Forget the Fab Five: Michigan’s Renaissance Better Than Ever

He cradled the bronze plated trophy, handed it to Tim Hardaway Jr. and watched as his team celebrated and partied in North Texas. Then came the tears of joys, the prolonged hugs with his wife, Kathleen, and kids and grandkids. John Beilein, Michigan basketball coach, is a big name at the school, and he has renewed a widely known program. He watched his players climb a ladder to cut down a piece of the net, one by one, and he was proud of his players and embraced the moment, realizing a dream had finally come true.

It’s almost unreal that No. 4 Michigan, going to the Final Four for the first time since the Fab Five in 1993, thrashed No. 3 Florida 79-59 in the South Regional final Sunday. It’s a real surprise Michigan has made it to this point, lasting longer than expected and radically becoming the storyline of college basketball, but all season long, the Wolverines rate as having the most efficient offense in college basketball — a prolific backcourt with the likes of Hardaway and Trey Burke, who’s believed to be the best guard in the country.

The program is back and it’s necessarily great for Michigan fans that waited a long time to witness such a gratifying moment again in school history. The reemergence of Michigan in 2013 — when they won 26 games and ranked No. 10 in the final AP Top 25 — rekindled a tradition over all other programs. That’s not an overstatement. It’s the truth. But this Michigan team, which is seeking its second championship in school history, is more extraordinary than the Fab Five.

The year, from beginning to end, has been remarkable and folks have seen a glimpse of the latest version of Michigan basketball and fans may have witnessed the best team in school history, yes, more spectacular and proficient than Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Ray Jackson. However, it didn’t seem like a Michigan team would ever be as good as the Fab Five.

As for this Michigan team now, despite having one of the best offenses in college basketball, they weren’t supposed to beat fifth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth, dismissed by so many experts. As for this Michigan team now, despite having a teacher in Beilein, they weren’t supposed to beat No. 1 Kansas, a team that had seniors who could have beaten the Michigan kids. But star guard, Trey Burke, took the last shot in the final minutes of a thrilling Sweet 16 classic. When he hit the game-tying three-point shot over Kansas’ Kevin Young to send it into overtime for what might have been the most sensational second-half comeback in the history of college basketball, amazingly for Michigan, it stunned the world and generated buzz.

The tournament told a story no one hardly believed, every bit as fabulous as Burke’s seven assists, as grand as center Mitch McGary’s 9 rebounds and as outstanding as Nik Stauskas’ 22-point performance to lead all Michigan scorers. You wouldn’t believe it if you see it, but now you can start believing. Michigan fans, the population in Ann Arbor, haven’t stopped believing — keeping the faith and have been very optimistic that this is the moment for the Wolverines to reign supreme in the Big Ten.

This is a great time for Michigan’s program, a rebirth, a revival — renewing its brand name, mastering success and elevating its chances of winning a second title in school history. This is a great story indeed — and would be even greater if they beat fourth-seeded Syracuse on Saturday night in Atlanta to secure the final spot in the NCAA basketball championship on Monday night. Nobody should, as we have done in the month of Madness, ignore and disrespect a renaissance for a national power that finally made the Final Four, erasing the memories of misadventures and long-suffering. It is real what we’ve seen so far, and yet it’s also too tremendous refusing to acknowledge.

There’s a Big Ten team not many expected to make the Final Four. The chances of Michigan winning the whole tournament, evidently in for a heavyweight fight against Syracuse, are likely although the 2-3 zone defense used by Jim Boeheim is a riddle that some of the best teams in the country haven’t been able to understand. But this season, Burke, who is considered a strong candidate for national player of the year honors, is one of the marquee stars of the Big Ten. He has been combustible, knocking down one of the most famous three-point shots in NCAA history, making a dramatic game-winner to become a hero in the month of March.

The Wolverines reached this year’s Final Four by Burke’s playmaking and game-saving shots and by Stauskas’ three-point shooting. This season means something. This season has been a huge accomplishment. Burke is a superstar, a student of the game. He’s grown and he’s matured into a natural ballplayer, an intelligent sophomore in position to win an NCAA championship. For Burke and Stauskas especially, this was a fantastic kind of performance, having arguably their best game this season.

