Buyer’s Remorse?
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the boys up North, it does.
Pickerington product Justin Boren has quit the Michigan football team during spring practice. Boren, an honorable mention all conference selection as a sophomore last season, started 13 games for the Wolverines at center and guard and was one of only two returning o-lineman that had seen any type of significant minutes for the team.
Boren had spoken out about the pace of practices and all of the barking from the new coaching staff that expected its hogs to run back to the line of scrimmage in the Wizard Slinging Snake Oil’s hurry-up offense.
The transition year(s) are always rough and some of this is to be expected. Despite not landing LeBron in Cleats, Rodriguez did put together a pretty decent class.
He’ll get players and he will win with that system eventually, but you have to wonder about his ability to get his guys to the next level. To be fair, a lot of NFL trends have percolated up from the college ranks (running back by committee, anyone?) and perhaps the NFL will be spread central someday.
But as we saw with the Pryor decision, and Boren more than likely reinforced this, the perception is out there that the offense Rodriguez runs only gets you one Escalade instead of three on draft day.
Boren would look great in Buckeye gear, but the whole sitting out one year and.. oh yeah.. the little rivalry thing (his pops played for Bo) would probably nix that idea. Then again, at least he’d get a chance to earn a pair of gold pants.
Don’t recruits that go to Ohio State get two Escalades just for going to OSU?
Sorry, too easy. In all seriousness, Boren would not be able to transfer to Ohio State simply because he’d have to sit out two years (in-conference transfer) and would have to pay his own way. Oh, and obviously Michigan would probably not allow him to go to OSU.
I have to think that the overall thrust of the post was less about Boren coming to Ohio State and more about the surface level abject failure of a hire that this is turning into.
I could be illiterate though. I’m just a stupid Ohioan, not a classy Michigander.
I’m all for trashing UM as much as possible. But you have to wonder about a guy who is complaining about too much conditioning.
I agree with Mark. It’s Boren’s job to run wherever the coaches tell him, and do it as hard as they ask him to do it.
That said, could the transition from Carr (a curmudgeon, but honorable) to Rodri-GuessWhereI’mCoachingNow go any worse? Good God. A lawsuit, whiffing on a slam-dunk recruit, a high-profile transfer.
I still think it’s hysterically funny when a pro-m*ch*g*n guy makes inferences about handouts in another program. Especially when you cheer for a school that gave us the “Fab Five.”
One has to figure there are going to be defections with a new staff in there, but for this kids sake, I hope it wasn’t because they had to run back to the huddle.
However, I would have remorse over the ongoing buyout dispute. Is RR really going to let this drag on into the summer and possibly the beginning of next season? If I was UM, I would be telling him to get it taken care ASAP, because there are some academic issues they have to work out as well.
Really conflicted here.
On the one hand, it makes me giggle every time something just as silly as this gets blown out of proportion. I agree with comments above about a player quitting over conditioning and I just can’t believe UM hired this guy without taking care of the buyout themselves. They do have attorneys up there, right?
On the other hand, I’d like for the Buckeyes to have a practice game against a decent opponent that can run the spread right before going bowl time. (yes, that is a joke and no, Illinois doesn’t count).
DY,
you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Michigan doesn’t have to let him go. Per Big Ten rules he can transfer anywhere he wants in the Big Ten, but he must sit ONE year and pay his own way,
They are going to be in for a long season. Is 6 wins too much to expect?
SNAP! with the goldpants comment. i love it!
Enjoy it now…Because we all know that you would rather Michigan have Lloyd Carr and his predictable offense and lack of half time adjustments!
Face it- Michigan is much better with RR and you will see this come the fall.
Listen to that voice in the back of your head saying “o crap, things are going to change” Give RR two years and it’s going to be a rivalry again!!!
Respectfully yours (for now)
One other thought-
Have you guys heard the Michigan players talk about the new strength and conditioning program?
The guys say they have never worked this hard in their life, there bodies are being transformed and there endurance is rising.
Two things- This is going to weed out the wimps that skimped by under the old regime and it will take the dedicated players to another level? Does this mean Michigan wins more games? maybe, but it does mean we will be the best we can possibly be, which is something I COULD NEVER SAY about the Lloyd Carr era…and any honest buckeye will admit to that .
I hear footsteps
Still Respectfully yours
This is only what was released to the press. Justin also included a long list of other unconscionable changes in the program since Carr’s departure, which included:
- Cancellation of nap time.
- No longer being able to watch “16 Candles” in the film room.
- Coaches now screaming instructions rather than saying “Whosagoodboy? Yousagoodboy!”
- Weight training.
- Long runs no longer rewarded with steak sandwich.
- Hard work now required rather than encouraged.
Don’t get me wrong, I know things aren’t easy in the Michigan locker room right now. Barwis installed a treadmill where the old ice cream machine used to be and Coach Rodriguez now insists they re-hydrate with water and Gatorade rather than sausage gravy. Man. That’s some cold shit. Linemen are expected to run? What’s this shit? If they wanted to run they’d be robbing banks. Doesn’t Rodriguez know Linemen have “zones” to block so they don’t have to run? Doesn’t he know they got donuts on Wednesdays and cake every Friday if they were good?
