Mission Accomplished (Michigan fires RichRod) + NFL Wildcard Picks

RICH RODRIGUEZ FIRED BY MICHIGAN!

After three long-suffering years, angry and pissed off University of Michigan football fans finally got their belated Christmas present on Wednesday as the University of Michigan finally fired Head Coach Rich Rodriguez after a 15-22 record and four days after the worst bowl loss in Michigan history- a 52-14 laugher to the fifth-place team in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (Mississippi State, that would be you).

While Michigan fans want their native son Jim Harbaugh to come home and take Michigan to a National Championship in the next few years. We sports pundits, both amateur and pro all know that that's not going to happen. It's wishful thinking. Harbaugh will more than likely (a) stay at Stanford or (b) leave Stanford for greener pastures in the NFL. If Harbaugh were to accept the Michigan job, we would have looked forward to his introduction where he would have guaranteed a thumping of the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 26 in the Big House*.

But the most important thing for Michigan is to hire a "Michigan man". Michigan needs a man that can outsmart "The Vest", that is a defensive mind, and that can bring the Boys in Blue back to National prominence and can bring the BCS National Championship to Ann Arbor. Wimpy coaches that only know how to run the spread offense need not apply, because in the last three years, you have seen what the spread offense has done to Michigan. It decimated a once-proud team to a lumpy pile of manure.

Michigan hit new lows (most losses in a season, worst Bowl loss in a season, longest losing streak to Overrated State) during this administration, and it will take a lot to fix everything that Rodriguez jacked up in just a short time. While Rodriguez was a success at West Virginia, the spread offense doesn't work in the Big Ten. Look at Ohio State, they play "smash-it-up" football, when they're not playing the ultra-conservative "Tresselball"**. Michigan needs to go back to the "Smashmouth" football that fans have known for years, and maybe then, they will get back to National prominence, and in the next few years, we could see Harbaugh, or Brady Hoke, or Les Miles, or whomever the next Michigan coach is, hoist that BCS National Championship trophy high with Maize and Blue pride.

Official Story from the University of Michigan Athletic Department


*- In 1986, Harbaugh guaranteed a Michigan trip to the Rose Bowl with a win over Ohio State. Michigan won that game in the Horseshoe 26-24, only to lose in the Rose Bowl to Arizona State, 22-15. The Arizona State coach? He would have a lot of bad luck with Michigan, which would later cost him his job as Ohio State's head football coach following the 2000 season. Of course, I'm talking about John Cooper.

**- Tresselball- How Ohio State finds ways to lose as they play very conservatively in tight games and let the other team manhandle them to victory (i.e.- Texas in 2005 and in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl; USC in 2009; LSU in the 2007 BCS National Championship; Purdue in 2009; Wisconsin in 2010)

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NFL WILDCARD WEEKEND

The regular season of the NFL is over. The road to Dallas and Super Bowl XLV has begun. On Saturday, two teams will see their dreams end, and on Sunday, two more teams will see their Super Bowl dreams go up in smoke as well. This past Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks became the first losing team in the 91-year history of the National Football League to win their division and clinch a playoff berth with a 16-6 win over the St. Louis Rams.

The Seahawks will kick the postseason off by hosting the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints, fresh off a 23-13 loss to Tampa Bay, who was one of two 10-6 teams to miss the playoffs in the NFC, a first for the conference since 1991.

The nightcap for Saturday night features the defending AFC Champions, Indianapolis hosting the New York Jets in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game.

On Sunday afternoon, the AFC West champs Kansas City host the Baltimore Ravens, while the season will end the way it began for either the Green Bay Packers or the Philadelphia Eagles, in a rematch of the season opener for both teams, a 27-20 Packers win.

