Witch Hunt at UM

As a lifelong Notre Dame fan, it's hard not to love what's going on up in Ann Arbor these days.

It's also hard to believe any of it.

Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan program are embroiled in controversy over accusations that the UM staff is overworking the players - nearly double the amount of hours allowed by the NCAA.

When I first heard of the report, I couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. I'm no expert of Rich Rodriguez, but two things I do know are A) he's a jerk, and B) people don't like him. I'm not surprised that former players or some current players that are unhappy have decided to go after him.
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The problem is that "voluntary" workouts aren't really voluntary. That's the case at Michigan, as it is at USC, at Oklahoma, at Florida, and at any big-time college football program. But before putting Rodriguez's head on a platter, read the rule book (I listed the ones I deemed to be relevant):

"The NCAA does not credit the following under the 20 allowable involuntary hours per week:

a. Training-table or competition-related meals;
b. Physical rehabilitation;
c. Dressing, showering or taping;
… h. Medical examinations or treatments;
… m. Voluntary individual workouts, provided these workouts are not required or supervised by coaching staff members, except that such activities may be monitored for safety purposes or conducted by the institution's strength and conditioning personnel who have department wide duties.
n. The provision of videotapes to a student-athlete by an institution's coach that include a personalized message and athletically related information (e.g., discussion of plays, general workout programs, lectures on strategy related to the sport), provided the viewing of the videotape by the student-athlete is voluntary;
p. Use of an institution's athletics facilities (which may be reserved) during the academic year or summer by student-athletes, provided the activities are not supervised by or held at the direction of any member of an institution's coaching staff."

After reading all of that, there is no possible way that the Michigan players were working double the hours (40-50 involuntary hours) per week. That would mean that counting the voluntary hours, they'd be spending 100+ hours on football each week. Do the math - it's just not possible.

It makes me sick to defend Michigan, but I think a lot of these accusations are fueled by the fact that people just don't like Rich Rodriguez.

All of that being said, I have a feeling that this is going to turn out a lot like the Billy Gillispie situation at Kentucky and that's too bad for Michigan fans.

Under three-loss Lloyd, they had no idea how good they had it.