There's just something stinking like three day-old Limberger cheese in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A handful of current and former players have made some dramatic allegations about how Michigan is handling its football program.

The allegations include the student-athletes being required to spend more than twenty hours a week during the season for football activities, often more than the allotted four hours per day, and having more than eight hours of mandatory workouts during the off-season, sometimes exceeding that threshold two or three times.

The big question of course, is why did Michigan only go 3-9 with all of this extra training involved?

Seriously, if Rich Rodriguez suddenly morphed into this giant ogre with goals far higher than every other elite football program, then why did he stink it up so much last year?

Michigan is college football's winningest program, and after one year, Rodriguez may cause this giant among giants to crash- these are huge potential violations-- if true-- because it destroys the emphasis on student, and puts all the emphasis on athlete.

Moreover, it directly gives the playes a competitive edge-- OK, last year isn't a good example, but you get the gist-- over others who train less.

If these allegations are true, well, hell, bye bye Rich. And good luck trying to get your salary paid. Not going to fly in Ann Arbor.

In fact, there will be two states that now abhor Rodriguez- Michigan and West Virginia. Of course, this could just be a case of players who can't stand their coach, but the more you think about it, the more you dismiss that theory.

This is Michigan, where Rose Bowls and National Championships are expected. The players are the cream of the crop and want to taste victory. They want a BCS Bowl. They want to beat Ohio State.

Why would they complain about some extra effort if it meant a good showing? A possible pick in the NFL draft? A championship ring?

I'm not buying it.

What I am buying is the players possibly revolting against the offensive scheme that Rodriguez has shoved down the Wolverines' players' throats.  The fact that Rodriguez is playing all three quarterbacks is a huge statement on the progress the offense has made- they have no quarterback. They have no leader. There isn't that one guy to lead the troops. No field general. No continuity in the huddle.

And it's causing concern among the Wolverines faithful. This year, the team is supposed to be much improved. But still no quarterback? Let's get brutally honest here- having three quarterbacks means you have none. And the offense has to be frustrated at this.

The players who made these allegations to the Detroit Free Press may just be venting their frustrations- what's the point of tripling your efforts if you still are pathetic? (and yes, 3-9 is pathetic in Ann Arbor)

Of course, these allegations could be true. And they are disturbing. But let's not fall over ourselves- the NCAA will screw this one up more than they usually do.

After all, no word on the Bush scandal- not even an official inquiry to USC has been made--a total mockery of justice in the Alabama and Florida State scandals, and the NCAA's insistence of pretending games don't exist by vacating wins as punishment all add up to a lengthy investigation, over-kill punishment and an asterisk, yes asterisk, on Michigan's 3-9 season last year.

Perhaps this would actually be a celebratory moment if the NCAA did actually vacate all of Michigan's games from last year?

3-9 never happened, maize and blue fans.

God bless the NCAA.