Michigan Friday: Thinks Out Loud On Baylor

Winning in college football is important.  As Michigan fans we had gotten comfortable with our 10+ wins a year and a New Years Day Bowl.   Many including myself thought if we put in a innovative coach and recruit a few more athletes we would be playing for National Championships. 

Well, we know that didn't work out and Michigan has been digging itself out of a deep hole of dysfunction.   That hole now seems behind us and were finally moving in the right direction.  

What if you don't have that tradition and support? 
What if your trying to build a winning program at a school not known for winning?
Do you cut corners? 
Do you get wealthy supporters to help the cause with $10K hand shakes? 
Do you play kids who get in trouble?  
Do you even try to intervene in a police matter and "convince" people not to press charges?  
Do you cover up that there is a sexual assault problem on your team?

Have we really gotten to that place?  Places like Baylor and Ole Miss have struggled to put a winner on the field for decades.   It's hard to compete with the likes of Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, LSU and Florida when it comes to recruiting.   So how do they build a winner?

They take chances and sometimes even make un-believable decisions to keep guys on the team that have done un-speakable things.   Baylor's case is more Penn State then Ole Miss.   When Ole Miss started to reel in 5 stars in a class 3/4 years ago, all the whispers started.    They even pulled 5 star WR Laquon Treadwell from Michigan who quickly posted a photo of himself with a ton of cash on social media.   When you think about it, paying kids to come to your school is not even in the same universe as what happened at Baylor. 

I wasn't shocked that Jim Harbaugh's new friend Art Briles was fired yesterday.    Jim and Art seemingly became new friends as Art spoke at Michigan's coaching clinic recently.  Michigan and Baylor had also agreed to do a joint Satellite Camp together.   I'm guessing that camp is now in doubt.

Art had to go and will probably receive a "show" clause from the NCAA.    He might even be looking at criminal charges.   What he is accused of doing for winning football games, should make you sick.  

How did we get here?  Winning football games is not worth it.  I don't care how much money your program is making or how much the head coach is making.    There is a way to do the right thing and still have a good football program.   Why risk everything to put a criminal on the field?  Or even worse, try to cover up those criminal charges by intimidating a victim.   I guess these guys didn't learn anything from the Penn State situation. 

For a long time, I thought concussions were the biggest risk to the sport we love, I'm starting to think these "cover-up" coaches will take down college football just as fast.