Michigan Tries Spread Offense, Fails

Everyone had a fat friend when they were a kid.

He was that friend you would spend nice, sunny summer afternoons inside watching TV with because he didn't want to get sweaty running around outside. Everyone also had that hyperactive friend that loved being outside and would play tag all day if you wanted to.

Rich Rodriguez tried playing tag with fat kids during Michigan's home opener on Saturday.

Ever since Rodriguez was hired back in December, the hot topic in Ann Arbor has been the spread offense. Rival Ohio State has struggled in recent memory with teams running the spread, so fans understandably got a little giddy when Michigan hired Rich-Rod.

But this is Michigan, a power running football program since before Bo's time. A team with that much history of recruiting big powerful players would need time to transition in to the fast, lean spread offense that Rodriguez had in mind. Right?

Wrong.

Instead of easing his big, lumbering fat kids in to a game of tag with, say, a warm up game of duck, duck, goose; Rodriguez came out running. Figuratively, of course. Because Michigan's high powered offense ran for exactly 36 yards versus Utah. Not exactly Pat White and Steve Slaton numbers.

Rodriguez's new biggest rival to the south, Jim Tressel, has made a living out of adjusting his game plan and offensive scheme to the talent he has.

One year he has a pass happy, spread-like offense with Troy Smith, the next he plays conservative and runs with Chris Wells. Not because that's what offense he believes in, but because that's what worked best with the talent they had. Rich Rodriguez might want to take notes.

Steven Threet is a drop back, heave the ball down field, kind of quarterback. He showed that on Saturday with a precision 33-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway in the third quarter. But that was all Threet could do. After that Threet looked like what he is; a freshman.

Credit should be given to quarterback Nick Sheridan, he at least tried to run Rich-Rod's complicating spread scheme.

In the first quarter, he threw a short touchdown and seemed to be doing a good job managing the game. That didn't last long either. In the all important rushing column statistics, Sheridan ended the day with five carries for two yards.

Michigan won't end the season 0-12, Utah is an excellent team, but Saturday's game should be a good measuring stick of the talent the Wolverines have. The most important part of coaching is making adjustments. How will Rodriguez adjust with his fat kids?