How do you feel right now?...Tate or Denard?... Defense better or worse?... Most carries?

Submitted by TESOE on

Let's see how this goes...

TESOE

July 28th, 2010 at 1:56 AM ^

I don't want to mess with it ...it seems to be working...sorry about the off colors...you call it Maize...I obviously call it Corn.  My bad...

timtebro

July 28th, 2010 at 2:13 AM ^

I'm not superstitious or anything, but I am having real problems so far with Denard Robinson as my QB. Tate has more accuracy and awareness. Penn State has been a real nittany lion to beat. So right now, I'm rolling with Tate right now.

Completely honest statement from me, sans sarcasm.

HartAttack20

July 28th, 2010 at 2:50 AM ^

I really went back and forth with Denard and Tate in the game, at least for one season. I really got the read option to work, though, so I went with Denard. Tate wasn't happy with Denard getting the most snaps, so he transferred for my second season. I was kind of surprised, and I hope Tate doesn't really leave, but Denard has worked out for me. Won a national championship with Denard, and Gardner is progressing really well. Who knows, maybe the game is right and Tate will transfer. It does seem to run in the family. Also, Vincent Smith is an absolute beast. Regardless of the game, I think both guys need to get a shot. I'll guess that Tate starts against UCONN, but Denard gets about half the snaps depending on how well they both play. Either way, I think the QB play will improve this year. I would be fine with either guy, as long as he makes smart decisions with the ball (see Tate vs. OSU).

Kal

July 28th, 2010 at 6:28 PM ^

You guys are comparing NCAA 11 player decisions to real life. While I do love that game, I'm pretty sure Denard's passing ability is based more on last season than anything else, and I don't think they have the ability to read player's minds yet and gauge whether they're going to transfer if they fall to 2nd string on the depth chart.

Elno Lewis

July 28th, 2010 at 8:45 AM ^

think maybe i will just let RR decide about the QB's and watch the rest play out.  What I think doesn't even matter to me any more.

cltjr

July 28th, 2010 at 9:20 AM ^

i would imagine that both would play as they each of them offers a unique skillset against defenses.  therefore whoever 'starts' may not be relevant.  a better question may be who RR picks to FINISH the game..

Sven_Da_M

July 28th, 2010 at 9:25 AM ^

... and only one real answer: Denard.

Everything else flows from that decision.  If Denard takes the majority of snaps, UM has a chance at 7-5, outside chance at 8-4.

If Tate takes the majority of snaps, that likely doesn't happen and then we know the likely results after the end of the season.

Bring on the Huskies!

 

michgoblue

July 28th, 2010 at 10:06 AM ^

I am sort of hoping for Denard, but I really don't get your post.  We can't win 7 games with Tate?  We won 5 during his true frosh year with perhaps the crappiest defense (minus Graham and D. Warren) Michigan has ever fielded.  We were a play or two from winning at least 2 other games. 

You don't think that a full year of experience for Tate, a full year of Barwis and experience for out O-line, a full year of experience for our receivers and a full year of practice running the zone read is worth 2 wins? 

 

I do think that Denard adds a whole different dimension, but just the factors that I listed above should be worth an additional win or two with Tate.  I think that given our difficult schedule, we will be somewhere between 6-6 and 8-4 with either QB (6-6 being the likely worst case).

DeathStar

July 28th, 2010 at 11:36 AM ^

I think guys are just into the Denard theme because it's now so popular.

You know, the whole "Playing time is voluntary, too"  "Competition at every position" yada yada.

So Denard draws rave reviews from the practice spring scrimmage, and a few yaps on Scout buy into a sentence or two from King Beaver, and before you know it the intranets are flooded with "Tate Forcier is a gay biker who has gotten fat and never practices or watches film and is currently in a Turkish prison for running an illegal stuffed toy smuggling ring!"

And there's this whole "His ceiling is higher" "His floor is higher" "His bathroom plumbing sucks"

And this whole "Denard is lithium because he scored a TD against Western Michigan and doesn't tie his shoezz!"

I don't know what's going to happen, or who really does give uM the best chance. All I know is I saw Tate having to take a very shitty team on his shoulders and he willed it to a 4-0 start before the wheels came off (and most of them were not his fault). And Dneard showed flasshes, and MIGHT just be fucking great--but the games are a different story. And it's not inconceivable to me (as it seems to be to many) that Tate Forcier just might be improved himself!

But, you know, we're in the day and age where everything wrong with Michigan football is either the fault of Lloyd Carr or the players--because this coaching staff is A-1 fucking excellent and just needs about 4 more years to prove everyone wrong.

Sven_Da_M

July 28th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^

... I'm not anti-Tate, I'm pro-Denard.

I'd elaborate, but it would probably be interpreted negatively, which this Board negs into oblivion.  I've posted the reasons before, the Cliffs Notes version is that only Denard can really run RichRod's offense.

