Amid Sherrone Moore Fiasco, Michigan Players Struggle With Sense Of Betrayal Before Citrus Bowl

It's been less than a week since Sherrone Moore was fired by Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel after evidence emerged that the former head coach was having an "inappropriate relationship" with a female staffer. 

And how does the team, which is preparing for a bowl game against Texas, feel about it all? Interim coach Biff Poggi said it's more a sense of betrayal.

Lost in all the madness surrounding the program are the players who have to decide what's best for their futures. It likely helps that this team is currently together going through that bowl prep. It beats the alternative of having athletes scattered across the country, trying to decipher what's going on in Ann Arbor from afar. 

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At the moment, this team is still trying to figure out how to push forward, with a sense of betrayal inside the locker room towards their former leader. Now, it's up to interim coach Biff Poggi to be the guy that just listens, while also trying to calm the nerves of parents during this wild time of uncertainty. 

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"It has been a tumultuous time," Poggi said during a Citrus Bowl media appearance. "A lot of anger, and at first disbelief, then anger, then what we're really in right now is the phase of, the kids frankly right now feel betrayed."

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If we're being honest, there aren't many people following Michigan football right now for what happens on the field. That's the unfortunate part for the athletes, as they also wait to see who the school can land as the next head coach. 

In addition, there is the transfer portal that opens on January 2nd, which is also a catalyst for nervousness regarding the future. For the athletic department, hiring a new coach in a short period is the utmost importance, but they have to get this one right. 

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As for what's going on with the players, along with the coaching staff, the unknown is more complicated than maybe the outside world thinks. Thanks to the experience Poggi brings to the Michigan staff, he knows that just showing up for his players is the most important thing. 

"Unique and complex,obviously," Poggi said to reporters. "Multiple levels of complexity that our young people are dealing with, that our university is dealing with, that our athletic director Warde Manuel is dealing with. I don't know that you can prepare for anything like this. It's been complicated.

"I've met individually with all the players, multiple times, and with parents through zoom multiple times. The message has been, ‘listening’, right. I want to listen to them, I want to understand what the kids are feeling, and what their parents are feeling. So, a lot of listening, and there have been a wide range of emotions, as you can imagine. We are kind of going through those steps. They are not over yet, and I don't expect them to be over for a while."

Athletic Dept. Being Investigated, Sherrone Moore Awaits Court

While the players are preparing for a game and going through different levels of emotion, the Michigan board of regents have now expanded their investigation into the events that led up to Moore being fired. The law firm of Jenner & Block, who was hired to look into the ‘inappropriate relationship’ involving Moore and a female staffer, are now looking into past problems within the athletic department. 

And, this goes beyond just the handling of Moore. Whether that is the multiple NCAA investigations, or even an assistant coach being charged by the FBI for accessing sensitive material related to intimate photos of hundreds of athletes, nothing is off limits. 

So, this could end up taking a substantial amount of time. 

As for Moore, he is currently out on bond awaiting his next court appearance. By the time he appears again before a judge, Michigan will have hired a new head coach and his former players will have made up their minds about the future. 

As you can tell, this entire ordeal has affected plenty of lives, and we're not even a week into this saga.