Do Not Resuscitate: Debunking Five Myths About Michigan's Tate Forcier

Tate Forcier's appearance in Ann Arbor has generated a tremendous amount of buzz for the program, although the cadence of that buzz has recently tended to be, well, not so good.

There are a handful of rumors surrounding Michigan's trip to Iowa, Tate's benching, and his lingering shoulder injury and concussion that warrant debunking.

Let's get to it.

Rumor: Tate got into a verbal argument with coach Rodriguez on the sidelines after his poor performance in the Iowa game.

Provided by: Lisa Salters, ESPN sideline analyst.

Actual quote: When a rattled Forcier came to the sideline, Salters said, “He kind of looked over at coach saying, ‘I don’t know what you want me to do.’”

Truth: This looks like ESPN trying to start a fire with only kindling. Salters' quote sounds like she's reading into body language here and little else.

There's no footage of an actual argument taking place, like there was of, say, Ryan Mallett getting called out on the sidelines during the 2007 Wisconsin game, or Charles Stewart going after a coach's assistant during last year's Ohio State game.

Forcier, if anything, was confused about RR's criticisms (and Rodriguez is highly animated in his criticism, as any close observer will tell you), but he did not exchange words.

Don't expect transfer papers to get signed anytime soon.

Which brings us to...

Rumor: Tate is no longer the starting quarterback at Michigan.

Provided by: The fact that Rodriguez benched Forcier on Michigan's last two drives.

Truth: Tate's still your starter, with the only caveat being his health (which I'll address in a moment).

Rodriguez put this one to bed as early as Monday, and there's no reason to believe he would lie. Tate is still Michigan's best option throwing or running, even if he misses the zone read occasionally.

Denard Robinson is not scaring anyone as a downfield threat, and he proved it on the game-clinching interception when he missed a crossing Martavious Odoms wide open as his shorter read.

That said, expect to see plenty of Denard on Saturday against Delaware State. Denard needs to start throwing against competition, as injuries to Forcier are mounting.

Which brings us to...

Rumor: Tate's shoulder injury is worse than we think.

Provided by: Tate's dwindling effectiveness as a passer, his brother, his body language.

Truth: Well, there definitely is some truth to this one. In his brother's words, Tate's injury is like Sam Bradford's, in that "An AC joint is an AC joint." And he's not referring to a bar where they play "Thunderstruck" a lot.

Bradford's injury took four costly weeks to heal. Tate was back the next week against Michigan State, albeit with heavier shoulder padding.

The difference is in degrees: Tate suffered a borderline Type I/II separated shoulder (not to be confused with a dislocated shoulder). Bradford's was more like II or III.

Orthopedics.about.com on the nature of the injury:

A type II shoulder separation involves an injury to the AC joint capsule as well as one of the important ligaments that stabilizes the clavicle. This ligament, the coracoclavicular ligament, is partially torn. Patients with a type II separated shoulder may have a small bump over the injury.

On the other hand, the Detroit News' Angelique Chengelis quotes Rodriguez saying there "aren't any issues" with Forcier's shoulder anymore.

This one is kind of up in the air. I wouldn't be surprised if Tate's shoulder couldn't use a week's rest, or maybe two or three drives against Delaware State. There probably aren't any "issues," per se, but there is probably mild discomfort and soreness prior to warming up.

I don't think Rodriguez would take a risk in re-aggravating the injury, especially against D1-AA competition, so if Forcier starts on Saturday, take it as a medical vote of confidence.

Which brings us to...

Rumor: Tate suffered a concussion against Iowa.

Provided by: Rodriguez.

Truth: Truth. The concussion was mild, and was suffered on Tate's last play. It was causing Tate headaches and keeping him from full-contact practice on Monday. But he practiced fully Wednesday. It is not expected to keep him out of starting Saturday.

Concussions are a funny thing, however. A terrific, poignant article recently published in the New Yorker argued that, especially in football, concussions can compound over time. From that article:

...[W]hat sidelined the U.N.C. player, the first time around, was an accidental and seemingly innocuous elbow, and none of the blows he suffered...would have been flagged by a referee as illegal. Most important, though, is what Guskiewicz found when he reviewed all the data for the lineman on that first day in training camp. He didn’t just suffer those four big blows. He was hit in the head thirty-one times that day. What seems to have caused his concussion, in other words, was his cumulative exposure.

Expect Tate's head injury to significantly affect the play calling, specifically plays where Tate might be susceptible to helmet shots. Though this severely impedes Rodriguez's base play, the zone-read, the variety of run plays Michigan is currently developing—variations of the veer concept, halfhearted option-pitches, tosses, and basic iso run plays with a fullback—don't call for Forcier to get knocked.

Especially considering safeties have been gunning for him head first, he's been lucky. Rodriguez said Forcier needed to be medically cleared on Wednesday in order to play Saturday, and as of the publication of this article, doctors were still determining Tate's status.

And finally...

Rumor: Tate has been texting sideline reporters and might be heading into prima donna territory.

Source: Tate texted Pat Forde after Michigan's game against MSU, saying he took full responsibility for the loss, and he also texted Lisa Salters on the game experience, as per her sideline commentary.

Truth: Yeah, about that.

This is where Tate's behavior is becoming troubling, and also why I support Rodriguez's decision to put in Denard Robinson on the final two drives.

Tate needs to understand that he is not the only player on the team, no matter what kind of unsanctioned access to the press he is exercising or adulation he is receiving.

Tate did not experience the 3-9 season, and I'm afraid he might be missing the point on team unity. Rodriguez's decision to bench him took a lot of guts, especially for such a fiercely competitive coach who wants to win as bad as anybody.

Denard was playing well, and had run it in for the score, but Rodriguez's purpose, in my opinion, was deeper.

He was showing Tate he was willing to risk losing a game to prove a point, and keeping out his comeback kid showed it. Tate is not the whole team. If he isn't playing well, as in missing reads, not performing checkdowns, or scrambling prematurely, he will get benched.

Continuing to throw into coverage and relying on luck or bravado will cost this team. Anyone who saw Tate's last few throws against MSU knows how lucky we were to get into overtime.

If the offensive coaches are telling Tate to cut it out and he is continuing to make bad throws, it will definitely cost him playing time; more than injuries, texts, or supposed sideline rants.

So, what can we expect in the future?

Well, if Tate starts against Delaware State, that puts a lot of the medical issues to bed. As for the rumor of Rodriguez and Tate's mutual angst, consider it a mild concession on the coach's part. If you want to believe drama still exists, don't think any more about it. Rodriguez is no pushover, as the end of the Iowa game demonstrated.

The longer Tate is in the game, the better he must feel. The Wolverines should run wild on Delaware State—they're not you-know-who.

Remember, if Denard runs out on the field for the first series, it's probably medically related. There is no way Tate loses his starting job due to anything other than injury.

Finally, text Tate while you still can, because I don't foresee Rodriguez allowing that to continue, especially with Big Ten tilts against Penn State and Illinois on the horizon.