If you look what teams Tate won against last year, there's a partial answer in there somewhere.  He was valiant as a true Frosh.

supersweet

July 28th, 2010 at 12:28 PM ^

Although your fear of losing MGoPoints shouldnt MGoPrevent you from MGoStating your MGOpinion, I'll try and get more out of you.  I have to disagree on Denard only being able to run Rich Rod's offense,  I would say Denard can run it better, but that is only if he has surpassed Tate in understanding of and ability to run the playbook.  Tate can run it if he has improved his reads on the read option.  You also have to take into account passing.  Tate is better than Denard to me at this point in his ability to pass. Im not sure any of us can say Denard has surpassed Tate yet, from only seeing the spring game.  Is it clear that Denard did improve? Absolutely.  Is it clear he has surpassed Tate at this point? Absolutely not.  With fall practice still left, who knows, maybe Deanrd has/will pass Tate.    

michgoblue

July 28th, 2010 at 2:16 PM ^

I definitely don't interpret your pro-Denard opinion negatively.  I share the opinion - if he has developed as much as the limited spring practices indicate, he would likely get my vote.  Assuming that he can throw accurately and make the proper reads, his speed adds a dimension that will force all defenses to alter their gameplan, even if slightly. 

That said, the only part of your post that I disagree with is the part that "only" Denard can run RR's offense.  I think that this is a common misconception that exists because of the success that RR had with Pat White.  But, if you look back over his career, RR also has had great success with more traditional QBs.  RR himself has often said that his zone read option offense can be molded to fit the personnel (please, no "well why didn't he mold it to Sheridan" comments).  I think that the one thing that the RR offenses do need, however, is a mobile QB.  But Tate has proved that while he is not going to rush for 150 yards per game, he can certainly scramble and pick up yards with his legs, especially if the blocking is there for him. 

I guess I am as high on Denard as you are, but perhaps not as low on Tate's ability to run the offense.

michiganfanforlife

July 28th, 2010 at 9:40 AM ^

interesting to see how all the mgocommunity votes on these questions. I like that the poll tells you the info without taking you to another site. I have written so much about who should start this year that I cannot muster another sentence. I'm now in "let's get to the season and see how it plays out" mode.

Space Coyote

July 28th, 2010 at 9:44 AM ^

And I've only had to hit refresh and revote 45 times to make it that way...

Oh, wait, no... I mean sign into my other accounts and vote...

No, no, I didn't... I mean because others agree with me?

Sure, some people think I take competition too far, like being competitive about noncompetitive things, but I say they're probably just losers!!!! YEAH!

joeyb

July 28th, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^

Why did so many people pick Shaw? He has shown some glimmers of hope here or there, but I can't recall anything about him outperforming the other RBs in the spring.

victors2000

July 28th, 2010 at 12:39 PM ^

He's the most experienced, he's a junior so he won't have freshman or sophomore jitters.

He is talented; he has a good first step and cuts decisively, also has good speed.

He has a junior's body; he's 6-1 181 lbs. per MgoBlue.

Coach has used him a lot and if he's good enough for coach, he's good enough for me.

I considered Vincent but I don't think he'll be ready for the game against UCONN; that injury scares me and I don't even have it.

NRK

July 28th, 2010 at 12:02 PM ^

Wish there was a question on who would get more snaps at QB the entire season.  IMO just starting the UConn game might not be that important. I voted Tate because I think he will start, but I wouldnt be surprised if Denard gets more reps over the course of the entire season.

mejunglechop

July 28th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^

The people who think our pass defense will be better outnumber those who think it will be worse by more than a 4:1 margin. Really guys? And what makes the strong majority think Tate will be our starter? Denard was already option 1A this spring.

Dan Man

July 28th, 2010 at 2:39 PM ^

Re pass defense: continuity in coaching, and the fact that it couldn't get much worse.

Re Tate: game experience.  Maybe Denard takes over at some point (or maybe he even starts vs UConn), but Tate has proven he can handle big game jitters.

mejunglechop

July 28th, 2010 at 4:41 PM ^

Well last year our starting free safety wasn't a first year converted wide receiver and we had donovan warren. Also, this year we're potentially looking at JT Floyd being our number one corner, the same guy who the coaches desperately tried to keep off the field the year before. Meanwhile, our line lost maybe the best defensive end in the country last year.

Game experience, which Denard also has by the way, shouldn't overshadow the fact that when Rodriguez was forced to make a decision between the two qbs in the spring he picked Denard.

Jeffro

July 28th, 2010 at 2:31 PM ^

They're both very likeable so picking one over the other is difficult for me.  If Denard does evolve into the full time QB, it's in Tate's genes to transfer.  I'm hoping they both become solid and form a dual attack for at least the next few years.  I don't buy all the garbage about needing one starting QB, at least not in this type of offense.