| For more on Michigan football and Michigan basketball, or for more from Sean, check out SB Nation Detroit. |
Let the Attrition Begin: Ziob Babb Off the Football Team
Share
21 CommentsRich Rodriguez said during today’s Big Ten teleconference that wide receiver Zion Babb is no longer of a member of the football team. Speculation over Babb’s status has been swirling for the last few weeks, as he reportedly hasn’t been on the travel roster for recent away games. Babb is originally from California and had only two catches this season, both coming in the Notre Dame game.
The general expectation for this coming offseason is that many players will leave the team. Babb is only the first to depart, and as MGoBlog reports, Sam McGuffie and Artis Chambers aren’t expected back, either. Obviously McGuffie transferring would be big news after he got so much playing time during the first half of the season, but there have been rumors of his departure for at least the last month or so. Things could change, just as we saw with Mike Cox at the beginning of the season, but things certainly don’t look good at this point.
I keep putting off saying that we have hit rock bottom, but at this point it doesn’t even seem like the Ohio State game will get us the very bottom. More attrition is expected, and you can bet there will be many negative things said about the coaching staff and Michigan in general. I don’t necessarily think any players will go Justin Boren on us and question the family values of the program, but there probably won’t be any positive things said.
Well that’s just great.
Players leaving or transferring in college football is nothing new. But since 2005 Michigan’s recruiting and retention of players has really sucked.
Something is very wrong with Michigan football right now.
I’m more suspicious than ever before about the UM coaching staff and what they’re doing about it.
This is starting to look like a Bill Callahan redux at Michigan.
This is what happens when you hire a snake.
Just look how he handled the WVU deal… he is a piece of work.
When you lay down with pigs… your gonna get dirty
The Product did the same thing at West Virginia
He ran off a ton of players, including Scott McBrien who started for two years at Maryland (and beat WVU three times).
West Virginia was 3-8 and lost to Temple (who was coming off two straight shutouts and hadn’t scored more than 7 points in five straight games) at home.
It’s funny how Michigan fans refuse to read their history. History tends to repeat itself.
Michigan has their worst season in history under Rich Rodriguez coaching in his inaugural season.
WVU had their worst season in history under Rich Rodriguez coaching in his inaugural season.
The exact same thing that happened at WVU will happen at Michigan. Shredder Fraudriguez will win at Michigan, you can count on it!
Karma is a bitch huh Fraudriguez
The future looks bleak for my beloved Wolverines.
Winning at Michigan is sadly in the past.
Yeah, the future looks great.
I don’t think losing guys that
will not play anyway is reason
to doubt Rich Rod. The guy will
do his job, wait and see. We will
be back where we belong in 3-4 years
and all of this will have been worth it.
3-4 years is a long time to wait. Les Miles would have done it in half the time.
Your crazy if you think any coach would have come in and rebuilt Michigan in less then 4 years. I think we forget how many years it takes to build a storied program. The talent at Michigan just hasn’t been there. Rich Rod will bring major speed and we’ll be fine. Speed wins games. Give the guy a break. geez!!
Mike Shaw, True Freshman
Brandon Minor, Junior
Kevin Grady, Junior
Carlos Brown, Junior
Mark Moundros, Sophmor
Even if McGuffie does leave isn’t are backfield already crowded? Brown, Minor and Shaw have all shined at different times this year showing they could carry or share the load. McGuffie leaving is the least of my worries as of now, finishing strong in recruiting is more important right now to me, ie William Campbell.
McGuffie stinks anyways. So he hurdled a couple guys in high school, big woop!! Show me you can bust through a Big 10 D-line and I’ll be impressed. Go back to Texas if you can’t handle it.
I hope McGuffie does leave. It will leave more space for Rich to recruit and bring a new, better person in.
For all you negative people who are so called Michigan fans, how about pick another team to gripe about?
If you honestly thought this season would be good, you have no clue!
Give the coaches a chance and let them do their job. If they are not winning nine or ten games after year two, gripe all you want and fire all of them. Until then, stop your crying.
As for players leaving the team, so what. They can come and go as they please. This only shows their level of commitment to the team anyway. It also shows lack of character.
I live in SC and support the Michigan Wolverines whether they win or lose. It is a choice. My first time in Ann Arbor was watching App State beat us.
THE SKY IS NOT FALLING.
scUM will never be the same. They are subject to the same fate as nebraska. Arrogance shall be appropriately rewarded. Karma sucks doesn’t it?
Why does everything bad happen to us?! Penn State fans are the biggest pricks! Why can’t something bad happen to them? Wasn’t it enough that we had to endure the App St fiasco? Why this now? Does somebody important up there really hate Michigan that much? I’m praying McGuffie stays. Anyone that says he is overrated is wrong. He’s an exciting player and could dominate in our offense.
Well even if we excuse this year’s debacle as a transition thing what is there to look forward to. Other than the Oline showing some improvement ans the emergence of Martin, Booboo and Mouton there is nothing else to write about. Plus we lose a whole bunch on D. So we are back to counting on freshmen to make an impact….pretty tough ask on the kids and they are more or less likely to have growing pains. So next year again is in question…something approaching 500 mark would be improvement. 2010 should be the year we are in contention for the B10….also he has to recruit, so far the results have been okay, we are mid teens currently (avg of scout and rivals) we need to finish strong to be a top 10 class, and we need top 10 classes from here on out to be successful.
Folks who support Rod now saying he has had track record were the ones trumpeting how will win right of the bat because he had been there and done that and would learn from his mistakes……but that didn’t work out that well. SO please hold on and quit attacking people who do not believe in Rod, everybody can state their opinions but viciously attacking another poster is plain BS. This is certainly true at another popular M blog where a set of posters seem to think its their birth right to rip on anybody who is against their view on Rod and M.
The guy is not making mistakes…look he has changed the offense, he has no quarterback, and he is playing with Carr’s secondary that is really bad. All you have to do is put the ball in the air to beat this D, even with the talent they have on the line.
If you want to go then go. This is our coach, he has been here 10 months. Yes it sucks that we have only won 3 games but getting rid of this coach could lead to a few more years of this. Next year we will win 7 or 8 games. And then it will continue to get better. If you want to cry and complain go get yourself a Michigan State Community Farm school sweatshirt and watch your new team get pounded by Penn State Saturday.
I had a son play for Michigan and even with the record this year….he still bleeds blue. Michigan will get better and they will win again. I believe that caoch RR will build the program and get all the non believers eating their words. Remember how coach Carr was booed with a 7-5 record and came back with 11-0 before losing. They hated him and loved him.MU football!
MU football….yeah you are a true M fan and we have every reason to hear what you have to say!
UM currently has 36 players who were 4 star or 5 star recruits. (It would have been 38 had Mallet and Boren stayed.)
Only the bucknuts have more 4 and 5 star players. Other than weiss, I cannot think of a coach who underachieved more than Rich Rod this year.
Also, Anon 11:01, did you forget that we got pounded by Penn State earlier in the year and the same will probably happen Saturday against Ohio State? I don’t even know how the team will get to the tOSU game if they can’t get past Toledo.
I say give Rich Rod 1-2 more years and if things do not drastically change, we make a run at Les again, or perhaps Brady Hoke or Brian Kelly. While we are at it, a new AD is also needed.