Denard Robinson Shines as Michigan Starter; Tate Forcier Demoted to Third String

After months of speculation, the Michigan quarterback depth chart was revealed yesterday as the Wolverines took on Connecticut to open the season and won 31-10. True sophomore Denard Robinson got the start and took all but two snaps—true freshman Devin Gardner filled in when Robinson was banged up late in the third quarter. True sophomore Tate Forcier, who started every game for the Wolverines last year, did not play.

It was only one game, but we learned a lot about the Michigan quarterback situation. Starting with, well, the starter and moving our way down the depth chart, here’s what we learned from Saturday.

Denard Robinson
The spring reports were confirmed on Michigan’s opening drive. Before Saturday, you could question Rich Rodriguez’s decision to start Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson’s numbers were off the charts: 19/22, 186 yards, 1 TD passing; 29 carries for 197 yards and 1 TD rushing. The rushing yards were a single-game Michigan record. The completions were five more than he had all of last season. The one-trick pony from a year ago is suddenly a legitimate dual-threat.

Robinson’s improved throwing motion was noticeable from his first pass. His accuracy, confidence, and decision-making have all improved greatly. The team clearly supports him. He’s an electrifying player, no doubt, and perhaps his biggest asset is that he makes the defense better, too—by keeping it off the field.

Big Ten Realignment; Media Overreactions

This year has not been a good one for sportswriters. With stories breaking on Twitter, the journalism landscape has changed quite a bit just in the last few years. But I think there are several guidelines that were applicable in 1950 and 1990 that are still applicable in 2010. For example, getting the story right is pretty important.

In 2010, I feel it’s not always about being accurate. It’s about being first. In 1950, this would have made more sense to me. Being the first really meant something back then. If your newspaper broke a story, nobody else could take ownership of it. It wouldn’t be until the next day—a full 24 hours!—that another paper could relay that news.

But now that we live in a 24-hour news cycle, does it even matter that much to be first? Any “breaking news” tweet gets retweeted in some form or another by a thousand different people. How you came about piece of information is likely different from how I came to that same bit of info. By the time the news becomes official, who even remembers where they first heard it?

The most prominent examples of sportswriters jumping the gun this year involved NCAA Tournament expansion, NBA free agency, and most recently, Big Ten realignment.

2010 NL Triple Crown Race: Albert Pujols vs. Joey Votto

The last Triple Crown winner was Carl Yastrzemski, who accomplished the feat for the Boston Red Sox in 1967. In the National League specifically, the drought is even longer: no player has done it since Joe Medwick in 1937. But this season, two legitimate contenders—St. Louis’ Albert Pujols and Cincinnati’s Joey Votto—are vying for the prestigious title.

Medwick, a Cardinal like Pujols, hit .374 with 31 home runs and 154 RBI 73 years ago. Nicknamed “Ducky” and “Muscles” during his playing days, Medwick lived a full life yet died 35 years ago. The Triple Crown is not an easy accomplishment.

So will it happen this year? Will Pujols or Votto win the unofficial award that has eluded major leaguers for more than 40 years? Let’s take a look at the numbers, updated for games played through August 31:

Player	Batt. Avg.	RBI	Home Runs
Albert Pujols	.316	95	35
Joey Votto	.327	97	32
Adam Dunn	.263	84	33
Carlos Gonzalez	.326	91	29
Martin Prado	.317	58	15

As you can see, Pujols and Votto are at or near the top in each category. They will likely fight for the Triple Crown (and the MVP award) right through to the final week of the season.