If this day was any hint as to how superb the Wolverines truly have been in this tourney, disbelievers can appreciate what Michigan has accomplished with these offensive weapons, ideal game strategies and efforts. The Wolverines are playing like, you know, hungry beast. The hustling, strenuous boys of Michigan bolts up the floor, moves the ball before it goes to Burke’s hands and then he beats the press to finish at the rim if the ball doesn’t go to McGary up high. It’s an insult to have a Cinderella tag affixed to Michigan’s name in the NCAA tournament when, in fact, the Wolverines pummeled Florida, who was vital and expected to be a Final Four team to some. It can be lovely to watch, so awe-inspiring, an instant classic every spectator looks for when watching the NCAA tournament.

There was something evidently odd that even Florida coach Billy Donovan didn’t ever see coming in this tournament matchup. The night for 6-foot-6 freshman Stauskas was beyond exceptional, scoring 22 points on just eight shots and finishing 6-for-6 on 3-pointers to become the first player in NCAA regional finals to reach that plateau. The game began with McGary hitting four shots from the paint, jumping out to a 13-0 start and leading by as many as 25 points in the first half to secure a spot in the regional championship next Saturday. The talent, it seems, is everything for Coach Beilein and Michigan, mind you.

It’s amazing what Beilein, at West Virginia and now Michigan, has done to transform both programs into winners. But at Michigan, he’s done more than just transformed the program back into winners. He’s renewed tradition for a well-known school and has been given a chance to coach elite talent, already modifying the program and attracting prospects who might be interested in committing to play for Beilein’s Wolverines. The program, before he came along to restore it, was shredded and paralyzed for all the misfortunes that Michigan invited over the years.

Beilein, one of the best offensive coaches in the game, has done something not even Brian Ellerbe or Tommy Amaker could accomplish. He’s taught his boys to work diligently and give it their best effort. The resurgence of Michigan happened once Beilein arrived to be a teacher to his kids and he has demanded hard work, discipline and unselfishness. The 2013 Wolverines essentially heals and erases the hideous memories of the sanctions and punishments that poisoned the program — victories were vacated, banners were taken down and the school was banned for the postseason.

What’s not to like about this Michigan team?

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Wolverines win it all.

Trey Burke’s Late-Second Heroics Served Up Michigan’s Epic Classic

The folks witnessed a wave of excitement and felt a shiver on Friday night, a tingling sensation vibrating throughout their bodies. The folks went berserk in the building, the Michigan fans screamed and the jitters vanished fast, sending a crowd clad in U of M blue into a state of delirium. The star guard, Trey Burke, the Big Ten player of the year, rescued Michigan in a late comeback, one of the virtuoso classics of March and in this tourney alone.

The Wolverines and No. 1 Kansas played a basketball game that was an epic and thrilling finish — 87-85 win for Michigan in the South Regional semifinals. There’s nothing like the drama of a clutch three-pointer that sent a game into overtime, extending what was incredibly an electrifying ending to probably the greatest last-second shot in NCAA tournament history. Burke is building a legend, in just his sophomore season, his first Elite Eight appearance with Michigan. When he finally heated up, he changed the nature of the game, by hitting jump shots and by scoring on a layup to pull within three.

He has to be Michigan’s hero for his last-second heroics, although, with his first-half struggles and poor shooting, he was not playing virtually like a hero but a wannabe Harlem Globetrotter with funny tricks, lack of discipline and commitment. What this game meant for Burke was to pull off an incredible comeback and climb to elite status. The talk of the college basketball world, of course, is Michigan and Burke’s magnificent shot, turning out to be a dangerous scorer when he’s on the court and pulling through when much is at stake.

More remarkably, Burke poured in 23 points in the second half and overtime, pulling up from far out and burying the game-tying three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left, a shot that forced overtime and saved Michigan’s feel-good season. It happened after Kansas’ Elijah Johnson missed a free throw and Michigan grabbed the rebound. Playing with vehemence and ferocity, Michigan rallied from a 14-point deficit in seven minutes, having a better all-around performance in the final 20 minutes to oust Kansas, who was believed to be en route to the next round and then Atlanta for the Final Four.