WILDCARD WEEKEND- Saturday:
5) New Orleans Saints (11-5, regular season) at 4) Seattle Seahawks (7-9, regular season)- 4:30PM EST on NBC (Qwest Field; Seattle, WA)
Well, they did it. The Seahawks made history on Sunday night as the first losing team to win their division. For the second year in a row, the # 4 seed closes out the regular season and kicks off the postseason (the Cincinnati Bengals lost 37-0 in the Sunday Night finale to the Jets and again six days later 24-14 in the Wildcard) with a game against the defending Super Bowl Champs, the Saints. The Saints have had their highs and lows, and this could be an upset game, if the Saints don't get their act together. After all, they did lose to the Cleveland Browns this season. However, Matt Hasselbeck (or Charlie Whitehurst) can't beat the Saints on his own.
Pick: New Orleans 20-13

6) New York Jets (11-5, regular season) at 3) Indianapolis Colts (10-6, regular season)- 8:10PM EST on NBC (Lucas Oil Stadium; Indianapolis, IN)
This will be the home of next year's Super Bowl, as well as the inaugural Big Ten Championship game next season, and the site of last year's thrilling AFC Championship game, where the Colts came from behind to beat the Jets and reach Super Bowl XLIV. The Jets, after a 9-2 start, slid into the playoffs after a Week 16 loss to the Bears, and managed to win their finale, a meaningless 38-7 romp over Buffalo. The Colts won the AFC South with a 23-20 win over the Titans (on a 43-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal with no time left) and a Jacksonville loss to the Houston Texans. The Colts may be a dangerous team, with Peyton Manning, and the few targets he has left. Joseph Addai has returned to the team healthy. However, the Jets have more questions on offense than answers, and they won't find them in Indy.
Pick: Indianapolis 31-14

WILDCARD WEEKEND- Sunday:
5) Baltimore Ravens (12-4, regular season) at 4) Kansas City Chiefs (10-6, regular season)- 1PM EST on CBS (Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, MO)
The Ravens are very lethal to play this time of year as Joe Flacco is only the fourth quarterback to make it to the second season each of his first three seasons in the league. On the other side, the Chiefs are this years Bengals. While they didn't sweep the AFC (8-8 Oakland did, and even that wasn't enough to save Tom Cable his job), the Chiefs are pretenders (in their first playoff appearance in seven years), more than contenders, having not won a playoff game since 1993 (losing to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game), and not making it to the Super Bowl since they won it all in Super Bowl IV, 41 years ago. This one will be over by halftime as Todd Haley is probably the most overrated coach in the NFL.
Pick: Baltimore 34-7

6) Green Bay Packers (10-6, regular season) at 3) Philadelphia Eagles (10-6, regular season)- 4:40PM EST on Fox (Lincoln Financial Field; Philadelphia, PA)
This is how the Packers and Eagles began their season, back on Sept. 12. This, also is where the season will end for one of these two teams. These two teams also kept the New York Giants out of the playoffs with head-to-head wins (Eagles swept the season series, and Green Bay thumped the Giants in Week 16), and are looking to move on up in the NFC playoffs. Andy Reid is on the hot seat, having not won the Big Game in the playoffs, and only making the Super Bowl once in his 12 years in Philadelphia (a Super Bowl XXXIX loss to New England). The Packers are a dangerous team to play this late in the year, and could spread that into the playoffs. This game was also the start of the Michael Vick-Kevin Kolb quarterback soap opera that took place in Philadelphia. Look for the Packers defense to have a big game.
Pick: Green Bay 28-14

If this holds up...
3) Indianapolis Colts at 2) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, regular season)- Jan. 15 @ 4:40PM EST on CBS
6) Green Bay Packers at 1) Atlanta Falcons (13-3, regular season)- Jan. 15 @ 8:10PM EST on Fox
5) New Orleans Saints at 2) Chicago Bears (11-5, regular season)- Jan. 16 @ 1PM EST on Fox
5) Baltimore Ravens at 1) New England Patriots (14-2, regular season)- Jan. 16 @ 4:30PM EST on CBS