Guarded Optimism: Three Things That Michigan Has To Answer By Sept. 4th

We all have Sept. 4th circled on our calendars, as that is the day Rich Rod’s Wolverines take the field to start the 2010 campaign, a campaign that will inevitably decide the fate of our ball coach.  When the Blue take the field against UConn, hopefully several pressing off-season questions will be answered.

The first, and by far the most important, question that needs to be addressed is whether the two-headed monstrosity that was the QB1 position had righted itself.  Both Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson had their moments last year, and no one will forget Forcier’s scramble to put away those pesky Irish.  Yet, we also have Forcier’s injury plagued October and November, and Robinson’s putrid 45 percent completion percentage ingrained in our minds.

The snaps were roughly split 80-20in favor of Forcier last year, and the main problem with a 2-QB system is that it prevents the players from getting into a groove.  Not just the QBs, but the receivers, the backs, even the lineman need to get acclimated to the differences in snap counts, strengths, and weaknesses of the individual QBs.  There were countless examples, most notably the Iowa debacle, where Rich Rod’s replacing of Denard for the ineffective Foricer led to a big loss.

One QB needed to break away from the pack this offseason, and from all accounts, it appears to be Robinson who will be leading the Wolverines against the Huskies on Sept. 4.  Apparently, Tate’s “cockiness”, and his lack of attendance at the voluntary work-outs have left the door open for the faster, more athletic Robinson, who has also been spotted with tied cleats.  I say that not as a joke, but the fact that Robinson is actively changing his old routines to fit the Rich Rod mold is the type of action that Michigan football has been lacking.

With the QB situation hopefully finalized by the time our boys hit the gridiron, the other side of the ball will get the brunt of attention and criticism.  Greg Robinson is taking a more hands on approach with his defense, attempting to rebound from the atrocity that was 33.3 ppg in the Big 10.  Apparently, Greg Robinson is getting down in the trenches with the D-Line and Linebackers, hoping to turn around what was at best a porous defense.

Losing Brandon Graham and Donovan Warren was painful, and losing two of our top replacements, Dorsey and Kinard to academic failures, makes that pain sting a bit more.  But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and Greg Robinson needs to get the most out of our returning players, like Jordan Kovacks, Obi Ezeh, and my personal favorite, Jonas Mouton.

While the Huskies won’t tax our defense, I hope, Sept. 4th will still be a good dress rehearsal for our new look defense.  The defense needs to improve for Rich Rod, as for the last two years it has been his Achilles Heel, but if it can coalesce around the blue-collar Robinson, it has the talent to prop Rich Rod to a fourth-season.

The last question that will be answered on Sept. 4th, and one that will plague the season until the NCAA makes a final decision, is how the players will handle the on-going/concluded/on-going/who knows what’s going on NCAA investigation in the Wolverine program.  What we do know is that the 2-year self-imposed punishment is probably not going to be the end of the punishment, and the dark cloud of potential sanctions could affect our Wolverines on and off the field.

With the strict penalties that USC received, and the investigations at UNC, UF, Miami, and many other schools, it appears the NCAA is trying to crack down on flagrant violations.  If the trend continues, I, and many others, don’t feel the 2-year probation will satisfy the invigorated NCAA Rules Committee.

If the Wolverines can put the off-field distractions aside, and if Greg Robinson can live up to the expectations that he had as a defensive stalwart, and if Rich Rod can implement his Spread-offense with ONE QB, I believe Sept. 4th will be the start of a Wolverine campaign unlike the past two...

One of guarded optimism, and the hope that our players that have endured under Rich Rod remember Old Bo’s famed saying, “Those who stay will be Champions.”