Why Michigan Football Was Caught Not in "Compliance"

The NCAA has ruled the University of Michigan Football team was not in "compliance" with rules governing the amount of practice time players are allowed to partake in, and the monitoring of certain practices by UM coaches.

There were "no surprises" issued by the NCAA, according to Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon, who also expressed full support for Head Coach Rich Rodriguez.  Brandon reassured fans that even though Rodriguez is 8-16 in his first two seasons, he will remain as coach "next year."

Michigan has 90 days to respond to the NCAA infractions, and will have an opportunity to make their case sometime this August. 

The bottom line here is whether or not Michigan football players spent too much time in football related activities beyond the amount allotted by the NCAA. 

In a report broken by the Detroit Free Press , certain members of the football program alerted the paper to the issues raised by the NCAA, which really begs a much bigger question than whether or not any rules were broken.  The real question here is why any member of the team would come forward to a newspaper and report these issues?

From my perspective, this is a much bigger problem for the Michigan Football program than any ramifications which could come from this NCAA investigation. 

Without having any insider information regarding this case, and just going on common sense, a hunch if you will, it would seem Rodriguez has a lot of detractors inside the program, who are willing to throw their coach under the proverbial bus for reasons none of us know for sure.

Look at it logically though, and this seems to make sense.  When a student-athlete attends Michigan there is a very real chance football is the most important thing on a player's plate.  Many of these kids dream for a chance to win a Big Ten Championship, play in a bowl game, and most of all, win a national championship, regardless of the program's recent lack of success. 

For players to call out their own program for a violation so minor, and in all likelihood, something practiced by every other big time college football program seems ridiculous.  In fact, Coach Jim Tressel of Ohio State supported Rodriguez by saying "players can't be locked out of the weight room" and how a player has never come to him and said, "Hey Coach, I think too much is being asked of me..." 

It is almost universally acknowledged and accepted, players will work extra hard, extra hours, and that not only do coaches know about it, but support and monitor it.  The program now has to deal with a double-whammy in that the practice will certainly be stopped, or at least curtailed, and the ramifications which may come from an investigation.  While the penalty may end up being minor, the loss of the “extra” practice will certainly effect on-field performance.

So why did this happen to Michigan?

It would seem obvious to me there are a number of players on the team who do not support Rodriguez, or at the very least, his methods.  Knowing the report came from a player, or players, you have to wonder how disgruntled a certain player, or group of players must have been to take such an action. 

If those in question were ever identified the backlash against them would be enormous, regardless of how fans feel about their coach.  Essentially, whoever is responsible has now jeopardized the entire program, which says everything about feelings toward Coach Rodriguez.

Whether it was upperclassmen who were already on the team when Rodriguez arrived, or recruits he brought in, either way, it's a bad situation.  It is likely the more senior players on the team were unquestionably involved in these practices before Rodriguez arrived, and never blew the whistle on Coach Carr, or any previous coach. 

If it was the fault of a younger player(s), it means one of Rodriguez's own recruits took this action.  No matter who is responsible, in the end, it does not seem like a good situation for the coaching staff, for they at least one malicious defector inside the program.

Granted, this could be the fault of one disgruntled player, but clearly one upset enough about the program he was willing to take a big risk.  However, if you look at what has transpired since Rodriguez arrived it does not seem like just "one player" has been put off by the Coach. 

Rodriguez burned a bridge with the big-armed QB Ryan Mallett, currently at Arkansas, and saw two star players Sam McGuffie and Justin Boren leave the program.  Now he has at least one other player not content with how he steers the ship.

When you look at Michigan's roster going forward, and judge what Rodriguez has already accomplished (if we can use that term) in two years, it's quite possible the only remnants of his tenure after next season will be penalties against the football team. 

It seems more and more likely Rodriguez, like many college coaches before him, will not be the one hampered with these penalties, as he will likely be looking for a new job.  With his main supporter Bill Martin already gone, it seems like only a matter of time before someone else will attempt to restore this program back to its rightful place among college football powerhouses. 

Unfortunately, they may have to do so with the mess Rodriguez left behind.