Season Saver? Only Because UM Has Nothing To Lose

There have been several articles written lately about how Saturday's Michigan-Ohio State game can salvage Michigan's woeful season. To some extent, that is certainly true. Others are claiming that Wolverines Head Coach Rich Rodriguez doesn't quite "get" "The Game," and therefore Michigan's already-unlikely chance of winning is even more improbable. That's just unfounded. It's foolish to judge Rodriguez and his level of respect for the greatest rivalry in college football before he's even participated in the game. Let's go back to Jan. 18, 2001, the day Jim Tressel was announced as the new coach of the Buckeyes. Addressing a crowd at a home basketball game against Michigan, Tressel had this to say: "I can assure you that you'll be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially, in 310 days in Ann Arbor, MI, on the football field." Tressel's predecessor, John Cooper, was believed to be fired mainly because of his numerous failures against OSU's ... (link)