There had been moments when Michigan blew opportunities to cut the deficit, but then Burke, who is probably the best point guard in the nation, couldn’t miss a shot after starting the game 3-of-11 while trailing by double digits. With 35 seconds left, Tim Hardaway Jr. missed a 3-pointer in the final moments, but while down by five, Glenn Robinson III stole a Kansas pass and scored a reverse layup. After over two hours of craziness and after freshman center Mitch McGary hit a jumper to give Michigan an 83-82 lead, all part of an awesome game with five lead changes in overtime — the first OT game of the tournament — it’s simply fine to believe in the Wolverines.

The emergence of McGary just clearly means Michigan likely can win it all — or at least scare its next opponent in the South Regional Finals. It appears he’s a scorer, leading Michigan with 25 points and 14 rebounds, although his counterpart, Burke, is getting all the recognition for that one shinning moment. Now, to be logical, McGary still is growing as a player and he’s not a star at the very moment, but he’s quickly bursting into view. The basketball program basically has been retransformed into a national power of the Big Ten, bigger than its little brother, Michigan State, a team that could meet No. 1 overall seed Louisville in the Midwest Regional Finals.

But, in the meantime, Michigan is buoyed by Burke, a vocal leader of this team, and more notably, a factor on offense. He’s having as much fun as ever, and he has encouraged fans to serenade the Wolverines with “Go Blue!” chants, especially when Michigan perpetuated an unimaginable run. All along, Burke’s coach, John Beilein had confidence that he could produce in big moments, and surely, he managed the mental state and tension of an important game nicely.

The fun will continue for Burke and the rest of his teammates when Michigan, a heavy-favored team to make the Final Four, will have a chance to make noise and counter the defensive-minded Gators or Florida Gulf Coast, the darlings of this year’s NCAA tournament. And, more generally, Michigan finished by making the boldest and loudest statement and by getting national regards, advancing deeper into a compelling NCAA tournament. The man of the night was Burke, despite that he was scoreless and struggling in the first half. He’s a Columbus native who grew up a Buckeyes fan, but was not recruited by Ohio State and blossomed into a star at Michigan, becoming the ultimate centerpiece.

All around him are players, contributing and playing collectively, but obviously, from the progress Burke has made this season alone, Beilein gave the reins to his sophomore. That’s what happens when a team’s star player evaporates and plays with confidence after maturing and staying poised and patient, which usually convinces the coach that a player is capable of taking charge. He’s now a floor general, a focal point for Michigan, leading the team the deepest it has been in ages, and with his second half performance, he strengthened his credentials. If he’s aiming to forgo his junior season for the pros, then he may have even enhanced his NBA draft stock, which seems to be the least on his mind — focused on winning the school’s first national since 1989.

This year, Michigan looks like the menace of March, with one of the most prolific backcourts in college basketball. It’s exactly the kind of basketball fans have been craving and there’s a good chance Michigan will be cutting down a net, making it to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994. If the Wolverines walk over the Cinderellas of the tournament or even beat No. 3 Florida on Easter Sunday, a game projected to be just as spectacular as what we’ve witnessed, then Michigan will advance to the Final Four and could cut down the nets in Atlanta, Ga. In a year that anyone can win it all, given the parity and talent of the remaining teams, No. 4 Michigan might just be the team to make it happen.

It’s now time for Dick Vitale to gush over Michigan, then Louisville, then Ohio State, then Wichita State, then maybe Duke.

There will always be surprises, of course, and Michigan happens to be one of those surprises in the 2013 NCAA tournament, refreshing our memories of the Fab Five era, whether the players were scintillating or infamous.

One day, we will look back at Trey Burke.

One day, we will remember Trey Burke. And they will talk about him for many years.

Michigan's Miracle Describes the Wildest Night at Big House

It wasn't enough, obviously, for Notre Dame to survive in a signature event under the lights at Michigan Stadium, where the yellow pom-poms fluttered in the stands as a delirious crowd erupted on a night that Michigan rallied at the Big House. What we desire, no doubt, are breathtaking comebacks by two storied programs aiming to restore proverbial football identities.

We ask for a pair of rival programs to clash in a national scene and like witnessing history in college football. The core responsibility new Michigan coach Brady Hoke has -- stepping into a demanding job in collegiate sports and accepting the challenge to revitalize a deprived program -- could actually be a heavy burden and much tension but also cater to his resume in healing Michigan of its anguish.

