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Rich Rodriguez’s decision to leave West Virginia for Michigan became official Sunday, thereby moving from a football school that currently ranks amongst the elitel to one that is mired in mediocrity, yet enters every season with hopes of a national championship  running through the head of its boosters.

Tommy Bowden is reportedly interested in becoming Rodriguez’s replacement, thereby hearkening back to his and his family’s football roots (Bobby Bowden had his first head coaching job at WVU).  No matter what, however, West Virginia is in a great degree of trouble heading into next season.

Much hyped QB Terrelle Pryor has already scratched West Virginia off of his list and added Michigan, thereby showing a willingness to follow Rodriguez and his college offense and to take one of the most dynamic and marketable college players in the last ten years out of the Big East unless he signs with Pitt (which is not officially on his list yet).

The Big East, for its part, loses Rodriguez, the man who took a program from mediocrity to consistent excellence at a time when the conference was desperately trying to find a new national power after Miami and Virginia Tech left.  The loss hurts, to be sure, proving that some jobs (Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama for everyone except Rodriguez, LSU, etc.) are simply higher profile than their conference.  It may open the door, however, for a new national power, namely Pitt, to emerge.

For Rodriguez’s former players, there is now a very good chance that Steve Slaton will leave for his chances in the pros, not wanting to deal with a new coach and the system that he implements.  Team leader Patrick White, however, will probably stick around due to the “college quarterback” reputation that he seems to have developed in Rodriguez’s gimmicky, run-based offense.

West Virginia officials should be looking for a coach willing to run more of a pro-type offense, as that type of person would be able to lure the skill playing recruits that Pitt has been beating WVU for over the past two years or so.  Players (except for Terrelle Pryor, who seems to have no idea what he wants) seem to want to work in a pro-style offense, as it serves as a showcase for their draftable skills instead of what kind of a college player they can be.

Whatever occurs, Pitt fans should just hope that WVU does away with those awful yellow jerseys so that they can never be shown on the same screen as the words “Backyard Brawl” again.

For WVU fans, you should hope that your program puts Michigan on their schedule immediately for the next ten and, for the sake of the “little schools” everywhere, beats the Wolverines by 40 points next season, making Rich Rodriguez recognize that he is the newest in a long series of foolish, disingenuous traitors who have left one job that they could handle and be successful in for a job that they will not prove nearly talented enough for.

After all, Rodriguez’s team could not beat Pitt this year with a chance for the national title on the line.

What makes him think that one of his teams will be able to play for a national championship every week with at least one game against Ohio State (and probably Terrelle Pryor) thrown in there for good measure?

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