Death watch: Bo Schembechler

In life, timing can be everything. Despite his long, legendary tenure, former University of Michigan football head coach Bo Schembechler can not claim any of the Wolverines' 11 national championships. Among other things, that's bad timing.

Today, Schembechler made up for that and more with the most impeccably timed death this death watcher has ever seen: Brilliantly dying 28 hours before the most hyped regular season football game in the history of the University of Michigan -- if not all of college football.

Suddenly the passing of Schembechler went from being a big regional story to a big national one. Currently there is a photo of Bo, in one triumphant pose or another, smack on the top of most major Internet news sites.

In my estimation, Schembechler was no Paterno, Bowden, Royal, Bryant, Mckay, Osburne or even Switzer. But all that mattered to Wolverine fans was how Schembechler measured up to Ohio State head coach and mentor-turned-rival Woody Hayes.

While Hayes won five national championships to Schembechler's goose egg, Hayes died on a random Tuesday in March. Schembechler's dramatic final act should make every fan of the maize and blue proud.