Hoke has taken on a role with expectations larger than the average athletic department and has become the successor of the lousy head coach before him, after the university finally constituted a clean-house mandate, purging traces of Rich Rodriguez and an era of post-scandals along with mediocrity.

So now we look to star quarterback Denard Robinson and Hoke as an antidote for Michigan during a moment of rebuilding a decayed football program. Could this have been the turning point?? How good are the Wolverines?? It took Michigan a long time to recapture relevance nationally and it may take a long time for the school to expunge the deficiencies and downfalls in recent memory.

By a glaring gauge -- the one university expected to be ranked among one of the best football programs in the nation -- the magnitude of Michigan athletics has returned to precedence in the Big Ten conference with the exception of Robinson filling in nicely at the hardest position in a team sport. When he connected with his wideout Roy Roundtree for the game-winner, the unthinkable happened.

He had tossed the ball like he was playing catch in his backyard and Roundtree leaped for a 16-yard touchdown pass, and stormed to the end zone with two seconds left to lift Michigan to a meaningful victory. It capped one of the most thrilling, amazing finishes of the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry, so incredible that we'll be talking about this instant classic for ages.

There was unseemly no passiveness in the end. There was a hard-nose fight. Robinson simply led a comeback on the wild, feverish night and Michigan scored 28 points in the fourth quarter alone, including two touchdowns in the final 72 seconds, to stun the Irish 35-31 Saturday night. It all ended from Robinson's heroics, it all ended from his explosiveness and vibrancy, faster than mostly every quarterback in his conference.

More amazingly, the Wolverines won the contest with a total of 80 yards in three plays and two touchdowns in the final 72 seconds. The boys in blue piled four touchdowns in the fourth quarter. It was never pretty or Michigan's greatest game, but as we all know the Wolverines survived and came alive when it mattered after trailing for much of the night.

The hero, a week after Michigan was doubted coming into this rivalry, was Robinson and his reliable wide receivers he depended on greatly. It's just a matter of time before Michigan is dominant again, but as we all know it probably won't be this season. It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to define the Wolverines as one of the best teams in the nation this season.

Not to take anything away from the breathtaking comeback of the coolest night in the Big House as fans erupted a heart-pounding, pom-pom swinging night, but Michigan wasn't so great and couldn't score points on the scoreboard.

In the inaugural night game of school history, Robinson showcased his speed and mobility to lead the Wolverines in the final minutes. Even though Michigan has never lost a home game at night, and even though Robinson seemed rather impressive, he and his teammates still are a working progress. There's no telling whether or not Michigan is a fluke or legit. It should surprise no one, then, that Michigan isn't as scary as last decade when the program qualified for bowl games.

And, right about now, the Wolverines are descent but not stacked to win a national championship, after entering the last minute of the third quarter with seven points and not a single offensive series longer than four plays. Fortunately, realistically, the Irish had a chance to win and blow it in an unforeseen fourth quarter collapse.

The last 2:16 showed how much Michigan embodies Robinson the way Desmond Howard once stood as a factor within an illustrious program. Because he is solely responsible for the renewal of a newborn football culture in Ann Arbor, he partly accounted for Michigan amassing 138 yards and two touchdowns on merely eight plays. What's even harder to realize is that the Wolverines trailed 24-21 late and took over at its 42 before forging a miracle five plays later.

And it was Robinson finding Vincent Smith dashing through Notre Dame defenders for a 21-yard touchdown with only 1:12 left. It never took long for the Irish to answer by rapidly driving to Michigan's 29, and then shortly after Tommy Rees delivered to an uncovered Theo Riddick for a 29-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining.

The Wolverines had finally finished a grueling, miraculous turn around once Robinson threw a nifty rainbow pass to Jeremy Gallon and he indeed reeled in and then darted across the field to dust by Irish defenders. He'd then have no place to run and step out of bounds at the Irish's 16-yard line.

That left Michigan with eight seconds to pull off the miracle and the team certainly prevailed to stun Notre Dame. That's when Robinson dropped back and released it into the end zone to Roundtree, even after he was getting abused by the Irish's Gary Gray. But he'd somehow broken away from Gray and pulled in the game-winning touchdown with two seconds left on a well-executed pass Robinson lofted for one of the sweetest wins in school history.

