Ohio State Buckeyes: Rich Rodriguez Is Coming to Ann Arbor
Posted December 17th, 2007 by George Thomas
There will be some out there in Buckeye Nation who downplay the Rich Rodriguez's arrival at the University of Michigan. Do so at your own peril.
I'll be honest, a week ago I would have put cash on Les Miles taking the job on Jan. 8 after the BCS National Championship Game. I was wrong. And I'm sorry I was wrong, because I thought had Miles come to Michigan, Jim Tressel might have spent the next decade rolling his teams.
Rodriguez is a different story. With him comes an offense that should scare the bejesus out of every Buckeye fan. That spread offense with an athletic quarterback beat them this season when Illinois shocked them in the Horseshoe and it got them in Glendale, Ariz. when the Florida Gators took a huge bite out of them.
To be honest, the Buckeyes defense in its current incarnation don't match well against it. That's a big reason that OSU fans should be relieved that they're not facing the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Additionally, Rodriguez could end up bringing the No. 1 prospect in Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pa. to Ann Arbor as well. Pryor is a dual threat - he can pass, he can run. According to reports, the Buckeyes have told Pryor that they are willing to structure an offense around his skills. The difference between OSU and Michigan with Rodriguez? Rodriguez already has the offense that Pryor likes.
It will interesting to watch this one play out.
December 17th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
I am part of the Buckeye nation and I am very happy that they got RR. Correct me if I am wrong but WV could not beat an unrated Pitt and yet you believe that the Buckeyes should be scared. For Pryor's sake he should go to the Buckeyes. scUM has to rebuild to get a spread offense. That could take 3 plus years. The Buckeyes already have an offense capable of the spread. If you do not believe it then look back 2 years when they had Troy Smith run it. The Bucks also have a #1 rated defense that will spank Pryor if he is a scUM. Three out of six of the pryor years the bucks played for the national championship. Pryor can go where its already built or suffer through building which may not be able to be built well. Go Bucks!!!
December 18th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Aaahh Scott, spoken like a true believer who's swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid.
The spread offense's efficacy depends on one thing - an athletic quarterback with the ability to throw and run. I'll give credit to Pitt for defensing it properly, but what you don't acknowledge is that the last two times the Buckeyes have faced it they've lost.
Don't throw out defensive rankings on me. Stats are for geeks and people who generally don't want to face reality. The fact is that the Buckeyes have lost to the spread offense two of the last three times they've faced it. The lone win coming against mighty Northwestern.
Terrelle Pryor said in published reports yesterday that Michigan is now on his list because of that offense. If Rodriguez has Pryor, who could start from day one, speedy receivers and a decent running back, the spread can work there right away.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Tressel always says he coaches to beat Michigan. Recruiting and practicing to defend a spread offense might be the best thing to happen to the Buckeyes.
I'm not sure Rodriguez' spread offense is as scary as Florida's, however. I wouldn't call Pat White a great passer, and can't think of one who came out of West Virginia for a while.
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
George, did the intern take his Prius with him on Christmas break?
Maybe in the future you could carpool with the guy from the Lorain paper when the Buckeyes play b-ball in Columbus. It would be a few bucks for gas, though.
December 24th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Gee, Larry:
Sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't allowed time off. But that's besides the point considering I was driving to Cincinnati on Saturday to cover the Browns game on Sunday.
December 24th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
If you had time off, that's good. I thought maybe there were more budget cuts.
December 24th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Well Larry, because you're so heavily vested in my well being. My priorities are thus until after the first of the year:
Buckeyes football
Browns football
sports media
After I return from the BCS Championship Game, yes they're sending me, 100,000 carrier pigeons will hoist me up by razor thin steel wires and fly me to the Big Easy. While there I'll be living in a FEMA trailer that the ABJ managed to secure for a week.
December 26th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Now that's funny, George!
December 28th, 2007 at 1:15 am
Yes, larry, but the sad thing is George isn't trying to be funny. I hope he doesn't bring his wife, that won't make for much of a second honeymoon. But at least the Beacon Journal was able to secure George the FEMA trailer for an entire week. How times change. They only let Tom Reed use it for a maximum of three days.