Michigan Lost More Than a Game Saturday

Michigan lost a lot more than a game on Saturday. As Steven Threet’s desperation Hail-Mary fell to the turf at Ross Ade Stadium the Bo Schembechler Era official died at Michigan. Oh sure, we said the Bo Era came to an end when Rich Rodriguez was hired back in December, but things still looked and felt the same.

At Rich’s introductory press conference, held at the Junge Family Champions Center, you had to pass by a giant block ‘M’ on the wall with the saying, “Those Who Stay Will Be Champions” under it. This was Bo’s most famous saying, one that he put on the wall shortly after taking the Michigan job.

Fred Jackson was still on staff as the running backs coach, he coached under Lloyd Carr, who coached under Bo. Lloyd was still on campus serving as the associate athletic director, and the football practice facility was still called Schembechler Hall. It was going to be different, but it was still Bo’s Michigan. It was what he had built. It was what he had created.

And from 1969-2007 no other college football program was able to achieve the same level of sustained excellence. For 38 years this was Bo’s Michigan. He didn’t coach all 38 years himself, but there was always a part of him on the coaching staff, whether it was Gary Moeller taking over for Bo, or Lloyd Carr after him.

They were both Schembechler products, they came from the Schembechler coaching staff. They were one of us, they were familiar, they were comfortable, and they won.

The transition was easy from one to the other because they were essentially the same; they were Bo. When Lloyd would yell at an official you saw Bo coming through, when Chris Perry ran 50 plus times against Michigan State you saw Bo, when Desmond Howard scored touchdowns like Anthony Carter used to you saw Bo, or when five foot nothing Mike Hart was carrying the team like five foot nothing Jamie Morris did you saw Bo.

When Threet’s desperation pass fell to the ground on Saturday the Bo Era fell with it. It came to an end after 38 years and compiling a record of 360 wins, 101 losses, eight ties, 21 Big Ten Championships, and one national championship. And, like all history, when one era comes to a close another starts.

The Michigan football program now belongs entirely to Rich Rodriguez, and with it everything that has been familiar to Michigan’s alumni and fans is gone. Saturday officially marked the start of the Rich Rod Era, and that era is off to a 2-7 start, something Michigan has not seen since 1967, and something that is not going to sit well with the followers of the House of Bo.

Here’s hoping this new era is as prosperous as the last. Rich doesn’t have a choice.

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