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Don Nehlan built WVU. Rich Rod took it over. Sounds familiar.

Not really. Nehlen was on the decline, WVU wasn't a top 25 program when Rich took it over. From '94 to 2000, WVU/Nehlen didn't finish in the top 25 once. 4-7 and 7-5 in Nehlen's last two years. Rodriguez completely changed the entire style of play as well, they went from pro style to spread zone/read option on offense and to the 3-3-5 stack on defense. Rodriguez wasn't on Nehlen's staff being groomed to take over either like BERT was with BA- Rich had been at Tulane and Clemson developing his new style of offense.

BERT took over a program from Barry that was still humming, Wisconsin finished #18 in BA's second to last year and 10-3 and #15 his last year. BERT didn't change a thing. Wisconsin was still a line 'em up and smash them in the mouth run first pro-style oriented offense and the defense was still the same style they ran when BERT was the DC under BA.

Rodriguez actually built WVU up from scratch in his image and took them to heights they hadn't seen in a long time. Rich had 4 top 20 finishes in his 7 seasons there and his last 3 seasons were just excellent- 11-1, 11-2, 11-2.

BERT on the other hand took over a good thing and didn't mess it up.

Yeah, RR didn't work out, but any issue with the hire is revisionist history.  I thought it was a grand slam hire at the time.

yeah, it was viewed as a grand slam hire at the time because WVU was red hot his last 3 years there. Pat White and Steve Slaton were putting up insane numbers.

I think two huge things really bricked him at Michigan. He had a lot of people against him at Michigan, but if he had won he would've won them over. What really hurt him was not landing Terrelle Pryor to be his QB that first recruiting class and not getting his DC Jeff Casteel to come with him. That first year there just wasn't a QB on the roster who could play in any system let alone his, and there might not have been a better HS QB to play in his system ever than Terrelle Pryor. They probably go 6-6 that first year at worst if he lands Pryor. They land Pryor they probably also get some snaps at RB out of Denard Robinson. The two of those guys together in a backfield would've been a problem.

And we all know his defenses at Michigan were horrendous. The guy went through 3 different defensive co-ordinators in 3 different years and he hired a guy that had been known for running 4-3 in Schafer to run that 3-3-5 stack and then he hired a guy who had been known for running a 3-4 in Robinson to run the 3-3-5. It was just a complete mess. I really think if he landed Casteel and had that continuity it wouldn't have been so disastrous.

yeah, it was viewed as a grand slam hire at the time because WVU was red hot his last 3 years there. Pat White and Steve Slaton were putting up insane numbers.

I think two huge things really bricked him at Michigan. He had a lot of people against him at Michigan, but if he had won he would've won them over. What really hurt him was not landing Terrelle Pryor to be his QB that first recruiting class and not getting his DC Jeff Casteel to come with him. That first year there just wasn't a QB on the roster who could play in any system let alone his, and there might not have been a better HS QB to play in his system ever than Terrelle Pryor. They probably go 6-6 that first year at worst if he lands Pryor. They land Pryor they probably also get some snaps at RB out of Denard Robinson. The two of those guys together in a backfield would've been a problem.

And we all know his defenses at Michigan were horrendous. The guy went through 3 different defensive co-ordinators in 3 different years and he hired a guy that had been known for running 4-3 in Schafer to run that 3-3-5 stack and then he hired a guy who had been known for running a 3-4 in Robinson to run the 3-3-5. It was just a complete mess. I really think if he landed Casteel and had that continuity it wouldn't have been so disastrous.

To me, one of the knocks against Rod is that it seems like he can't adapt his offense to fit his personnel.  If he doesn't have that dual threat he struggles.

To me, one of the knocks against Rod is that it seems like he can't adapt his offense to fit his personnel.  If he doesn't have that dual threat he struggles.

Hard to say, he did adjust the offense at WVU. Remember he wanted to bring the pass-wacky to WVU where the QB throws it 40 times while also running the ball for 10+ carries a game like at Tulane or Salem. The whole spread-running game was discovered perhaps by accident when WVU was 1-3 (1-4?) going to play #1 Miami, almost knocked them off, and he discovered that we had some really good RBs here and maybe running from this formation will work. 
At WVU the offense ran into problems when teams would sell out against the run and not get penalized in the passing game because WVU was primarily running short 5-10 yard routes. I think that happened at UM a lot too. At Arizona its a little different. He's just sending 1-3 WRs on fly routes now which is opening up the running game and making D's pay for selling out against the run (granted this does run its own set of problems, Zona's D isn't good and they are on the field for 35-40+ minutes these days) however if you contain the big plays you can get the W. 
I the WVU's big mistake at UM was the 3-3-5. It made sense at WVU because while finding athletic guys on the DL over 260lb is difficult, you can instead bring in space eaters and cover the back with smaller easier to find athletes. Michigan never didn't have a recruiting disadvantage, and they could have found the players to run a 4-3.   

Hard to say, he did adjust the offense at WVU. Remember he wanted to bring the pass-wacky to WVU where the QB throws it 40 times while also running the ball for 10+ carries a game like at Tulane or Salem. The whole spread-running game was discovered perhaps by accident when WVU was 1-3 (1-4?) going to play #1 Miami, almost knocked them off, and he discovered that we had some really good RBs here and maybe running from this formation will work.
At WVU the offense ran into problems when teams would sell out against the run and not get penalized in the passing game because WVU was primarily running short 5-10 yard routes. I think that happened at UM a lot too. At Arizona its a little different. He's just sending 1-3 WRs on fly routes now which is opening up the running game and making D's pay for selling out against the run (granted this does run its own set of problems, Zona's D isn't good and they are on the field for 35-40+ minutes these days) however if you contain the big plays you can get the W.
I the WVU's big mistake at UM was the 3-3-5. It made sense at WVU because while finding athletic guys on the DL over 260lb is difficult, you can instead bring in space eaters and cover the back with smaller easier to find athletes. Michigan never didn't have a recruiting disadvantage, and they could have found the players to run a 4-3.  

No, your point is valid.  When he was HC at D2 Grenville St they threw the ball all over the lot.  When he was OC at Clemson with Woody Dantzler they were really balanced.
When he got to WVU I think his first year he strived for balance but the QB (Brad Lewis) was terrible and the whole season was really a disaster.  The next season when Rasheed Marshall was QB he saw he had a kid who wasn't a great passer but could run around a little bit and the offense became run heavy and stayed that way for the duration of his time here and as far as I can tell stayed that way through his stops at Michigan and Arizona.
Maybe I'm revising history but I was under the impression when he got to Michigan he met with Mallet and basically told him he didn't fit what he wanted to do.  Maybe some UM fans can shed more light on that.  I may be wrong about that.  But that's the way I thought it went down and it soured me on Rod a little.  If you can't find a way to use Ryan Mallet then shame on you.
All I know is from 2002-2007 at WVU it was heavy zone read and the passing game consisted of a lot of bubble screeens and one read drops for the QB.  If the primary receiver wasn't open Marshall and White were told to tuck it and run.  Whenever I've watched his teams since he left Morgantown it seems to be mostly that although he does incorporate a lot more RPO now.  But it seems like he wants the dual threats and stays away from the classic pocket passer types.

For all the weak targeting calls, how the hell did Texas get away with that one?

I was just thinking that.   It was the type of target call the proponents love to show on clips.

Ehlinger should not be the QB for a helmet school.  

Eh, true freshman, I think he's fine.  He doesn't strike me as special, and really the problem is that a helmet school has done so poorly recruiting QBs, that he's forced to start as a freshman.  That requires four straight years of whiffs.