Heisman Watch 2011: 4 Reasons Why Denard Robinson Won't Win the Heisman

Denard Robinson is once again the talk of the college football world after an electrifying comeback against Notre Dame where he tallied 338 passing yards and 108 rushing yards to go with five touchdowns.

However, skeptics are quick to point out a plethora of reasons why “Shoelace” won’t be able to win the Heisman.

Here are some of those reasons.

Same Story as Last Year

Up until October 2 of last year, Robinson was considered the Heisman favorite after rushing for over 120 yards in five straight games, including three 200+ yard performances in addition to throwing for over 1,000 yards in those games.

In addition—like this year—none of those teams are very good, with the possible exception of Notre Dame.

He needs to prove himself against a ranked opponent, and he didn’t do that last year. Why should 2011 be any different?

New Offensive Scheme

Robinson was recruited for a spread offense, but now he’s in Brady Hoke’s pro-style and it largely has not worked for him.

Against Western Michigan, he only threw for 98 yards and rushed for 46 in the shortened game. Before the fourth quarter against Notre Dame, he only had 84 yards rushing and went 4-14 for 136 passing yards.

It’s not that he’s gotten any worse; it’s that Robinson was not meant to play in a pro-style offense and only excelled when he was able to get out of the pocket, draw the defense and then make throws.

Defense Still Needs Work

There was little-to-no defense in the game against Notre Dame, and the Wolverines have yet to stop a good wide receiver. They also gave up 6.0 yards per carry to the Irish’s Cierre Wood.

Yes, the defense scored twice against Western Michigan, but it can’t give up over 500 yards to good teams or hope that a turnover can be returned for a touchdown in order to be successful.

Until that happens and Denard can stay on the field longer, there’s no chance he wins the Heisman—he won't have enough wins.

Other Players Have Upper Hand

Kellen Moore, LaMichael James and Andrew Luck were all finalists for the prestigious award last season, and they are all back for 2011.

Landry Jones is also considered one of the favorites after nearly throwing for 5,000 yards last season and there have been a number of players who have been more consistent.

In order to get the better of those guys, Shoelace will need to keep putting up numbers like he did against Notre Dame and add another signature moment. But even that may not be enough if Andrew Luck puts up a great season.