The Justin Boren transfer saga continues to get weird. Did we say weird? We mean weirder.Boren, as you'll probably recall, announced his decision to transfer from the Michigan football program on Tuesday. He tendered his letter of resignation or whatever to the media the next day, and it contained all sorts of ominous, nonspecific statements against the program's best interests, including the following excerpts:
I regret leaving behind my friends and teammates, but I need to stand up for what I know is right.
Michigan football was a family, built on mutual respect and support for each other from Coach Carr on down. We knew it took the entire family, a team effort, and we all worked together. I have great trouble accepting that those family values have eroded in just a few months.
I saw Rich Rodriguez throw Jimmy Hoffa into an active volcano in 1975.If you want to get technical, the last excerpt may not actually exist in Boren's statement, but his decision to cite "family values" certainly leaves plenty of suspicion in a reader's mind. Sunday Morning Quarterback speculates further, and it reads like the "Woodland Critter Christmas" episode of South Park. SMQ also notes that this situation may be more closely related to the extreme duress of the no-huddle spread offense Rodriguez is implementing and the two offensive linemen who have already left, but let's not get bogged down on facts here folks.
Of course, the "fun" doesn't stop there.
In today's Columbus Dispatch, Boren's father Mike seems to be actively campaigning for Boren to end up at... oh dear, Ohio State?
"Ohio State would be a good fit for Justin, and that's why he's not at Michigan anymore, because Michigan is not the right fit for him. ... I have not talked to Ohio State and I'm not sure about their situation. ... But would he go to Ohio State? Yes."
And who, pray tell, is this Buckeye sympathizer?Mike Boren, who played under Bo Schembechler in the early 1980s
Oh. Well then.
The most curious aspect of the decision to court Ohio State is probably the scholarship situation. While it stands to reason that a starting sophomore offensive lineman at Michigan could probably name his new school and receive a scholarship offer, that can't be the case at OSU; Big Ten rules prohibit awarding scholarships to athletes transferring inside the conference.
Consider that. A former Wolverine would rather pay for his son to play at Ohio State than at Michigan for free. Ouch. We're fairly certain that Michigan fans' reaction to that scenario starts with F and rhymes with "Tuck you, buddy."
Naturally, it's far too early to advise said Michigan fans to buy one-way tickets to Fourandeightsville for 2008, but what they've got in place right now scarcely bears any resemblance to a football team that's ready to compete at a high level. Should they be concerned? Probably. Are they always concerned anyway? Well, yes. Now, for once, it might be justified.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Oh Meechigan...that "school up north" as Woody would say...You are falling apart..it's just not going to be as fun beating you the next four years as it was the last four...Come on..get yourself together..you are embarrassing the Big Ten..umm..I mean even more so than normal...
Go Bucks!!!
Posted at 2:04PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Trent
2. Eh, even when Michigan is down, it will still be Michigan.
Posted at 3:07AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Al
3. I think this has more to do with less pizza than "family values eroding". He said himself the O-Line is actually having to "like run and stuff". Good luck, Justin. I hope whenever you land is soft and cuddly.
Posted at 7:25AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Scalz1
4. Justin would be a great addition to the Buckeyes! The fact that he comes FROM U of M is not a problem at all......The kid's got a lotta skills!!
Posted at 10:49AM on Mar 28th 2008 by ClassicKool
5. "You are embarrassing the Big 10"??? Ummm, we're not the ones who undeservedly went to the national championship two years in a row and got BLOWN OUT. Oh, and we can actually win against the SEC. I'm sorry, but the Buckeyes haven't exactly improved the Big 10's image in the past couple of years, either.
Posted at 11:07AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Brandon
6. We true MICHIGAN fans are glad the new coach is weeding out the sissies! Good ridance to those who don't want to win football games and think a $40,000 scholarship doesn't mean they have to put out on every play and point toward a Number 1 rating in the BCS. Bringing in Rich Rodriguez with a proven winning style offense should bring MICHIGAN football back to where it should have been under Lloyd Carr who's offense became offensive, stale and predictable! Recruits with a desire to win and a school with a history of graduation and job opportunities after football will allow MICHIGAN to rise up quickly under our new leadership!
Posted at 11:29AM on Mar 28th 2008 by JOHN
7. Brandon...Making it to the National Championship game 3 years in Tressel's tenure at Ohio State is not embarrassing... Maybe you "people" from "that school up north" do not understand that you have to be a good footbal team to get to the big game....And if you do not think that losing to Appalachian State University is an embarrassment..you truly have your head in the sand or somewhere else...The Wolverines will continue to be the embarrassment of the Big Ten for years to come...I do not even consider them a rival to Ohio State any more...They are not on the same level as us...
