While I do agree with most "pundits" that this upcoming college football season is very big for Rich Rodriguez I do not think that it is a make or break year. I feel that he gets at least one more opportunity if his Michigan Wolverines struggle during the 2010 season. I think that the 2010 college football season is going to be a great one and the Michigan Wolverines will be a season long story to keep your eyes on. The Michigan Wolverines started the 2009 college football season very promising winning their first 4 games of the season, including a 4 point win as 3 point dogs over Notre Dame (38-34) in front of 110,000+ fans at The Big House. However, after an OT loss to their in-state rivals Michigan State, the Wolverines season took a turn for the worse. Michigan would not win another game against a FBS team in 2009 after week 4. The 2009 season for Michigan continued to spiral downward as they ended the season losing 5 straight including a loss at home to Purdue while being a 6 point favorite and worse than that a 38-13 beating at the hands of a horrid Illinois team in Champaign as a 7 point favorite. The loss to Illinois was huge because it essentially cost Michigan the chance to be bowl eligible. Michigan then ended the 2009 season with a 21-10 loss at home to eventual Rose Bowl winners Ohio State. The 2009 season was not only gloomy for Michigan straight up, but they also managed to post a 5-6-1 record against the spread in '09. 2009 also marked the 2nd straight year that the Michigan Wolverines did not make it to a bowl game. On a bright note, Michigan did improve from 2008 where they posted a 3-9 straight up record to 5-7 in 2009. Michigan Wolverines - 2010 - Schedule:
Date: Opponent:
09/04 Connecticut
09/11 @ Notre Dame
09/18 Massachusetts
09/25 Bowling Green
10/02 @ Indiana
10/09 Michigan State
10/16 Iowa (HC)
10/30 @ Penn State
11/06 Illinois
11/13 @ Purdue
11/20 Wisconsin
11/27 @ Ohio State
Michigan's first game of the season at home vs Connecticut could be very telling to how their 2010 season will unfold. I think that a benefit to Michigan is 2010 is having games against Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Iowa at home. I am not saying that Michigan will win all 4 of those games, but it at least will help them a little bit to have those as home games. The Iowa game is especially intriguing as it is home coming and the Wolverines have a decent record against Iowa (24-7-1, with 5 of those 7 losses by 3 points or less). Michigan also has a QB controversy that Rich Rodriguez has said will remain an open competition in August, between Forcier, Robinson, and freshman Devin Gardner. My early lean would be that Tate Forcier will get the starting QB job. Looking through their schedule I can see Michigan getting at least 6 wins and making it to a bowl game for the first time since 2007. A 6 win season will also keep the developing trend of Michigan improving their straight-up record each year from 2008 through 2010.
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