Michigan Coach In Hot Seat
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez's seat is getting a little bit warmer as the weeks go by.
Not only has the team lost their last 4 games against FBS teams, they are currently under investigation by the NCAA for alleged rules violations.
If the NCAA finds that Rodriguez and his staff have violated practice limits it would be the first major violation in Michigan football history.
Fans might have been able to swallow such allegations if the team was winning, but since Michigan's 4-0 start, they have lost 5 of the last 6 games, the only win coming over Delaware St., a Division 2 team.
The Wolverines have a legitimate chance to lose their last 3 games, against Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio St., which would leave the team one win short of being bowl eligible.
To make matters worse allegations seem to be coming out against Rodriguez nearly every week, first from West Virginia, then a relationship with a known booster from Clemson, and now the practice violations.
Coming off the worst season in school history last season, Rodriguez had little room for error. If Rodriguez wants to keep his job his team needs to win one of their last games, make it to a bowl game and show vast improvement next season. If not, Michigan may be searching for a new coach this time next season.
The most disturbing trend of this season is the lack of improvement from week to week. The latest blowout loss came at Illinois, a team with only one previous win all season.
Michigan's defense, minus Brandon Graham, has been regressing each week and has been shredded by sub-par offenses. And it doesn't look as though much help in on the way. Rodriguez's most recent recruiting class only includes 9 players on the defensive side of the ball, and none of those 9 players have received anything over a 3 star ranking according to scout.com.
Rodriguez needs to do what he can to salvage this season, distance himself from any more problems, and field a significantly better team by next season. If he does not, his third season in Ann Arbor will be his last.