Ohio State vs. Michigan: Denard Robinson Deserves the Heisman as Much as Anyone

This is the time of the year where the great players make special things happen in big time moments.

It's also the time of year where the elite make their last and final push for the Heisman Trophy.

If you don't believe that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has already been given the award, then the Heisman Trophy race is wide open. If that's the case, then why not Michigan's Denard Robinson?

Robinson's resume stacks favorable with any other contender for this season's award, and you can make the case that he is as deserving as any other player in the country.

Let's take a look at five reasons why Robinson should be in New York collecting the Heisman Trophy.

No. 5: He's the Most Exciting Player in the Country

If Robinson isn't the most exciting player in the country, he's certainly right up there with a small handful of others. I would certainly put Baylor's Robert Griffin III in that class, but not many other players.

Robinson can wow you every time he touches the ball, and he is one of the top handful of playmakers out there.

His ability to make the big play on almost any occasion in the football game separates him from every other contender out there.

No. 4: He's Had His Heisman Moment

Almost every Heisman Trophy winner has that one Heisman moment. Robinson's came early in the season—Week 2 to be exact. It was the first night game in Big House history, the largest crowd in college football history with a national television audience.

Robinson had the world in his palm that night against rival Notre Dame, and his performance was jaw-dropping.

After a Tommy Rees touchdown pass put Notre Dame on top 31-28 with only 30 seconds remaining, Robinson got the ball at his own 20-yard line needing a touchdown to win.

No problem.

He stunned the Fighting Irish through the air. He proved the doubters wrong by capping a dramatic comeback off with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree to end one of the more exciting games of the 2011 season.

That's a Heisman moment.

He wasn't too bad on Saturday either, with five combined touchdowns in leading Michigan to their first win over Ohio State since 2003.

No. 3: Passing Numbers

In what has certainly been the Year of the Quarterback, several signal-callers are having excellent seasons and are worthy of winning the Heisman trophy.

If a true gunslinger is what you are looking for, then Robinson certainly isn't your guy. His numbers don't compare with that of a Brandon Weeden or Case Keenum. But for a guy known for making things happen with his legs, his overall passing numbers aren't bad. He's also proven he can get things done with his arm if he has to.

After today's win, Robinson has thrown for 2,055 yards and 18 touchdowns. Those would be below average numbers for a quarterback in a passing system, but Michigan is not that.

Robinson's detractors may look at his 14 interceptions and that's understandable, but let's compare him to Luck.

Luck's 31 touchdowns to only eight picks looks much better, but he's thrown for only 900 more yards than Robinson in over 120 more pass attempts.

I'm not saying Robinson belongs in the conversation among the best passers in today's game, but his numbers aren't bad either.

No. 2: Rushing Numbers

What separates Robinson from almost every other contender in the nation: his dual-threat ability.

After the win against Ohio State, Robinson currently has rushed for 1,159 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Compared with any running back in contention for the Heisman Trophy, Robinson currently sits about 300 yards short of Montee Ball (who is playing now), in about 50 less rushing attempts.

It's just not the rushing stats though for Robinson, it's the way he breaks the oppositions back with his legs. Add up his numbers, and he's a guy with close to 3,400 combined yards and 34 combined touchdowns.

If you are voting for the Heisman based on stats, Robinson deserves serious consideration.

No. 1: He's Winning

Perhaps the most important reason why Robinson deserves consideration for the Heisman Trophy is for what he's done for the Wolverines in the win column.

The Heisman Trophy generally will go to a guy on a winning team, and considering where this Michigan team was under Rich Rodriguez and where they sit now with 10-wins and on the verge of a possible BCS at large bid, that's a big accomplishment.