I’ve been with Michigan for about 17 years. That’s a major part of my life (I’m 27). You see, I wasn’t always a Michigan fan, merely because I didn’t know any better. I grew up in a Buckeye household, and like all little kids, was forced to wear the obligatory OSU gear my parents made me wear. When I went into 5th grade (I was about 10), I started to make my own sports decisions and one of the first was to become a Michigan fan.
I’ll tell you, it wasn’t easy growing up a Wolverines fan in a home full of Buckeyes. I grew up in a small town right outside Toledo, Ohio. For those who don’t know much about Toledo, it’s home to the fiercest UM-OSU rivalry between Ann Arbor and Columbus. Located about 53 miles south of Ann Arbor (1 hour’s drive) and 140 miles north of Columbus (2.5 hours drive), Toledo is the biggest city between the Big House and the Shoe, making it the ideal place for a fierce UM-OSU rivalry. Nearly half of the city and surrounding area root for the Wolverines and the other half root for the Buckeyes. Considering this is the greatest college football rivalry of all time, things can get kind of crazy!
It’s funny because you’d think they’d be crazy in Ann Arbor and Columbus. Not so. The vast majority of people living in Ann Arbor are for UM. The vast majority of people living in Columbus are for OSU. There is no major rivalry going on in the cities, unless the opposing team and all their fans make their way to said city. It’s not like Toledo. Toledo is special if for no other reason than that it epitomizes how NCAA football and this massive rivalry have made their way into the lives of the people who consider themselves fans. NCAA football is huge in the Midwest and this rivalry can pit father against daughter, brother against brother and even wife against husband. There is no better (or worse) time in Toledo then in November, on Saturdays, especially *that* Saturday.
Now that you know a little about my history as a Michigan Wolverines fan, I want to talk about the Michigan legacy. I’ve heard “winningnest-shminingnest” Michigan is over”, “Michigan has no hope” and a variety of other negative comments concerning the newly re-formed Michigan team. I never gave up hope that the Wolverines would come back and make me proud. They did just that, beating rival Wisconsin 27-25 in last Saturday’s game. There is no doubt Michigan has a long way to go, but we’ve been able to get just a small peek into what new Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez is capable of accomplishing with these guys!
I know there have been naysayers about Rodriguez, but I’m not one of them. I like him. I think he’ll be excellent for this team. I’m glad he’s the new coach. Sure, they could have hired within Michigan, but after last season, the school needed a boost; something fresh and new. The Big Ten, as a whole, is becoming stale. We’ve seen the same ol’ same ol’ from schools like OSU. All of these schools need a makeover and now it just happens to be Michigan’s turn.
For those who don’t like Rodriguez, but like Michigan, I say give him a chance. He obviously knows what he’s doing. Look at how exceptionally well West Virginia played last year. He is the first to say converting to a spread offense takes time, but the Michigan team (many of whom are freshman) seem to be doing enough to have won two games, the latter of which was the comeback of the century! If you recall last year, we were run over by spread offenses. That was part of our problem. Now I’m seeming a lot of dynamic things going on that I haven’t seen (very often if at all) in Michigan throughout the years.
These things include:
-QBs making long dashes for first downs and more (Steven Threet’s 58 yard rush)
-RBs breaking through the line for large gains (Sam McGuffie is going to be a force to be reckoned with after he’s more comfortable with the spread - Brandon Minor also impressed on Saturday)
-Interceptions leading to TDs
-Punters running before they kick, just in case they can run for a first down - very clever I might add
So, while Rodriguez isn’t 100% certain how well these guys are going to play each week, he’s certainly doing all he can to make sure the team improves. I welcome Rodriguez with open arms and hope we get a few more wins this season!
I do believe Michigan is entering a new era. New traditions are being made while old ones are respected, some of them resurrected. Football is getting played in a new, modern way that is going to allow Michigan to truly compete with other teams in and out of the league again. I couldn’t have asked for more for this team. Neither could you. Give Rodriguez a try. If he doesn’t work out in a year or two, then complain. Otherwise, give the man a chance. He deserves it.
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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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