Michigan waiting for big turnaround

ANN ARBOR, Mich. --- Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was handed a blue button with "Beat Ohio State" in maize letters when he was introduced as the new leader of college football's winningest program.

Rodriguez said earlier this week he has kept the button on his desk.

After being asked about the button later by a visitor to his office, Rodriguez had to do some searching. He found it tucked under some paper in the top drawer of the desk.

"I put it in there one day when I got mad," Rodriguez said.

It would be tough to figure out what day that was because there's been a lot of reasons for him to be angry during his two tumultuous seasons in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines started 4-0 this season, earning a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated , and Rodriguez was hailed for the turnaround after losing a school-record nine games last year.

Two closely contested losses on the road to Michigan State and Iowa snowballed into a skid that has included only one win -- against Delaware State -- in a seven-game stretch.

The collapse has made Saturday's game at home against No. 9 Ohio State more important than usual, but in an unusual way for Michigan.

If Michigan beats its rival for the first time since 2003, it will salvage some pride with a bowl bid and get much-needed practices.

If not, the Wolverines will have a losing record in consecutive years for the first time since the 1962-63 seasons and will endure another miserable off-season that might be compounded if the NCAA delivers bad news during an investigation it plans to complete by the end of the year.

"It's a wonderful profession, but when things are not going the way you'd like, it certainly takes a toll."

Rodriguez took his latest hit off the field on Monday, when an internal audit was released in untimely fashion with details about the football program failing to file forms that track how much players workout and practice. The forms are used to comply with NCAA rules.

If Michigan did want to fire Rodriguez -- who signed a six-year deal worth $2.5 million per season -- it would likely be an ugly process.

According to his contract, Rodriguez can be fired for cause if the NCAA, the Big Ten or the school determines he has committed a major violation of NCAA rules or he has intentionally committed any other type of violation of NCAA rules.