It was another huge victory for Hoke and Michigan, now 2-0 and victorious in a night game at home, excelling beyond all expectations -- seeking a BCS bowl appearance. It could be a confident booster and Hoke has even proven he is one of the sterling defensive minds in the nation, already uplifting the culture in Michigan and bringing a different feel. But, as we know it, the game could have benefited and went in the favor of Notre Dame.

This was anyone's game -- until Robinson's athleticism outshined the Irish near the end, finishing with 446 yards on total offense against Notre Dame after obtaining more than 500 against the same team a year ago. It's probably fair to say Robinson is truly a Michigan Man in the Big House, and make no mistake he's the face of the Wolverines if he chooses to stay in school, just as much as Hoke is the voice of reason and inspiration for a rejuvenated program.

The three interceptions he had thrown were eclipsed by his incredible turnaround, and no matter how many early miscues he accounted for, he still managed to keep his composure and urge in the closing minutes.

Every time late in the game, he made wise decisions, he defied greatness and he was too fast and potent but had trouble with his accuracy. Whenever he counts on a miracle, then he writes a miraculous chapter of Michigan's historic convention.

And so the lights were on in the Big House. And this time, by now, every Michigan fan is uttering "GO BLUE!!!"

Let's just wait and see.

Denard Robinson Is Man of the Big House: Michigan Has Their Guy

If we grow accustomed to his pesky speed, agility, and mobility flourishing in a storied program wrapped in mystique, maybe it takes heat off an embattled Rich Rodriguez in a hostile environment, where thousands of fans suddenly went silent when Denard Robinson grabbed the spotlight.

If you haven’t noticed the star quarterback who obtained the starting nod over incumbent Tate Forcier and freshman Devin Gardner this fall, well then, you’ve finally witnessed a burgeoning superstar, instantly transforming the culture and lifting Michigan into bowl contention.

As the rain dropped softly on a Saturday afternoon, and the Notre Dame band marched in pleasantly and sounded its traditional lyrics, Robinson, a much unflappable athlete with explosiveness and vision, showcased his singular exploits and enticed us, worthy of leading an accomplished university.

He was standing inside the visitor’s tunnel, then trotted to midfield when the Wolverines were greeted with spiteful boos as the crowd serenaded sinfully. If this truly was a way to boost the intensity of Notre Dame and welcome in a new era under first-year coach Brian Kelly, then it was a beacon of disrespect in the eyesight of Robinson.

In every series, he displayed a cool attribute and contributed to his team’s dazzling performance, especially when he employed everything in Rich Rods’ playbook and accounted for two touchdowns, while he passed for another 244 yards with a touchdown to complete 24 of 40 passes.

Already, in comparison, he is the best quarterback Rodriguez has ever groomed since he cultivated Pat White, a singular and explosive athlete who served as his quarterback at West Virginia. In this lifetime, Robinson is very versatile and he’s a marquee player in Michigan’s resurgence, drawing our attention with his unparalleled feats on the field in merely two starts as the primary leader.

Armed with ultimate quickness, strength and vision, an advantage presumably challenging for opponents to neutralize or slow down, he’s a singular component and has evidently reformed the perspective by producing a school record 383 yards of total offense in his first career start. In one sequence, Robinson dropped back and fired, but on a particular play, he broke from Irish defenders for the most spectacular run late in the second quarter.


He amazingly exposed his athleticism as if he was sprinting in a 400-meter relay, when he took the snap from Michigan’s own 13, drifted to the right side of the field, made a cut and dashed past the Irish defense for the second-longest run ever by a Notre Dame opponent. It was a way to redefine tradition for Michigan, a school known for capping everlasting moments in sports. For such a drastic turnaround, Robinson is the difference maker in leading a program in a rebuilding stage to assemble a momentous foundation.

And more than anything, he rectifies the symbol of a traditional program, to cure a corroded school of tragically diminishing during Rodriguez’s disappointing era. And perhaps the facet of Robinson’s that has revitalized a sense of humanity could be an element for salvaging Rich Rods’ job status that remains uncertain.

