re: The Michigan AD????

Yup. Firing Rodriguez now would cost $4 million, firing him on January 1 or afterwards "only" $2.5 million. Given that the Michigan alumni want to hire Jim Harbaugh, who will be busy until January 1 anyway, it makes sense to wait. But I suspect Rodriguez will be given one more year, with yet another scapegoat as DC (Rodriguez apparently refuses to adjust his beloved 3-3-5 defensive scheme to either the players he's got or the opponent, thus allowing Wisconsin to steamroller them).