Rich Rodriguez wept Monday.

The embattled Michigan football coach denied that his program violated NCAA rules. And he objected strongly to the perception that he used and abused his players, caring not for them as young men.

“That is disheartening,” RichRod said at his news conference. “To say that is misleading, inaccurate and goes against everything that I have ever believed in coaching.”

But make no mistake, Rich Rodriguez is on the spot coming off a 3-9 season. The Detroit Free Press talked to a LOT of players before publishing a series of stories exposing what life is really like in Rich Rod’s program.

If the Wolverines did break NCAA rules, this will be a massive setback to the university and its athletic program — not to mention RichRod’s career.

Here is how our panel of pundits reacted to that:

Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press: “Rodriguez knows he’s in trouble. NCAA investigations are the antithesis of the American criminal justice system. You’re guilty until proven innocent. Overworking players through the vagueness of what’s ruled mandatory and what’s ruled voluntary isn’t as sexy as academic fraud or as damning as boosters providing players with luxury SUVs and baked goods with one-hundred dollar bills as frosting. But these accusations cut to the core of the NCAA’s biggest hypocrisy — the idyllic illusion of the student-athlete, at least as it pertains to football. And that should be Michigan’s greatest worry at the onset of the any inquisition.”

Jay Mariotti, FanHouse: “The ramifications are staggering. Michigan is an elite institution that has managed to balance academic and football excellence since the 1970s, when coach Bo Schembechler was hired and created the monster. If the program is found guilty of major NCAA violations for the first time, it will be a colossal blow to the university’s national prestige — as much as the filth that buried the basketball program. Imagine Michigan, mighty Michigan, clobbered with the football-basketball double whammy. It surely would prompt the firing of Rodriguez, who has done nothing right since his 2008 hiring, a supposed coup that instantly became regrettable when he lost the recruiting battle for heralded quarterback Terrelle Pryor – who was supposed to lead his spread offense — to arch-rival Ohio State and battled his previous employer at West Virginia in ugly legal mudslinging over wages.”

Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com: “The coach is making $2.5 million per year through 2013. Michigan helped him pay off a buyout due West Virginia. More than 20 players have left Michigan since he started. In light of the latest report, that suddenly becomes more relevant. On the football side, Rich Rod’s famed spread option offense has sputtered mostly since he arrived. He is planning to play three quarterbacks Saturday in the opener against Western Michigan. It’s an opener Michigan should win. Now it seems like a must win. If the Wolverines lose to another inferior opponent, Sunday’s report will seem like a gnat flying around Rodriguez’ head. There will be vultures circling his program.”

Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports: “This is about how silly this exercise of coach worship is – how absurd it is to both hype these guys up as Mother Teresas with whistles and then tear them down based on a rule book that as important as it is, shouldn’t define someone’s soul. You can be a good person, a caring coach and break NCAA rules. You can be an absolute abomination and point to a clean record. The relationship between a man’s character and his compliance is rarely applicable. Reality always falls in the middle. There are no black hats and white hats in college football. Just like in everything else, it’s all a shade of gray.”

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering if the Cardinals will have enough pitching to finish what they have started:

• With Mark DeRosa playing with a wrist injury – one that will require off-season surgical repair – might Troy Glaus still come in handy this year?
• Can Todd Wellemeyer reinvent himself as an aggressive middle-inning relief alternative for the stretch run? Can he do enough to save his future with the franchise?
• Could Jon Garland have rounded out the Cards rotation for the stretch run? Or will the real Kyle Lohse finally reemerge in September?
• Will the arrival of Garland and Jim Thome put the Dodgers over the top in the NL West?
• Could one more major move have put the White Sox over the top in the AL Central?
• Say, was that Bill Belichick actually shedding a tear during Tedy Bruschi’s farewell news conference?
• Does this mean The Chick isn’t a cyborg after all?
• Is anybody else growing a bit weary of Brett Favre?

CHIEF CONCERNS IN KANSAS CITY

As the Chiefs prepare for Thursday night’s big Governor’s Cup game at The Ed, all is not well on the Left Coast of Missouri.

A sprained knee has shelved new quarterback Matt Cassel, And new coach Todd Haley gave offensive coordinator Chan Gailey the short haircut less than two weeks before the season started.

Why did it take so long to figure out that this wasn’t working? Isn’t this the sort of decision that is made during the winter?

MEGAPHONE

“There were the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I did my job for 13 years and now my job is done. My job’s done, Bill. I’m looking forward to living the rest of my life.”

Bruschi, saying farewell to football.