But now that he seems to be on pace for a winnable season, his job security is the least concern when there is much at stake on a favorable schedule after knocking off two challenging teams to begin the season.

It’s much too early to tell if he’s a Heisman candidate, but with his incredible performance, it’s never too early to speculate as many of who believe Michigan can qualify for a BCS berth that he’s in conversations for the stiffed-arm statue. It’s fair to acknowledge that this may be the greatest school accomplishment.

So in theory, he cemented his status as the Heisman frontrunner as there is plenty of evidence that he has reached a rare climax in college football, something the average athlete cannot reach in an incredible career.

For the second straight week, he has reached a historic milestone in electrifying games. Listed at 6-feet, 193 pounds, he’s very muscular and agile on the field, an offensive weapon to Michigan’s advantage. By repeating greatness again, this is anything but a fluke. It’s anything but surreal. Instead, it’s a feeling of assurance and realization at a university that has been longing a bliss and competitiveness, to finally escape the misery of collapsing early in the regular-season.

When he sprinted for an electrifying 87-yard touchdown run, he installed hope in the minds of the supporters wearing blue. When he finished the day with 258 yards on the ground and 244 yards passing, he exactly stood as a remedy to a gratifying revival. The breathtaking attributes are good for a young and energetic team, still overcoming the travesty that had Michigan mired in a state of unfamiliarity.

It was a swaggering game, and it had a lot of messages—perhaps it was a statement game that the Wolverines have legitimized toughness as long as they have an exciting, speedy Robinson to conduct the heaviest task on the field.

All together, Michigan had a tallied 532 yards of total offense, and better yet, Robinson had 502 against a depleted Notre Dame in the first-half alone. It’s a moral assessment to admittedly declare him as a brilliant superstar, a savor to Rich Rod, the head coach of Michigan. Just a year ago, he was on the hot seat, but the athletic department opted to retain the underachieving instructor, knowingly understanding his pattern of cultivating kids and building a sturdy program by recruiting masterfully.

As it stands for now, Robinson relieves stress and produce life if he alarms a football school with countless displays of clutch finishes.

The Wolverines were effective in scoring 24 points, thanks in large part to Robinson’s mindset and effort on capping a 28-24 win to fight off Notre Dame in South Bend. With an astonishing comeback in the final seconds, he led the Wolverines to survival when he calmly drove the ball down the field and converted on fourth-and-inches, following a play on third-and-five in the red zone. That brings us to the thrilling game winner, when he clinched the win on a two-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds remaining.

“We played as a team,” Robinson said,” The defense had our back all game…we had to have their backs (at the end).”

The momentum shifted, though in this game, when Notre Dame relied on Nate Montana, the Irish third-string quarterback 11 minutes into the game. He is, the son of Joe, and made his debut after Dayne Crist suffered an eye injury on a touchdown across the goal line on the opening drive.

“I’m proud of our young guys,” Rodriguez said. “They hung in there.”

Certainly, they did.

But in that last drive, Robinson was the man and accounted for six passes, five completions, five rushes, 72 yards of offense, and a touchdown. Most of all, he’s a clutch player. And his total of yardage is unbelievable.

That was amazingly executed.

Is Michigan Better Off Saving Rich Rodriguez? I Say Yes

The surroundings in Ann Arbor are somber. This season alone, reality has exposed a peculiar scenario inside a prestigious program.

Considering mystique has dwindled in the last two seasons under head coach Rich Rodriguez, skeptics instantly doubt that his coaching methods isn’t befitting within a superior school.

Mired in utter disarray, the primary option is pleading for Rodriguez to be fired for underachieving in his second season. But folks in Michigan fail to realize, the embattled coach hasn’t really been giving an opportunity in two seasons. Sometimes, it takes more than two seasons, turning a depleted and unsuccessful program into a legitimate contender.

Besides RichRods’ failures of turning the Michigan Wolverines into Michigan Men as the late Bo Schembechler presented for decades, Rodriguez is responsible for staining the program's image in most perspectives.

The pride of Michigan was corrupted when Rodriguez allegedly violated NCAA rules as well as losing 16 games in two seasons. If the allegations are true, the administration would be embarrassed to accompany an embattled Rodriguez. As we know, athletic director Bill Martin abandoned the Lloyd Carr reign, rekindling a weakened tradition before a well-known practice reduced ideal.

