Sugar Bowl 2012: Denard Robinson Makes Battle in the Bayou Must-See TV

Looking for a reason to tune in to tonight's Sugar Bowl between the Michigan Wolverines and the Virginia Tech Hokies?

Glad you asked.  Truth be told, there are a bunch of reasons to watch the Sugar Bowl. 

You could tune in to catch a glimpse of Michigan's much-improved defense, or feast your eyes on the fabulous running of David Wilson, but you could also just be content to take in a bowl game that has been around since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Here's the main reason you should watch the Sugar Bowl: Denard Robinson.

Michigan's quarterback has his flaws, but he's arguably the most exciting player in the country when he's playing well. 

He showed a lot of improvement as a passer in 2011, but the main reason to keep your eyes on him is because you just never know when he's going to take off.

And when Robinson takes off, he takes off.

I'll let the video explain what I mean:

Runs like that one are more or less par for the course when it comes to Robinson. 

He's got blinding speed, and he doesn't mind using it.  In 2011, he used it to rack up 1,163 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 208 carries.  In 2010, he rushed for over 1,700 yards.

Because I don't want to sell Robinson short, I will also point out that he has a flare for the dramatic.  He demonstrated as much against Notre Dame early in the 2011 season.

Once again, I'll let the video do the talking:

Put the two videos together and you get a portrait of a player who is a dynamic playmaker who knows how to make plays when it matters.

That's a pretty good way to describe Robinson, which makes it apparent that he is practically custom-built to shine on a big stage like the Sugar Bowl.

Robinson has a little extra incentive to play well on Tuesday night. 

Michigan hasn't won a BCS bowl since the 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama, and have lost five of their last six bowl games, to boot.

Robinson is a guy who was brought in to reverse Michigan's fortunes, and leading the Wolverines to a win over the Hokies in the Sugar Bowl is his chance to do that. 

If he does, he will be granted legend status in Ann Arbor, and he and the Wolverines will speed toward the 2012 season with their eyes on a national title.

It can happen, but only if Robinson makes it happen.

That process starts in the Sugar Bowl.