Michigan Football 2009 Doesn't Look Too Good Either

First off, let me place my article in perspective.  I am a lifelong, die-hard Ohio State Buckeye.  While I enjoy the recent domination in the rivalry, I understand that Michigan being competitive is good for Ohio State, good for the rivalry, and good for the Big Ten.

Obviously Rich Rodriguez's first year was awful, terrible, an abomination, whatever you want to call it.  The real question is, where does Michigan football go from here?

Traditionally Rodriguez dismantles a program, spends a year in the dumps, then does all right, and in his third year runs a competitive football program.  I don't want to use history as a prediction though.  I would like to look at the reality of the immediate future of Michigan football.

First I want to take an in-depth look at the players that Michigan will have to work with this season.  Much has been made of how bare the cupboard was left for Rich Rodriguez for 2008, but 2009 may not be significantly better.

Let's start on the offensive side of the ball.  The Rodriguez style of spread option football relies on the quarterback more than any other offensive system.  The football is kept in the hands of the quarterback a very high percentage of the time, and without an athletic player who can run and throw, results will be lackluster.

This year the ball was in the hands of Steven Threet the most, with Nick Sheridan playing quite a bit as well.  Statistically Threet was better in pretty much every category, but not by enough to say he will clearly pan out as the better of the two.  Both have abysmal numbers both passing and rushing.

While the entire offense being bad doesn't help these two guys out, it is hard to say that one of them is going to carry them to a successful season.

As far as players Rodriguez is recruiting to be the guy in the gun for Michigan, there are two commits at this point at quarterback.  Shavodrick Beaver and Tate Forcier are the eighth- and sixth-rated dual threat quarterbacks respectively.

Both of these players are definitely talented enough to be good possibilities for Michigan, but looking at how true freshmen do at quarterback is not comforting.  Even the best players struggle in their first year in the program, and neither of these guys is the best at their position.

No matter who is playing quarterback for Michigan next season, he is going to need a lot of help from the offense around him.

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