Hindsight is 20/20: the '07 Rose Bowl Game Explained

Buddy Dave is a legal intern in the front office with the Oakland Raiders this summer and so will be a source I frequently pump for insider info of the ilk that arose unexpectedly (and unpumped I might add) in a recent chat.

Being that we're both Michigan fans we got to talking about the coming season in which some foolish pundits believe a Wisconsin team sans the Godly John Stocco is going to be the best team in the Big 10.

We disagreed, the Badgers are not the best team in the Big 10. Without a seasoned QB, you've got to doubt them. It's the Wolverines in the Big 10 this year - simply too much experience on offense.

Michigan's D, I pointed out, is the question mark, but I compare it to OSU's from last year. They're going to be better than expected. After last season, I've got a lot more faith in English than Herrmann.

To which Buddy Dave replies, "yeah, though he was exposed for losing to USC in essentially the same way they lost to OSU."

And I say, well, you've got to put a lot of the second loss on the offense, since even the bona fide Leon Hall can get tired if he has to chase fast receivers around the field all game because the offense can't put together a drive. And by offense I mean:

1st Down - Off-Tackle
2nd Down - Off Tackle
3rd Down - Draw
4th Down - Punt

Buddy Dave says, "good point." Then suddenly conjures up the insight that inspired this whole post:

"[The offense] seemed to drop the ball in that game. Which was weird. I was talking to the Raiders guy who does college scouting the other day.. and, I forget the name of the guy graduating on the right side, but this guy was telling me that there were SO many plays where Henne wouldn't necessarily get sacked or Hart stopped in the backfield but where the right side of the line would cause the play to break down and they were basically all this one dude's fault."

The gears in my mind were starting to turn. Who was this dude who couldn't hold up his shit? Then as they started to turn faster, the questions changed. Who else could it be?

Rueben Riley. That slow sack of shit.

The embarrassing Rose Bowl loss to USC reduced to a single observation. The right side of the o-line was compromised. The right side of the o-line was Rueben Riley - the often maligned and frequently doubted, ponderous, plodding, undrafted sub-planetoid. Good riddance. If Michigan get's OSU and USC this year, I'm pegging his absence (or replacement) as the difference.

"You need a good o-line, just ask the Raiders," summarizes Buddy Dave. "We gave up how many sacks last year? Burning through QBs like cords of wood. Oh my God. This guy was like... 'well, it we suck again this year we can draft Jake Long.' They LOVE him."

And they should. He's pretty manly.