Enter the Rod

Michigan finally ended an embarrassing search for its head coach by hiring West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez as the new guy. We'll have some substantial commentary from the OSU perspective in the coming days, but I don't think Richie is off to a blazing start. He clearly doesn't "get" Michigan-Ohio State:

"I understand – it's obviously one of the greatest rivalries in college football. Michigan is unique. Director Martin told me this, and I never knew the fact that you have three rivalries. Of course you have the big one with Ohio State, and Michigan State, and Notre Dame. That's unique."

Umm, let's skip the fact that he didn't know that Notre Dame and Michigan State were "rivals" of Michigan. There is one true rivalry game in the Big Ten, the best game of its sort. There is one game at the end of November that usually determines the conference champion. There is one game for Bo and Woody. There is one game that got John Cooper fired. There is one game that Mike Hart will never win. And the new Michigan coach, if he understands Michigan at all, needs to know the one game they need to stop the hemorrhage. But hey, maybe he'll be happy winning 2 out of 3 against the schmuck rivals.

As for the rest of it...pure delusion at this point. But the fantasizing, the arrogance, and the obnoxious-ness feels just like the Redskins. Follow up a disappointing season with a cry that hope spring eternal, that reality can be ignored, and that a return to glory is just around the corner. At least with Washington, their craziness is based on players signed, not pipe dreams.

I'd like to elaborate, but there's a national championship game to think about...