Henne still up in the air, and Ohio State hungry after losing their chance at the national title on Saturday (maybe they'll be more dejected than hungry, but I wouldn't hold my breath) it certainly won't be easy. Never is against Ohio State. And it shouldn't be any other way.

If Michigan Loses an Irrelevant Game, Does It Matter? Yes.

The University of Michigan's football team lost for the first time this afternoon since Big Ten play started, falling short against Wisconsin, 31-21. Of course, Michigan was without their best player for the entire game (running back Mike Hart) and their starting quarterback (Chad Henne) for all but the first two series of the game, and Michigan can still win the Big Ten, go to the Rose Bowl, and, perhaps most importantly, ruin Ohio State's perfect season and chance at a national championship by winning next week, at home, against the Buckeyes. So given all of that, did this loss mean anything? Yes. It means something for next week and it might mean something for next year.

The problems the game poses for this season first, as while the offense (and we'll get to true freshman Ryan Mallett's play in a moment) was shaky all day, the defense was the real story. Yes, they tightened up in the second half, and gave Michigan a chance to win, but that was only after one of the worst first halves I've seen from the Michigan defense this year. Stupid penalties by Shawn Crable. The inability to get to the quarterback and the inability to cover wide receivers. And worst of all, the inability to just tackle. That first half was dominated by Wisconsin breaking tackles, or, as the case more often, senior quarterback Tyler Donovan eluding Michigan tacklers, as the Badgers built a 16-point advantage (which ended up being the margin of victory).

Offensively, Michigan was offense, which freshman Ryan Mallett completing just 11 of 36 passes and while he had a couple of nice touchdown tosses, he also had two interceptions. Many of Mallett's throws were over the heads of the wide receivers or at their feet, and if it wasn't for Mario Manningham taking a short throw 97-yards for a touchdowns, Mallett's stats would look even more anemic. The running game was no better, combining for just 47 total yards, and neither the running backs, nor the offensive line could get anything going against Wisconsin's defensive front. It is a game worth forgetting, almost immediately.

But, despite the game having no impact on Michigan's chances to win the Big Ten or go to the Rose Bowl, it is important. Because, as bad as the defense played, it gives you no confidence they'll be able to look any better against Ohio State last weekend. We may have been missing Hart and Henne on offense, but on defense, for better or worse (and it's looking very much like the latter) this is the Michigan defense that will take the field next Saturday against the Buckeyes. And if they play like they did today, Michigan Stadium will be emptied out at halftime. And the game is important as a preview of what Michigan fans will see next year. No Hart. No Henne. Ryan Mallett will be throwing the football and Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor will be running it, and they showed nothing today which gives you a good feeling about 2008, when the Wolverines must play at Notre Dame, at Penn State, and at the Horseshoe in Ohio State. And potentially, some of his wide receivers could go pro as well.

Now, you hope that Mallett improves, and once he knows more of the offense, gets more reps in practices, and matures, there is every reason to believe he will be better. But, it may be a rough transition from Henne-to-Mallett, and despite Mallett's impressive pedigree, it may take him a while to grow into the leader of the Michigan football team. His play this year, despite being shaky, should aid him in understanding what it's like to play somewhere as hostile as Camp Randall stadium, and should speed his development. But, as we saw today, he has a long way to go.

Michigan has faced a lot of adversity this season, a lot of it self inflicted, a lot of it due to injuries beyond their direct control. After losing their first two games of the season, Michigan responded, with eight straight victories. They must respond again next week to salvage their season, as if they end their year the same way they started it (with back-to-back losses) nobody will remember the good things Michigan did in the middle of the season, and nobody will ever let Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long live down an 0-4 record against Ohio State.

10:40 Update: So Ohio State lost too. Awesome. As much as I usually would take great joy in seeing Ohio State get upset, their loss, coupled with Michigan's earlier in the day, certainly takes all the air out of next week's finale. Sure, it's still the biggest rivalry in (college) sports, and sure, it's still for the Big Ten Title and a trip to the Rose Bowl, but suddenly, the game just doesn't have the same intrigue it did twelve hours ago.

Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry - Documentary Review

There is nothing quite like the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. For those who live it on a year-in, year-out basis, it needs no explanation. For non-football fans, watch HBO's new documentary "Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry" because after watching the hour-long program, you'll understand why every year, on the third Saturday in November, the states of Michigan and Ohio stand divided, and football takes center stage.

I just returned from an advanced screening of the program (debuting on HBO on November 13) and it was a packed Michigan Theater full of fans and former players (including Jamie Morris, current announcer Jim Brandstatter, and quarterback Rick Leach, who gave a speech after the viewing of the program) and everyone seemed to enjoy the presentation. And everyone got to boo Comcast when it was thanked for their assistance in putting on the night's event, which I think people found therapeutic (Michigan fans are at odds with the cable giant over a dispute with the Big Ten Network, leading to Michigan games, as well as other Big Ten games, not being aired on local television). Before I get to a review of the program, here's a trailer floating around YouTube which gives you an feel for what the show is like.

Overall I thought the documentary was good. It is hard to boil down the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, and all of its history and tradition to only an hour, but the producers did as good a job as could be expected. Certainly after watching it, you really got a good feeling for the start of the rivalry, and the Ten Year War between Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes. The program featured lots of interviews with former players (though no current, or even recently current players were featured. I think Desmond Howard was the most recent Michigan player interviewed), coaches (including Bo and Ohio State coach Earle Bruce), media (including Michigan alumnus and Hardball reporter David Schuster, who I was unaware went to Michigan), fans, and alumni (like Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame). And there was a lot of game footage, including some old footage I had never seen before.

I thought though, and I'm probably only saying this because I'm a University of Michigan alum (soon to be twice over), but I thought a little more time was spent on Ohio State than Michigan, and the program painted Ohio and Ohio State in a slightly better light. The show, for example, had a really nice five to seven minute segment on how dedicated Ohio State fans are to their school, and how football is a second (or, for some people, a first) religion in Columbus. It was a well put together segment and while some of the Ohio State fans came off as a bit nutty (as most super-dedicated fans are) I really respected their love and dedication to their team. There was no similar segment for Michigan and our love of school and state. The documentary did, though, spend a few minutes discussing all of the players Michigan has "stolen" from the State of Ohio.

Later, the program went through all of the Ohio State coaches after Woody Hayes was fired, including short segments on the tenures of Earle Bruce, John Cooper (which was more, admittedly, a pro-Michigan segment than anything else, since it highlighted Cooper's inability to beat Michigan), and Jim Tressel. For Michigan, there was no similar "post-Bo" segment, as aside from being seen on the sidelines in one video clip, Gary Moeller was never seen, and Lloyd Carr was never seen or even mentioned by name. Not once. That's remarkable. Ohio State's 2002 National Title was mentioned, but not Michigan's triumph in 1997. Again, I'm probably biased towards thinking Michigan got downplayed, but it was definitely something I noticed. And I was really surprised Bob Ufer, the legendary Michigan announcer, was not talked about more, and some his famed play-by-play calls were not used more. Maybe that was a cost issue (as obtaining the rights to Ufer's calls may have been prohibitive) but it was missed.

Overall though, the documentary was well done and well put together and you come out wishing that it were longer and wishing the Michigan-Ohio State game were this weekend instead of next. Check it out next week when it airs on HBO, it's the perfect appetizer for what should be one heckuva main course when Michigan battles Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl at the Big House in Ann Arbor.