Personally, I think Michigan should dismiss Rich Rodriguez right now, name an interim coach and finish out the 2010 season as best it can.

But that’s just me.

As you all know and have read in this space before, I said he was the wrong man for the job and after speaking to several of my friends who are Michigan fans, they have switched over to my way of thinking.

On Thursday afternoon the NCAA released its report on the Michigan football program.

While the report basically went with Michigan’s self-imposed sanctions, it did add a year of probation onto what the Wolverines wanted.

Three years probation for Michigan. I can hardly believe it.

The NCAA for some unknown reason sparred Rodriguez from the most serious charge.

That was that he failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance. Instead, they changed it to failure to monitor.

What a joke!

Rodriguez did more than just fail to monitor, he threw the rule book out the window and I am not buying one bit that they didn’t understand the rules.

He has been around too long to not understand how much time you can have the players practice and how many coaches can attend those countable hours.

And the part that really burns me is that the NCAA cannot look at the fact that West Virginia is facing the similar allegations, most of which came under Rich Rod’s watch.

I see a pattern here even if the NCAA Infraction Committee cannot.

They are not allowed to look at those allegations in conjunction with the Michigan violations. They can only look at the fact presented in the Michigan case.

What a crock!

The head of the committee even admitted that he was aware of  those allegations against the Mountaineers, but again, he couldn’t consider the fact that there was a pattern of disregard for the rules.

The NCAA is just a joke. They turn a blind eye when they want to and then they put the hammer down on violations that probably shouldn’t even be violations. Say something like Steve Alford posing for a charity calendar back in his Indiana days that netted him a suspension.

I will never understand their logic. If they want to be the college police, then you better show a little consistency.

No one ever knows when they head in front of the committee whether or not they are going to get a slap on the wrist for slapped with a bowl ban.

I will give Michigan credit for being candid about the situation. The Wolverine brash didn’t duck anything, have taken full responsibility for the situation and have begun the process of changing the way they do business.

Unfortunately that comes too late. Bill Martin is gone and his legacy besides the additions to Michigan Stadium will be hiring a head coach that in his very first year of leading the program violates a slew of NCAA rules.

It could have been worse, but it is a sad day for Wolverine fans as they join the ranks of those institutions that violate the rules.

Michigan used to be a place that was the exception to the rule. Now it’s just another school has been placed on probation by the NCAA.

I am sure that the Michigan haters are loving this. I am sure that they will enjoy sticking it to their friends who happen to be Michigan fans.

But if some good comes from this and lessons are learned by all those involved, then I applaud the university for its stance.

There are a lot of schools out there who violate the same rules that Michigan did. There is no question about it. I wonder if they would  be as accountable if the NCAA were to knock on their door and start asking questions.

I bet some of them would not.

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com