Is It Time To Start Drinking The Michigan Cool-Aid?

Last week I refused to drink the Michigan Cool-Aid. After Saturday's game against Notre Dame, I brought out the pitcher, wooden spoon, and formula and preparing myself for maize and blue cool-aid. Haven't we seen this movie before though?

The scene:
Michigan is under intense pressure to win a game.....Rich Rodriguez is on the hot seat.......Michigan beats their first couple opponents and one of those opponents is a favorite over Michigan.....Michigan is lead by a young quarterback.....The said young quarterback receives insane hype......Michigan enters the top 25 for the first time of the year after a victory over Notre Dame

This season feels different at the same time feels just like last season. Here are some reasons why this season is different and reasons why this season is no different from last year.



Denard Robinson: If you look at the stats, Robinson numbers are better than Tim Tebow's numbers from the year he won the Heisman. Pretty impressive when you think about it. Robinson though is much more about numbers. It's about how much more effective he is compared to Tate Forcier. Robinson is a much better passer than Forcier. Once teams figured out that if you contain Forcier in the pocket, he's a non-factor. Both Robinson and Forcier do remarkable things outside the pocket, but Robinson is the better passer.

The Defense: The defense has actually been the most impressive part of Michigan. Last year, the Michigan defense completely collapsed and that coincided with Michigan's collapse last season. The front seven is solid, stopping the UConn running game which is suppose to be one of the best in the country. The secondary needs time to mature, which will be perfect since their next three games are against UMASS, Bowling Green, and Indiana.

The Offensive Line: Heading into the season, the Michigan offensive line was the strength of this team. They've been showing this wasn't a lie. The Michigan offensive line has opened up huge holes for Robinson to run through and has only allowed two sacks so far this season. It'll be interesting to see how the offensive line holds up against great defenses like Ohio State and Penn State.

Reason's not to drink the cool-aid
Robinson's Health: Unlike Tebow, Robinson is not built like a Mack truck. Robinson is going to get beat up throughout the year if the Michigan offense around him doesn't start performing. Robinson can't handle the beating of twelve games this season, especially if he's the entire offense. That leads me to my next point.

Where's the rest of the offense: Look at the stats. Robinson has been the entire offense. Michigan needs something more than Robinson. Their second leading rusher only has 68 yards for the year and the leading receiver only has 114 yards. Robinson can't be the only offensive weapon, especially when they start playing conference games.

While Michigan does appear improved, there's a lot of season left and Michigan still has to play a conference game. There's at least hope though in Ann Arbor.