Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier has changed his mind and will not enroll at the University of Miami according to SI.com.

A person familiar with his decision told The Associated Press on Friday that the former Michigan quarterback broke off contact with the Hurricanes about six weeks ago because undisclosed personal matters were overshadowing football. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Forcier has not publicly revealed the decision.

ESPN.com first reported Forcier would not attend Miami. A message left for Forcier’s father by the AP was not immediately returned Friday.

Miami added another transfer quarterback earlier this spring, when South Florida native Ryan Williams left Memphis after one season to join the Hurricanes. Returning quarterbacks Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris will vie for Miami’s starting job for 2011 in training camp, and Williams would have to sit out until 2012 unless the NCAA grants a waiver saying otherwise.

As SI.com points out, the last 10 or so months of Forcier’s collegiate career has been rocky. He lost the full-time starting quarterback job to Denard Robinson last year and despite his insistence that he would remain a Wolverine throughout his career, he announced his decision to transfer shortly after being ruled academically ineligible for Michigan’s trip to the Gator Bowl.

After considering Kansas State, Washington, Arizona and Montana, he signed an aid agreement with the Hurricanes in February. But after backing out with Miami, his playing status remains in flux.

Forcier has always reminded me of Jeff Garcia thanks to his ability to buy himself more time by moving around in the pocket and finding open receivers. He doesn’t have out-of-this world natural talent but given the right situation, I think he could succeed as a full-time starter somewhere. Of course, in order for that to happen he has to settle on a school and make sure he stays academically eligible.

I’m a huge fan of tough, defensive football. Not sloppy, crazy turnovers which make the defense look better football, but simply teams that make plays on the defensive side of the ball.

That being said, I don’t know if many games this season will match the excitement and entertainment value that Illinois and Michigan provided today. Michigan won 67-65 in overtime in a game that featured over 1,200 yards of total offense. It was the highest scoring game of the season between two Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

It featured everything that we have come to expect from a Michigan game. No defense. Explosive offensive plays. Long third down conversions. An injury to Denard Robinson. A great play from Tate Forcier. A brutal interception from Tate Forcier. A brutal fumble by Tate Forcier. A redemption TD drive by Tate Forcier. An absolutely atrocious defensive breakdown in overtime. A tip-drill touchdown on a crucial play in overtime. It really was a treat.

It’s a tough loss for Illinois which was in the middle of a huge turnaround year (it still is, with a chance to turn three wins into eight), but it’s not going to change anything the Illini do going forward. For Michigan, however, this could get interesting.

I have no clue what the Michigan administration is going to do with Rich Rodriguez, but I have to imagine that a bowl berth is enough of an improvement for him to see another year. At least that’s what I hear from my Michigan-fan friends.

This certainly cements the fact that Rodriguez needs to fire Greg Robinson in the offseason, if not yesterday. I understand Michigan’s defense is young, and there have been key injuries all around. But this is ridiculous. Purdue is pitiful, and it will probably score 30-plus against the Wolverines. I can’t imagine any scenario short of a Big Ten rule that states Michigan opponents must play offense with seven players that will see Wisconsin and Ohio State not score 40.

Although keeping Robinson around for a year would make for good viewing for the rest of us.

Denard Robinson just made Michigan fans’ wildest dreams come true. Well, not quite, but he’s definitely going to have the maize and blue clad minions smiling from ear to ear tonight.

Robinson torched the Connecticut defense today for 198 yards on 29 carries, and was 19-for-22 for 188 yards through the air in Michigan’s 30-10 victory. That second number is huge, because anyone that watched Robinson throw a football in game action last year might faint at the sight of that completion percentage.

When he arrived on the scene in Ann Arbor a year ago, Robinson excited Michigan fans with his elite speed. His inability to produce in the passing game, however, made him more of a situational player while his classmate, Tate Forcier, handled the bulk of the load. Now that Forcier has fallen out of favor with Rich Rodriguez (true freshman Devin Gardner entered the game for a few plays after Robinson went out with a minor injury in the third quarter), Robinson seems to have a firm grasp on the starting quarterback position in Ann Arbor. His performance today will do nothing but strengthen that.

So is Robinson a true Heisman Trophy contender? It’s way too early to say — and remember, Michigan started out on fire last year, and many were asking the same question about Forcier. But he’s definitely off to a good start, and I’d expect him to be on most Heisman watch lists on Monday. If he helps lead Michigan back to prominence, don’t be surprised to see him in New York in December.

