Rich Rodriguez: The Hot Seat Is on Fire

In baseball, you only get three strikes and you are out. Rich Rodriguez has two strikes against him and really needs more than just a base hit in his third year at Michigan.

The fans and student body are chanting for a home run, and the administration is watching ever so closely to see if they need a new hitter.

Rich Rod, like any coach, needs his own type of players to run his own scheme. The spread offense was something new and very strange to Michigan and the transition has been hard to watch.

The first year saw a roster full of leftover players and no true option at QB to run the spread. The second year, Rich brought in his big top 10 ranked recruiting class.

The team had a QB and looked to be back, but failed greatly in the second half of the season, missing a bowl game for the second straight year.

The third installment of the Rich Rodriguez trilogy includes another top QB prospect in Gardner and a handful of other freakishly athletic offensive weapons.

Rodriguez needs to score this year and score big. Michigan fans can and will not accept another year of no bowl game. Michigan pride and history won't let fans accept defeat.

If Rich Rod fails, then where does the program go from there? Do they hire another spread offense coach and build off what is there? Do they hire a "Michigan type" coach that brings in big stronger players that run the pro style offense?

Nobody knows what will happen but everyone knows this: Rich Rodriguez is stepping up to the plate for the third time with a whole lot of pressure on him and if he doesn't deliver then he is "OUTTA HERE."