Michigan football needs to look in a new direction
Michigan Stadium has become the bazaar for the bizarre this season, the site for unusual scenes and sentiments in a sport that has turned batty.
Saturday should be no different.
Michigan will take the field against Ohio State in search of its sixth Big Ten title and fifth Rose Bowl appearance under coach Lloyd Carr. Despite opening the season with embarrassing losses to Appalachian State and Oregon, the Wolverines and their embattled coach still have a chance to claim the league's ultimate prize.
Will beating the Buckeyes be enough for a team that began its season with national title hopes? The game itself is overshadowed by questions about Carr's future.
Any Michigan fan worth his or her salt will root for the Wolverines to beat their archrival, stick rose stems in their mouths and celebrate a season that seemed finished by Sept. 8. But if the Buckeyes win for the sixth time in seven seasons, many blue backers likely will purse their lips, nod and say, "It's time."
Some might even be relieved.
Indications around the Michigan program suggest Carr, 62, will announce his retirement after 13 seasons as coach. He could do it after Saturday's game or early next week. He might wait until after Michigan's bowl, which would be a big help to his projected successor, LSU coach Les Miles.
The reports and rumors say Carr's decision has been made and won't be affected by the Ohio State outcome. Given this season's tempest, a win Saturday would be a sentimental sendoff. But a loss, which would drop him to 1-6 against Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, might be more appropriate.
It's time for a change at Michigan. It's time for fewer September losses and more bowl wins. It's time for a cleat-in-the-throat offense that maximizes skill players rather than hinders them. It's time for Michigan to join the creative age with more innovative schemes.
Carr has been a consistent winner and owns a 17-8 mark against Top 10 teams. But those 8 losses are telling: all have come against Ohio State or in bowl games.
His inability to win a national title with his current squad of stars - Mike Hart, Chad Henne, Jake Long, Shawn Crable - indicates it's time to move on.
Michigan needs new blood, and Miles, a 1976 UM graduate, is the clear-cut frontrunner. Cal's Jeff Tedford is also a possibility.
Maybe I'm just bitter at Carr and his team for preventing another perfect week of picks. Here's this week's rundown:
Ohio State at Michigan, 11 a.m. Saturday, Ch. 7
The skinny: Mike Hart deserves a win against Ohio State, but the Buckeyes' defensive front won't cave two weeks in a row.
The pick: Ohio State 20, Michigan 17
Purdue at Indiana, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Big Ten Network
The skinny: Defense will be the difference for the Boilermakers.
The pick: Purdue 38, Indiana 28
Penn State and Michigan State, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Ch. 7
The skinny: I'm probably getting suckered by Sparty, but there's something different about this team. Penn State struggles on the road, too.
The pick: Michigan State 31, Penn State 30
West Virginia at Cincinnati, 6:45 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
The skinny: I had this pegged as a Cincy win until Oregon stumbled. West Virginia knows it can reach the BCS title game if things fall right.
The pick: West Virginia 38, Cincinnati 31
Rittenberg's season: 32-12