That Dog Won’t Hunt

These exact words were used by Jim Rome to describe Lloyd Carr after yet another crushing Michigan football defeat last season. Basically, the gist of Rome’s segment was to point out that he’s never going to change, no matter what. And, if that isn’t obvious to the world after Saturday’s debacle, I don’t know what it’s going to take to make everyone in the Michigan family see it.

It’s interesting, leading up to Saturday’s game, there was all kinds of talk in the media about what Carr’s legacy would be. Well, he defined his legacy by coaching (I use that word loosely) his team to the biggest defeat in college football history. No matter what the team does the rest of the season, this will never go away! We’ll always be the #1 seed that finally lost to the #16 seed.

There are NO excuses for what happened Saturday. Being in the stands, I saw a team that was unmotivated and unprepared. I saw a team that was completely predictable and this was confirmed by the entire Appalachian State team in the post-game interviews. But, a complete lack of imagination and an inability to adjust, not to mention the failure to ever go for the throat or play to an opponent’s weakness is what most of us fans have seen for years now. I can’t say what happened on Saturday is a complete shock because it’s seems we’ve been building up to this (or should I say deteriorating to this) since our national championship season in 1997.

The ’97 season was magical, due mostly to Charles Woodson. As is typical, we did just enough to get by offensively, always waiting for Woodson to make a difference. I sometimes think if 1997 hadn’t happened, maybe Carr would have been gone a long time ago. But, half a national championship buys you lifetime job security in Ann Arbor and allows you to do whatever you want. For example, he hired back his friend and crony (Mike DeBord) to handle the offense after he did such a bang-up job (12-34 over four years) at his previous school (Central Michigan of the high-powered MAC). Sounds like a great hire and, better yet, a great candidate for the future head coaching job at Michigan (especially if Carr has anything to do with it)! He absolutely refuses to put any thought into special teams, which is evident in how many issues we’ve had over the years. There is no individual coach who handles special teams, like at most schools. It’s coaching by committee at Michigan, which always makes for great execution like getting two field goals blocked on Saturday. He also loves his seniors, always choosing seniority over talent, unless his seniors are maimed on the field and underclassmen have to play by default. If it wasn’t for injuries to starters, who knows when Chad Henne or Mike Hart might have made their Wolverine debut! On Saturday, a walk-on, senior kicker was on the field kicking field goals with his eyes closed (I saw this photo on Saturday and now I can’t find it) while a SCHOLARSHIP kicker sat the bench. I could go on and on but it will just piss me off more and more.

For the first time since 1979, we have a three-game losing streak. Of course, our obligatory losses to Ohio State and our bowl opponent du jour along with the Appalachian State disaster. At this point, Michigan football is known for the following things: losing that big game early; losing another crap game during the season that we shouldn’t; losing to Ohio State; losing in the bowl game; and now losing to Appalachian State in the biggest upset in the history of college football.

No matter what we do the rest of the way, it won’t matter. The season is over and we’re the laughingstock of college football – and will be for years to come! Of course, the rallying cry in the locker room after the game was as follows: we still have a lot to play for; we still have a Big Ten championship to win. To that I say, who the eff cares! It’s not just about Big Ten titles and Rose Bowls anymore. The game has changed and the stakes are higher and, unfortunately for Michigan football, its leader has been passed by.

I’ve met Carr on several occasions and I know he’s a nice guy. He’s a great speaker and he does many, many nice things for the community. And, the Carr apologists out there love to say that “he runs a clean program and he has good kids” but that’s not so much the case anymore with our academic standards in question and players in trouble left and right.

If this awful, embarrassing, devastating loss is a catalyst for change, I could concede that MAYBE, just maybe, it’s a blessing in disguise. But, I think I know better. Carr will leave when he wants and most likely will have a big say in the selection of his successor. In spite of Carr, Michigan football has been able to sustain itself but how much longer can we survive the slow deterioration that most people can see so clearly? I hope Bill Martin has an answer to this question!