CBS says Taylor Lewan, not Denard Robinson, is Michigan's most important player
CBS believes that Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, not quarterback Denard Robinson, is the team's most important player in 2012.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
CBSsports.com, however, sees the discussion in a different light.
During its Michigan preseason breakdown, CBS labeled junior left tackle Taylor Lewan -- not Robinson -- as the Wolverines' most important player in 2012.
"Every great offense has to have an anchor, and the 6-foot-8, 302 pound Lewan serves that role for the Wolverines," the site wrote. "Lewan is expected to dominate the opposition in the same manner as current NFL-er Jake Long did in his days in Ann Arbor.
"For Michigan QB Denard Robinson to be the explosive weapon he can be, Robinson needs Lewan to be one of the best in the Big Ten up front."
Lewan, along with Robinson, was named to the Big Ten's annual Players to Watch list last month, and has also earned a spot on CBS' second-team All-America roster.
Lewan is also a member of the Outland Trophy watch list, an award that goes to the country's top tackle, guard or center.
CBS tabs Michigan as the No. 9 team in the country, and couples the preview with analyst Jerry Palm's prediction that the Wolverines will finish the 2012 season in the Rose Bowl.
The site also labels freshman defensive end Chris Wormley as the team's "Newcomer to Watch," writing that the Toledo native could be a "sack machine" once he finds his way onto the field.
Michigan's breakout player in 2012, according to CBS? That'd be senior wide receiver Roy Roundtree.
The labeling of Roundtree as the team's breakout performer obviously came before Sunday, when coach Brady Hoke said the team's top wideout recently received arthroscopic knee surgery and would miss two weeks of action.
- Do you agree with CBS on Taylor Lewan being more important than Denard Robinson? Vote in our poll and enter for a chance to win three tickets to Michigan's season-opening contest against Alabama in Arlington, Texas.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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