But losing twice against Ohio State is awful on Rodriguez’s resume. Put it this way, it’s similar to having two strikes for committing a heinous crime. In this case, though, RichRod is identified as the scapegoat of Michigan’s problematic downfalls, when it remains unknown if struggling to guide the Wolverines to a BCS game is really his fault.

It’s premature to blame Rodriguez of breakdowns. In history, it’s difficult doubting a man known for redeeming himself of fluctuant seasons. Putting Rodriguez under fire could be a regrettable mistake. He’s responsible for strengthening a disregarded Big East Conference during a highly praised coaching tenure at West Virginia, where he elevated an uninspiring program.

His popularity ascended and expanded coaching opportunities in the future, in which he was evaluated as a potential candidate for schools interested in his coaching abilities. Despite the losing percentage and failing to secure top quarterback prospect Terrelle Pryor, Rodriguez is a brilliant recruiter and assembled effective tools for building a dynamic class.

By any means, his shrewd standards haven’t met the criteria of Michigan’s athletics. One reason is, he allowed archrivals Ohio State to snatch their next top-notch quarterback. Secondly, the allegations humiliated a much-respected program. And thirdly, he’s not winning enough games to qualify for BCS games.

Some folks in Michigan still aren’t stomaching the outbidding failures of not grabbing Pryor. Instead, the Wolverines were mocked and beguiled by the Buckeyes interest in Pryor. Losing out on the bid emotionally hurt Michigan fans and damaged Rodriguez’s credibility. As it stands, he’s being doubted for all the blunders he has committed of late as we are blinded of what has transpired in his previous coaching job.

Even if Michigan wasn’t as competent, firing Rodriguez isn’t the solution. It’s understandable the Wolverines were formerly a primary school in the nation, but patience is the key if angling for success. Giving Rodriguez another season to turn around two seasons of dismal only seems rational.

Of course, influencing a displeased fan base to plead for Rodriguez’s return is impossible. As tradition carries on, Michigan fans are never too delighted after a demoralizing 21-10 loss to the Buckeyes. But even worst is the fact he became the first coach to lose two games to Ohio State. Since the season has come to a close, fans waved farewell to RichRod on Saturday and hoisted anti-Rodriguez banners. Those are indications of an unstable job status with all the chaos staining the winningest program in college football.

Seeing Michigan’s mystique dwindle is unforeseen, particularly when they’re guided by one of the acclaimed coaches in the nation. More shockingly, he was accused for over practicing and working players, which is prohibited in NCAA rules. Knowingly, Rodriguez has to have a winning season to clear his name of accusations. It’s a remedy for saving his job, if Martin withholds his dismissal.

But if not, Richie Rich isn’t liable according to his $2.5 million contract over six seasons as the buyout decreases by $500,000 each season. Unless the program starts winning a significant amount of games and reaches a national title or a BCS bowl game, he’s guaranteed a bonus. But earning big cash is unlikely, if he continues to suffocate and doesn’t repeat similar deeds as at West Virginia.

In the midst of disasters, tradition has diminished under RichRod. But he has been giving another shot to redeem flaws, when Martin acknowledged he’ll endorse Rodriguez. For now, he’ll remain Michigan’s head coach entering next season. Without hesitating, Martin utterly informed the media of their coaches’ job status.

“Rich Rodriguez is our coach”, he said. “I and the administration fully support him, and you’ll see him in the future.”

That’s a wise choice, bringing back a coach whose pattern has been to struggle in the first few seasons, but gradually inspire a program. Martin is aware of his ability to turn a downcast program into an elite competitor. And if so, instead of criticizing, we’ll praise RichRod for the turnaround.

Although he’s 8-16 in two seasons as Michigan head coach, the Wolverines seemed as if they were the pesky Michigan Men. They won their first four games of the season, but collapsed late and finished with a 5-7 record. Last year, setting a historic milestone wasn’t momentous, but somewhat disturbing to their trademark. An unusual sequence of a 3-9 losing season was the first in school history since 1962-63 season.

So, it’s understandable on why he’s taking a beaten in Michigan. But giving up on RichRod, Michigan might not strive for a long time and would need to adapt to a new coaching system. The players have adjusted to Rodriguez’s schemes, confident next season is bound to offer positive developments. If nobody else believes in RichRod, I believe he has a large influence on the future.