All those “family values” of pizza and brown sugar milkshakes have been torn down by the bitter, hedonistic scourge of hard work and accountability. Nothing made you feel closer to your coaches than being coddled when you screwed up. Nothing shows a coach really cares like sheltering your underachieving ass from responsibility. This new, evil regime isn’t how Michigan has “worked together” in the past. Dammit, it took teamwork to be embarrassed by Appalachian State and Oregon in back to back weeks. It’s hard for linemen to perform when they’re asked to run from one place to another without coughing up a lung or to expect more out of themselves than being able to single handedly shut down an all-you-can-eat buffet.
OHIO STATE- LAUGH NOW…BUT MICHIGAN IS CHANGING AND FOR THE BETTER!
Jer,
The footsteps you hear are those of Minnesota hot on your trail to overtake you as the 10 best team. BTW, Lloyd took you to the promise land in ‘97 so I’d say that was the best you could possibly be.
Love,
TB
All your linemen are belong to us.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/03/27/osufb_notes27.ART_ART_03-27-08_C1_EI9OQ98.html?sid=101
Isn’t that what’s engraved on the Statue of Liberty?
“Give me your tired, your fat,
Your huddled massive NFL linemen yearning to breathe free…”
Seems to be a lot of standing up for RR, when he has not showed any type of class or good decision making since before the Pitt game. I would be extremely nervous about RR, as he was only 5-2 in the Big Least conference the last two years and lost a game each year that could have sent him to the BCS game.
No matter what they claim, they have to be a little bit nervous if they have any brains.
I remember how much the arrival of Tressel and his accompanying lawsuits, players quitting the team and all that set the Bucks back when he arrived. Oh wait..
atleast you have a great basketball team :)
your daddy
tampa buckeye
Guys this is hilarious, Michigan was outdated, overweight and undisciplined under Lloyd Carr. We go out and get a BCS proven coach who has a proven track record of winning with less talent in the Big East. He has also won 2 BSC bowl games, something Michigan and Ohio State can’t say in the past two years! (Note, that was his team and our new OC that won that game, so yes 2)
So, here he comes with HIS ENTIRE STAFF (minus one) to Michigan, REVOLUTIONISES our strength and conditioning program and brings our offence into the present age!
This can’t help Ohio State.
Admit it; you liked it when Michigan was fat and predictable!
Those days are over!
REVOLUTIONISES != revolutionizes
Thought Michigan fans were supposed to be bright.
Boeckman Fett- Don’t forget the “offence”
Jeremy, I really hope you are on Spring Break from the 6th grade, because that is the level of intelligence you have displayed so far. First of all, RR left his team before the BCS game, so no he did not win two BCS games the last couple of years. Second of all, he has no proven track record and I would love to hear some actual reasoning behind your “proven track record” Getting to a BCS game from the Big East is not that special, even you should be able to realize that conference is filled with “less talented” players, so getting the automatic bid by beating UConn and then losing to Pitt is in no way an honorable route of getting there.
I think you should worry about the negative publicity RR has brought to Ann Arbor since his departure from WVU. Your new coach has not showed one hint of class and while you turn a blind eye to it now, this is the new face of Michigan football and it will come back to bite in the end. He lost to Dave Wannstadt at home, with a chance to go to the BCS game! What is he going to do when Jim Tressel is in the stadium? Buckeye fans are not scared, RR has not won a meaningful game in his career.
Wells,
I’m not trying to defend a guy from up north, but RR is a proven coach. We took a much bigger gamble with the vest.
WELLS,
I noticed you didn’t comment on the S&C / Play calling section of my comment! That’s the main point of all of this. You can play the “image card†but that isn’t what wins games! Hard work does!
Michigan is back at work…that should make you somewhat uncomfortable.
Look. I’m not saying RR=total dominance over you…Simply saying it isn’t going to hurt us.
Michigan will be more focused than ever…again that cant be good for you.
Who cares: First of all, I am sure you and Jeremy are the same person. But if you are not, we DIDN’T take a chance on the vest, he had already won 4 national titles (in a playoff system) and had been to two other title games, that is a proven track record. RR did not start doing well at WVU until Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech left the conference.
Jeremy- I would still love to hear why RR is a proven coach. His play calling maybe ahead of the times, but defenses will always catch up, just ask South Florida and Pitt. As far as Berwis, your S&C guy, we will see, I don’t think the Big East is close to the Big Ten conference. I saw three WVU games live over the past two years and they were doing nothing (except turning it over) that was impressive. Different conference, different style of football.
You failed to address the lack of class RR has showed since he departed. I would like to hear your opinion on that. I’m excited there is renewed energy up north, but I would wait until some games are played before I start telling people they are scared of my new coach. The only thing that scares me about RR is his fugly wife, she looks classy as well.
Yeah, I have to agree with the wife comment! :-)
Justin Turner to M. Two top 50 recruits already. Oh yeah. Things are really falling apart. Rodriguez is bringing down the entire program. Princess Boren was right, there are no family values at M. Bring back Carr I say. Bring back those good wholesome family values.
Only 2 recruits thus far? Congrats. I guess…