Football Quick Hits: Live From Orlando

By Sean · Thursday, December 27, 2007 · 9:21 PM |  Share | 3 Comments 

• Ok, ok, I’m not posting this live from Orlando, but the football team has been there since Christmas. The team left for Orlando later than they normally would leave for a bowl game, but hopefully this year the trip focuses solely on the game and nothing else. In year’s past the team would have well over a week to take in the location of the game and all of its surroundings, but I’m hoping this time around the trip is treated more like business than fun.
• Michigan recruit Boubacar Cissoko decommitted last Thursday after the entire coaching staff was fired, but then re-committed a day later after speaking with Tony Gibson, who will serve as the new secondary coach. Cissoko says that he will still visit Penn State next month, so this story is far from over. I’m thinking he still ends up staying in the end, but I imagine we’ll have to worry about what his decision is at some point in this process.
• Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons is cousins with recruit Terrelle Pryor, and has been communicating with him about going to Michigan. Clemons apparently isn’t saying that going to Michigan is exactly what he should do, but the advice certainly is in Michigan’s favor. There are some rumblings out there that Pryor will visit Ann Arbor some time next month before announcing his decision on national signing day (February 6th), so keep an eye on him in the next few weeks as far as if a visit gets set.
• If you don’t think Les Miles would have accepted the Michigan job had it been offered, then read this article. Miles called Rich Rodriguez last week after Rodriguez got the Michigan job to give him a hard time.

  According to her, Miles thanked Rodriguez for losing the game against Pittsburgh. Miles then joked with Rodriguez that the loss cost Miles his dream job.

  “He told my son that if West Virginia had beaten Pitt, they would’ve been in the championship game, and that would’ve left an opening for him,” she said. Rodriguez has said it would have been hard to leave if the Mountaineers were playing for the title. As it is, LSU is in that game Jan. 7 against top-ranked Ohio State.

  Even though he was just joking around, it really sounds like Miles wanted the job, but the entire situation was just bad when it came to timing. Rumor has it that he was never offered the job to begin with, but even if he was, walking away from the national title game would be pretty hard to do. (And by the way, remember how I said I wanted OSU to win back when the whole SEC title game situation happened? Well, after finding out that none of it was Miles’ fault, I hope he destroys the Buckeyes. I’m all for Big 10 unity, but I hope LSU completely demolishes the Buckeyes.)

• The Free Press’ Shawn Windsor takes a long look at Rich Rodriguez and his past, along with how he ended up at Michigan.
• Jim Carty talked with the quarterback at Glenville State who “convinced” Rich Rodriguez to use the shotgun as a part of their offense.
• Ty Law has never really been too fond of Michigan since he left back in the mid-90′s, and told reporters why last week.
• On the subject of who is and isn’t coming back next season – and trust me, there will be quite a few who don’t return – Ryan Mallett is going to wait to make a decision until after the Capital One Bowl. He has already talked with Coach Rod, but obviously has to really think about if he wants to stay at Michigan. Considering the spread offense that Mallett would be featured in would focus on passing since that is his strength, I would hope he decides to remain a Wolverine, but we’ll have to wait and see.

  Rumors surrounded Mallett in regards to him possibly transferring back to Arkansas before last season, so you can bet they will continue until practice begins next summer. Even if he announces he’s going to return, a lot could happen from then to the summer, especially with spring practice really being the first time he’ll have a chance to practice in the new offense. Like I said, we’ll have to wait and see what he decides to do, but expect to hear quite a bit once the new staff is put together in the next couple of weeks.

• Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington, and Terrance Taylor all will have to make a decision on whether or not to return to Michigan, but their other option would be to go pro. All three are considering the option to enter the NFL draft, and just as it is expected with Mallett, we should find out what their plans are in the next couple weeks.