Michigan Football 2011: Reasonable Expectations for Denard Robinson Are Key

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is one of the most explosive players in college football. If you get a chance to watch a Michigan game, take advantage of it.

Last season, he passed for 2,570 yards and 18 touchdowns, but the impressive stats were his rushing numbers. Robinson ran for 1,702 yards and 14 touchdowns. He put up those numbers while missing several quarters due to injuries. Again, he plays quarterback.

Last season against Notre Dame, Michigan had 532 total yards. Robinson had 502 of them. Ridiculous.

He holds the Michigan rushing record by a quarterback with 197 yards in one game. Michigan football has been around for 131 years.

Everybody is just now realizing how good Robinson is and listing him as a Heisman candidate entering the 2011 college football season. Not so fast.

Robinson is a hell of an athlete and extremely fun to watch, but look at his passing numbers. He threw 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He is a quarterback; the first thing the voters are going to look at are his passing numbers. Those numbers won't hold weight when Andrew Luck, Landry Jones and Kellen Moore are throwing for 30-plus touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. 

Another thing is his durability.  He's 6'1", 193 pounds; he's going to get hurt, as last season showed. There were several games last season where he missed a couple quarters because the hits caught up to him. When you run the ball 256 times, you're going to take hits. His little frame can't take that type of beating. You can't win the Heisman trophy when you're stuck in the locker room getting treated by team doctors.

The main reason Robinson won't win the Heisman trophy is the Michigan Wolverines' schedule. Michigan plays Notre Dame, San Diego State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Ohio State this season. That alone is five potential losses. Will he really be a candidate if Michigan looses that many games? If they win them all, well, that's a different story.

Truth is, Robinson is one of the most entertaining players in the game, and the things he does on the football field are just remarkable. But that doesn't win Heisman trophies. Incredible numbers and double digit wins for your team does. Being fun to watch just boosts TV ratings, but doesn't really guarantee much of anything else.

A realistic expectation for the Wolverines signal caller is a season like last years. I just hope he is able to stay healthier, because man, he is fun to watch.