Denard Robinson: Why the Ohio State Buckeyes Should Not Be Afraid

There is no doubt that Michigan's Denard Robinson is the hottest name in college football after putting on offensive shows against Connecticut and Notre Dame.

Robinson, who totaled up 885 yards and five touchdowns without an interception is an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy and the reason why Michigan is 2-0 and ranked in the Top 25.

But even with the accolades that Robinson has received, and very much deserved, there is no reason why the Buckeyes should be overly concerned about Michigan's new star QB.

Even though Robinson has been spectacular, his competition has not been very good, as UConn is a darkhorse contender in a weak Big East, and Notre Dame is still trying to find an identity.

And even with Robinson's offensive explosion, which is just 58 yards less than Ohio State's total offense through two games (943 yards), the Buckeyes have outscored the Wolverines 81-58.

In addition, the Wolverines have to deal with the Big Ten schedule, which led to the collapse of the team a year ago.

Last season, Michigan was riding high behind freshman QB Tate Forcier, winning four straight games, including a thrilling comeback win at home against Notre Dame.

But soon after Michigan went 4-0, the wheels came off the wagon, and the Wolverines only won one more game that year, against Delaware State.

While Michigan is improved, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are capable of beating the best teams in the Big Ten, especially Iowa and Ohio State.

And even though the Connecticut defense is not too bad, the unit lacks the pure speed and the talent up front that the Buckeyes have.

Ohio State showcased their defensive speed against Miami, forcing four Jacory Harris interceptions in their 36-24 win over the Hurricanes.

And the Buckeyes defense does have experience facing a fast-paced spread attack after beating Chip Kelly's Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl 26-17 and slowing down QB Jeremiah Masoli and the high-octane Oregon offense.

So the Buckeyes have a very good idea of how to handle fast QBs who are threats to run and throw.

Plus, the Buckeyes know how to get up for a big game, and they'll likely need this game to play for the national championship, which they should be in position to do. Jim Tressel just doesn't lose to Michigan, going 8-1 and winning six straight since his only loss to the Maize and Blue in 2003.

Besides, there's no way of knowing just yet if this Michigan team will face the same fate as the Michigan team of last year that completely collapsed late in the season.

This team certainly appears better on both sides of the ball, but the question about whether or not they can compete in the much-improved Big Ten is still up in the air.

In short, Michigan must prove it on the field.

We all know how Robinson has handled success. The other question for Robinson is what happens when he has to deal with adversity?

What happens when a team figures out how to make him one-dimensional and forces him to pass without being able to break a big run? Or vice versa?

But there is no doubt that Denard Robinson is a very gifted athlete, and he has shown that he is capable of taking over games like few quarterbacks in this game can.

Even still, with the defensive skill and experience of Ohio State, not to mention the lack of elite skill of Michigan's opponents, there should be little to fear right now about Denard Robinson.

This article is featured on Storm the Field. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.