Freshman QB A Force To Be Reckoned With

So life in Ann Arbor is good once again.

Last year's bumbling Wolverine offense, with personnel ill-equipped to play Rich Rodriguez's vaunted Spread attack, failed at practically every turn. "Just wait," proponents claimed; "once we get the right quarterback, everything will be fine."

They have the right quarterback.

Freshman sensation Tate Forcier, with a grand total of two college football games under his belt, has thrown for five touchdowns and run one in himself. He has looked completely at ease, unflappable, evading sacks and buying time for his receivers. At a school where practically every single starting quarterback in the last twenty years has made the NFL, Forcier looks like he may put up numbers superior to them all.

Leading the Wolverines past Western Michigan is one thing. Coming from behind to beat Notre Dame-- even if the Fighting Irish's #18 national ranking was pure fancy, fuelled by a cadre of sportswriters who still think it's 1975-- was something else entirely. Fitting every possible definition of "Instant Classic," this game between the two greatest college football programs ever (most wins, best win percentage, most national championships) was a joy to watch from beginning to end, and Forcier's talent was shown on a national stage with everyone watching.  He's not perfect, certainly, and the late-game interception which put Notre Dame in position to take the lead was a freshman mistake; but he looked like a seasoned veteran on practically every other play of the game, including the epic final drive for the winning touchdown.

Michigan may well creep into the rankings (and upcoming games against Eastern Michigan and Indiana suggest an undefeated team leading into the State game) but Wolverine fans everywhere will just want to celebrate the return of the program to their traditional winning ways... and their newest hero.