Book Review: John U. Bacon's "Three and Out"
By Ty Duffy
Rodriguez was the spread offense’s architect, the coach who brought a Morgantown-based team to the brink of a BCS title berth. Michigan was college football’s winningest program, with resources and clout. It was a marriage that could not fail, yet it failed spectacularly.
Michigan amassed a 6-18 Big Ten record over Rodriguez’ tenure, 1-15 against the conference’s elite and, crucially, 0-6 against Michigan State and Ohio State. Rodriguez was ousted after three acrimonious seasons. Bacon received largely unfettered access for all of it.
Bacon goes places reporters don’t get to go and offers readers almost an unprecedented depth of insight into a story still sharp. His work is rife with candid Rodriguez scenes. We hear his pre, mid and post-game speeches. We see him react privately after games. He expresses thoughts he could not share publicly about his West Virginia departure, his treatment by the media and the ongoing NCAA investigation.
The author shadows Denard Robinson around campus, just as he’s becoming a national name. He endures an infamous Mike Barwis workout course. He recounts the multiple, profanity-laced tirades directed at the ever-mercurial Tate Forcier. He’s even present for Tate’s tearful Gator Bowl goodbye. He provides readers a nuanced understanding of what coaching and playing for a major FBS program entails.
Bacon’s access, however, is selective. What makes it an engrossing journalism, also makes it imperfect history. Characters who declined comment appear as shadows and caricatures before the gleaming Rodriguez. Lloyd Carr is cold, sullen and undermining his successor for no apparent reason. Michigan’s AD David Brandon is cagey and inscrutable, a personification of the tightening noose. Both are essential to this narrative. Neither is fleshed.
This is felt most keenly with Bacon’s treatment of Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg. He lands blow after blow, accusing the silent columnist, more or less blatantly, of unprofessionalism.
Rosenberg is quoted second-hand saying “I don’t like that guy. I don’t think be belongs here” after Rodriguez’ initial press conference and threatening to run former AD Bill Martin out of his job. He’s publishes stories about swearing in practice, without having attended practice. He fails to distinguish between countable and non-countable hours to inflame his practice expose. The absent Rosenberg cannot raise his arms to defend himself.
The paramount question Three and Out must address is why Michigan fired Rich Rodriguez. It answers part of it. Bacon adroitly breaks down the “Michigan Man” conundrum and the cultural discord between a stuffy university and a naïve, impolitic football coach. He explores what was, in essence, a shotgun hiring. Rodriguez encounters obstacles. We grasp why he stumbled into so money of them.
What’s missing is what happened on the field, specifically with the defense. The discord did not help, but it was losing that sealed Rodriguez’ demise. Bacon explains why West Virginia defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel stayed, but beyond that offers little more than cursory snippets. Initial hiring Scott Shafer is mentioned. That’s about it. We see exasperated clashes between Rodriguez and Greg Robinson, though little about why he hired him, what went wrong and what his relationship with Rodriguez’ assistants was like. The most perplexing element of the story (and perhaps the most salient) remains perplexing.
Three and Out provides a wealth of insight into the Rodriguez saga at Michigan, with college football lessons applicable beyond its narrow focus. It’s a captivating read for the invested Michigan fan, though the unaffiliated might find it a tad syrupy and difficult to digest.
[Photo via Getty]