As the time progress, let’s not give up on RichRod. Like they utter “Go Blue”, I’ll utter Go RichRod.

Michigan Mystique Dwindles After Rich Rodriguez Lets Scandal Rekindle

As mystique continues to dwindle, erasing “Go Blue” chants and echoing crying sounds at one of college football’s elite program, Rich Rodriguez is again thrown in the middle of all the utter confusion.

He’s irritable, emotionally disheartened, and infuriated as the season looms closer. He was seeking to rebuild a legitimate program, but now Rodriguez is the scapegoat for staining what could’ve been a forceful program in the near future.

Just like most well-known programs, Michigan is one of the most demanding in the nation. Each year, they’re expected to sustain a Bowl game, and Rodriguez is expected to guide the Wolverines back to the top.

But they’re not reaching standards as expected, and now transforming into a disoriented crisis. The program is faced with a troubling scandal, which endangers the upcoming season, and of course, Rodriguez’s future.

According to several players, he has violated NCAA rules, restricting the amount of practice and training time that the team is giving. The ramifications are unreal and stunning for an influential coach who built a dynamic powerhouse in the Big East.

Players were forced to work hard, extra hours, long nights by strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis, dating back to his tenure in West Virginia. Many were devoted to participate in practice drills last offseason for 15 to 21 hours a week, failing to abide by the limit of eight hours.

If allegations are true, the scandal stains the befitting coaching tenured before Rodriguez committed to take on a rigid challenge.

From his resume, he was the future to Michigan’s rebuilding plans, and was beneficial to uplift and revitalize ambition for winning. Above all, Rodriguez has taken bashings from critics, after first impressions took a downfall when he finished with a 3-9 record in his rookie season and embarrassingly led the program to more failures.

Just when you thought they’d magnified their chances of competing against USC, Florida, Texas or Oklahoma, by shutting the doors on long-time coach Lloyd Carr and replacing him with Rodriguez, an intelligent recruiter who was bestowed with tremendous credit at West Virginia, have toppled into impediments with the Wolverines.

Receiving credit isn’t nearly engaging at Michigan. Guiding raw and inexperience players with high expectations, including his successful resume, Rodriguez was supposed to turn an underachieving program into an excelling program. Instead, he watched a long and miserable season inhibit eminence.

But creating a new solution to establish superiority isn’t always bad. But when it involves extra practice time for violating health safety and academic study time, it’s a devastating scandal that can punish Rodriguez and Michigan. It can ruin years of traditional mystique, if the program is guilty of NCAA infractions.

It will expunge everything Michigan has ever possessed, including reminiscences of the late and legendary coach Bo Schembechler, who imprinted dignity and polish in the 1970’s.

Years of elite talent and coaching elegance is least important, as Rodriguez fatally watches the program diminish. A long-term commitment and future can be on the line. Before allegations struck Rodriguez, I said Michigan needed one more season to see if he’s the perfect coach to renew traditionally aspects.

I respected him for building a helpless program into an elite program, and have identified him as a phenomenal coach for strategizing and designing plays. But Michigan likes Rodriguez for his charisma and inspiration, which creates unity and emphasizes collaboration.

With allegations surfacing in bad timing, Rodriguez, who’s faced with a burden and is being investigated by the administration was emotionally angry at the press conference on Monday. In front of reporters, he tried to clear guilt, his name, and defending the program and himself of the allegations, which will overlap into the season.

Don’t be surprised if an underdog pulls off an upset to become the next Appalachian State with all the interruptions, preventing Rodriguez and Michigan from impression the nation.

Suddenly, Rodriguez is the most dislikable coach in Ann Arbor and could even fair as the dislikable coach of all-time among Michigan athletics. At this time, he is the blame for humiliation on a program that hasn’t seen stigma since the early '90s, when forward Chris Webber signaled a timeout with none left.

Making players work to hard, is regrettable, if Rodriguez isn’t allowed to maintain his coaching job and if it dismantles prominence.

Mistakes will cost him, by making players work to hard. It wasn’t worth the extra weight-lifting or practice drills, but it was worth amplifying mystique.