The Denard Robinson-Devin Gardner debate is silly. A healthy Robinson has to start whether it's this weekend or next or in three weeks against Ohio State. But an ailing Robinson creates an entirely different debate.

Trivia: Michigan redshirt sophomore linebacker Jake Ryan currently leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 12. Who was the last Wolverine to finish a season ranked No. 1 in that category and how many did he have?

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There's a reason a healthy Robinson has to start - the running game.

Let's not mince words, Michigan's ground game without Robinson is dreadful. The Maize and Blue's running back tandem of Fitz Toussaint and Thomas Rawls totaled 113 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries against Minnesota. Not bad, right? But that's still only 3.9 yards per attempt and if you subtract a 41-yard fourth-down TD romp by Toussaint, the two combined for 72 yards on 28 rushes (2.6-yard average).



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