Sigh....just when I was looking forward to watching the spread offense.....sounds like RR is staying put....Wilson, are you going to be preparing the "welcome home" dinner?
Seriously, guys....whats up with the hate? Here's the truth as I see.
When i was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s maybe there was 6-10 power programs. Tops. Despite the Major Harris year, I do not think you could put WVA in that category.
Now, in the BCS era, as we sit in 2007 there are probably 20, maybe more, power teams. Scholarship reductions, the advent of the spread, the awakening of some sleeping giants in the SEC with Fla, UGA, LSU and others, the emergence of new powers like Va Tech. I would put WVA in that category especially w/ the four year run they are on. Expect the number of top flight programs to rise. Look at the new fangled Big East w/ Uconn, Rutgers and USF in the hunt this year for a BCS bowl. If I am the coach of one of those schools, where I basically built it myself, it would have to be a pretty damn big offer to steal me away. With a wide open Big East, even in a rebuilding year, you can be in the hunt for a big $$$$ bowl game if you can get on an October run.
Now onto Michigan. Questioning it as an elite program is ridiculous. Please. Its been "down" for a few years, yet still has 2 league titles and 3 BCS bowl appearance. How many teams out there would take those results during a down period. Its a little ignorant to say it is not a big time program, but there are 3x as many big time programs now as there were during the 10-year war heyday.
This matter of coaches turning them down as proof of them being a relic and not big time anymore is so-so logic at best. Fact is the best teams this year weren't able or didn't even try to swipe a "big name" from a fellow "big time" bcs school. Richt, Stoops, RRod all were coordinators before they landed thier big job. Carroll was an NFL retread that nobody really wanted. Meyer coached at small time programs BG and Utah before FLA, Tressel was a who is he reaction as the bucks dipped to the lower level. Look at the enitre top 25, remark where all their coaches came from a previous stop and you wont find too many examples of any school being able to just go out there with a blank check and hire whomever they want. Most of them gave hot up and comers their first shot at the big time.....just like UM did in 1969 w/ Bo.
Hope some of this makes sense as it just came off the top of my head, but I think I made some valid points here.