Go Bucks!!
Posted at 11:42AM on Mar 28th 2008 by shepadtrent
8. Sounds like the same problems Bo had in 1969.
Those who stay will be champions.
He didn't do so bad.
Posted at 11:42AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Kenneth M Brill
9. "You are embarrassing the Big 10"??? Ummm, we're not the ones who undeservedly went to the national championship two years in a row and got BLOWN OUT. Oh, and we can actually win against the SEC. I'm sorry, but the Buckeyes haven't exactly improved the Big 10's image in the past couple of years, either.
Didn't UM embarrass the conference beyond anyones imagination with its loss to App. State. I will be honest, Michigan fans should be concerned about RR and what has been going on. I am a buckeye fan, but am not so heavily distorted as many die hard college fb fans are. If RR was creating this type of atmosphere at OSU, I would be concerned.
Posted at 11:53AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Bucks
10. At least Ohio State made it to the championship game...where did Michigan end up? If I recall, they added to the Big Ten embarrassment by getting powdered by USC in the Rose Bowl last season. Also, you can't talk smack against Ohio State when you can't beat us. Beating a lackluster Florida in a second rate bowl does not restore credibility.
Posted at 11:59AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Scott
11. If he were the first to leave then I would think that he may have some issues. As I remember two other offensice linemen left as well as a QB. Is the problem players or more likely the coach. My bet is that it's RR. He said some bad things about the QB when he left and now bad things about Boren. If he was a class act then he would have said nothing or said that he is sorry to see him go. RR lacks class!!!
Posted at 12:45PM on Mar 28th 2008 by scott gold
12. Sounds like the same problem Bo had in 1969.
Those who stay will be Champions.
Bo didn't do so bad.
See ya, Boren
Posted at 3:52PM on Mar 28th 2008 by Kenneth M Brill
13. got yer name
got yer #
got yer qb
got yer oliner
kiss by buckeyes lil blue boys
Posted at 7:30PM on Mar 28th 2008 by j tressel
14. Ken Brill: Does this sound like the same problems Bo had in 1969? Will those who stay become champions? Did Bo do so bad?
Posted at 9:40PM on Mar 28th 2008 by Hawkeye State
15. Ohio State fans should be more concerned with the Buckeye Booster Supplied Corvette that Terrelle Pryor drove to a high school dance than Rich Rodriguez getting the Wolverines into better shape. Boren left because he was out of shape and too lazy to learn a new system. Does "corroding family values" actually sound like something a 20 year old football player would say without prompting from his embarrassed father in order to save face?
Posted at 11:42PM on Mar 28th 2008 by Georgia Blue
16. Oh yeh,OSU buys Corvettes for it's QB's and SUV's for it's O-Linemen and Jags for it's RB's and so on and so on and Michigan is morally righteous and blah,blah,blah and Boren and Mallet are now worthless out of shape sissies and more blah,blah,blah.Do you Weenies know how stupid you sound spouting all that garbage?You don't even believe that crap yourself,you just ramble on to make yourself feel better.
Posted at 1:26AM on Mar 29th 2008 by Mr.G
17. You OSU fans are hilarious. Remember John Cooper? 2 wins in 13 tries against Michigan, right? Now you're back on top...but it won't last forever.
Posted at 11:05AM on Mar 29th 2008 by Noah
18. See what I mean?Cooper is the only OSU coach you had a winning record against in the last 60 years.Tressel is now 6-1 and nobody really thinks that trend is going to end any time soon.
Posted at 5:20PM on Mar 29th 2008 by Mr.G
19. Sorry Michigan fans, John Cooper has been long forgotten. The worst day in the life of a Michigan fan must have been the day that The Ohio State University named Jim Tressel as their head football coach. You had a first class individual with strong ties to the proud tradition of Michigan football in coach Lloyd Carr; now you got RR. Rodriguez can not hold a candle to the class exhibited by Tressel. When OSU hired Tressel they hired a man steeped in Ohio football tradition. What did you hire up there??? An outsider from West Virgina with questionable character qualities. We learned our lesson with John Cooper...thought you folks at Michigan would be smart enough to learn from the mistakes of others. Thank God you're not.
Posted at 5:45PM on Mar 29th 2008 by wiggly
20. ha ha ha michigan sucks
Posted at 5:45PM on Mar 29th 2008 by bryan