Well, of course it is. Here's the sticking point, though. If the school admits that Rodriguez failed to promote that atmosphere of compliance, it can hardly argue that the more specific violations were merely mistakes or errors in judgment. In an atmosphere of non-compliance, the commission of those violations would portray Rodriguez's program as out of control.
Ah, but if Michigan steadfastly stands behind Rodriguez and maintains that he was at all times trying to run a clean program - i.e., promoting an atmosphere of compliance - well, then all of those other issues can be explained away with that simple, "Oops.''
The trouble is, it is that fifth allegation that is the most serious and the one the NCAA is no doubt looking at the hardest. It is also the reason the NCAA paid a visit to West Virginia last winter, digging into how things were done when Rodriguez was here.
From WVU's point of view, of course, it would be best if the NCAA uncovered nothing during its foray to Morgantown; that it establishes that things were done properly. The school no doubt went to great lengths during the NCAA's visit to explain how it so often denied Rodriguez in his requests to do things that seemed borderline nefarious.
From Rodriguez's point of view, though, it would actually seem almost beneficial if the NCAA uncovered evidence of violations at WVU similar to those that are being charged at Michigan. Rodriguez would then have a much easier time explaining away the Michigan "mistakes'' if they were ones he had committed elsewhere, giving him the ability to say, "Well, I didn't know. That's the way I've always done it.''
How will it all pan out when the NCAA's Committee on Infractions meets in mid-August to consider the Michigan case? Who knows? But the bottom line is that Rodriguez is probably past the point of being able to outsmart anyone on these points.
