What's the matter with Michigan football? The program is run by a ghost

The long shadow of the late Bo Schembechler hovers over the Michigan Wolverines, even in death. But for the program to move forward, Michigan needs to stop looking back. It's not 1977, and the football philosophy that worked during Bo's heyday haven't translated well into the new century. It's been close to 4 decades of Bo, and his lineage, running the Michigan football program.

It's time for the in-breeding and nepotism at Michigan to come to an end.

For a program as storied as Michigan to lose to Appalachian St. is unthinkable, inexcusable, flabbergasting, frustrating, and any other word with ending with -ting or -able. I never thought that Michigan would become the butt of jokes, a national laughingstock.

The college game is passing the Michigan Wolverines by. The Maize and Blue have been embarrassingly out coached, out prepared, and out played all too often. Players don't measurably improve over their4 year careers. Their offensive and defensive schemes are woefully out of date. Their game planning has become a joke.

And the Michigan Wolverines now have one of the worst losses in the history of sports next to their name. It's a black mark that's never going to go away. Ever.

My knee-jerk reaction after the loss was the obvious one. Fire Lloyd NOW! After a couple of days reflection, my stance has softened.

No, you can't fire Lloyd Carr immediately. He's too entrenched in the culture of Michigan to be broomed out the door. For all he's done for the university as a whole, you can't give him the unceremonious ziggy today, next week, or next month.

But he can be gently prodded, for the good of the "Program," to retire at the end of the season. If Lloyd won't take to the prodding, them it's time to twist his arm. If he still refuses to leave? Kneecap him. The "Michigan Mafia" needs to do whatever it takes, because it's time for new blood. No more playing "6 degrees of Bo Schembechler" with the Michigan head coaching job.

There's also the fact that coaching is a young man's game. The pressure is immense. The hours are insane. Recruiting is a soul-sucking endeavor. You have to be able to prepare a team to be at it's peak physically, mentally and emotionally 13 times a season.

Is all that too much to ask from a man who is in his 60's, who has talked of calling it a career much sooner than later? From the embarrassing results, yes it is.

You are hearing from Ann Arbor that it's only 1 loss. But it's just talk. No matter what happens from here on out, even if they somehow manage to beat tOSU or win whatever fleabag bowl they end up in, their 2007 will be defined by this loss.

It's more than 1 loss. It's a foundation shaking, program changing loss. National powers don't lose to Division 1AA teams. If Michigan is not proactive in making long needed changes at the top of the program, they will become a national power in name only, much like Alabama and Nebraska. Thinking about it, you could say that Michigan has joined them, and you wouldn't get much of an argument.

Despite what they would like to think at Schembechler Hall, the season is over. If the powers that be at the University of Michigan want the Wolverines to remain a national title threat, the Schembechler influence over the coaching job will be over as well.

Remember, Bo Schembechler wasn't originally a "Michigan Man." He was a young coach who came from outside the program, bringing with him fresh ideas, along with a new attitude, to the Big House.

The time has come for Michigan to look for another Schembechler, and he won't be found unless they take off their maize and blue tinted glasses.