No need to worry in Ann Arbor

It wasn’t long ago Nebraska was where Michigan is.

The Wolverines guaranteed themselves a losing season, their first since 1967, by falling 48-42 to Purdue.

No doubt, many Michigan fans are wondering what they’ve gotten into with coach Rich Rodriguez, whose first season in Ann Arbor was expected to be a rebuilding year. But this bad?

Nebraska fans had a similar feeling back in 2004, the first season under coach Bill Callahan. The NFL castoff had replaced Frank Solich and looked to change the culture of one of the most successful programs in college football history.

He started by leading the Cornhuskers to their first losing season in more than four decades. Things got better for Callahan, then got much worse, and last year he was fired.

Those worried that Michigan is heading down that road shouldn’t.

While Rodriguez has brought a different personality and a different offense to Michigan, it’s doubtful he’ll alienate the fan base and the former members of the program the way Callahan did at Nebraska.

“You want to look at the finality of it all? I’ve been here nine, 10 months. We’ve had great tradition; we still have great tradition, and we’re going to try to do all we can to uphold it. But right now, we’re not going to a bowl,” Rodriguez said after the Purdue game.

Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press