Here’s a quick and dirty look at how I see things playing out in the Big Eleven this season:

#1 Ohio State
Some believe the Buckeyes’ offense might be close to catching up to their defense in terms of dominance, which is saying something with the way OSU’s D played a year ago. The Buckeyes return all three leading rushers from 2009 in Brandon Saine, Dan Herron and quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who some believe has become a more committed teammate over the offseason. The key to OSU becoming a national title threat is Pryor, or more specifically, whether or not he’ll make opponents respect his passing game. The good thing for him and the Buckeyes on a whole is that they return four starters to a veteran offensive line that will open up plenty of holes for a deep and talented group of running backs. Defensively, OSU was a top five unit last season and could be once again this year assuming they can generate a pass-rush and the safeties can hold up in coverage. Cameron Heyward is one of the nation’s best defensive ends and Ross Homan is a playmaker at the outside linebacker spot. The secondary isn’t flashy, but cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence are solid. From a schedule standpoint, if they can beat Miami in Columbus in the second week of the season, they should be 6-0 heading into Madison on October 16. From there, they’ll be tested by Wisconsin, Penn State and Iowa, but this is your clear favorite to win the Big Ten.

#2 Iowa
The Hawkeyes lost a couple of studs from their offensive line in tackles Bryan Bulaga and Kyle Calloway, as well as guard Dace Richardson and center Rafael Eubanks. But with players like Riley Reiff ready to step in, Iowa should repopulate their O-line and not miss a beat this season. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi took plenty of heat last year for his spotty play, but the bottom line is the guy won. Assuming they don’t choke early in the season against an inferior opponent (which almost happened on multiple occasions last season), the Hawkeyes should challenge the Buckeyes for a conference title. It helps that they play Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin at home this year. That November 20th battle in Iowa City against the Buckeyes could determine the Big Ten champion.

#3 Wisconsin
John Clay, Montee Bell and Zach Brown – talk about an elite group of runners. That trio could potentially give the Badgers the best rushing game in the nation by season’s end and will only serve to help quarterback Scott Tolzien and the passing game. While the defensive tackle and secondary positions are question marks heading into the season, there’s no reason to think that Wisconsin couldn’t challenge Ohio State and Iowa for the conference title. They certainly have enough talent to do so, although they have a grueling two-game stretch at the end of October to worry about. The back-to-back games against Ohio State (home) and Iowa (away) will determine how good this Wisconsin team is and don’t discount the trip to West Lafayette either. If the Badgers were able to knock off the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, the game against Purdue in early November has letdown written all over it.

#4 Penn State
I don’t blame you if you hate Penn State’s chances this year. After all, they have to replace their starting quarterback, plus all three linebackers and also have to play Alabama, Iowa and Ohio State on the road. But toss out the ‘Bama game for a second and realize that if they beat either Iowa or OSU, then the Nittany Lions could challenge for the Big Ten title. If they lose both, however, they’re likely done because two losses (especially against the top 2 teams in the conference) probably won’t cut it this year. Evan Royster is an absolute stud, but the fear is that PSU will become too one-dimensional unless quarterbacks Kevin Newsome or Matt McGloin step up. That’s not a good sign considering the front sevens that Ohio State and Iowa have, which is why I have the Lions ranked where I do. That said, this team can still contend with the teams listed above. I’m just not that crazy about them doing so.

#5 Michigan
It’s now or never for Rich Rodriguez. Another disastrous season could cost him his job and actually, another bowl-less season could just as easily lead to him getting the boot in Ann Arbor. He needs to decide between Tate Forcier or Denard Robinson and then the winner of said quarterback competition needs to be more consistent this season than they were in 2009. Even though the Wolverines lost both of their leading rushers from a season ago, the interior of the offensive line looks strong with guard Stephen Schilling and center David Molk returning. The defense has some talented playmakers and the 3-3-5 alignment plays well for the depth that UM has in its secondary. The key is how this team plays in the second half, with home meetings with Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as road tests against Penn State and Ohio State. A fast start and a bad finish will do nothing to help Rich Rod keep his job.

#6 Michigan State
The Spartans have a slew of playmakers and plenty of depth on both sides of the ball, but like most years, the concern is that they’ll drop a game or two that they shouldn’t have. They luck out by not having to face Ohio State this year, but losses against Wisconsin, Iowa or Penn State will push them out of contention and games against Michigan, Northwestern and Purdue are gimmies. Sparty has plenty of offensive firepower thanks to Larry Caper, Edwin Baker, Keith Nicol and Mark Dell, but the key is whether or not this team can replace three starters on an offensive line that allowed only 14 sacks last season. Defensively, linebacker Greg Jones might be the best defender in the nation, but the secondary remains the unit’s weak link.

#7 Northwestern
It’s easy to get excited about the Wildcats this season. Quarterback Dan Persa is a dual threat from under center, the linebacker trio of Quentin Davie, Vince Browne and Nate Williams is solid and Kevin Watt is a talented pass-rusher. That said, this is a team that struggled to run the football last year and if the offensive line can’t open up holes for the slew of running backs that are expected to get carries this season, then Persa could get eaten alive. Also, the defense gave up too many big plays last season and that’s a concern considering they have to replace three of the four starters in the secondary. The Wildcats should be fun to watch again this year, but it’s hard envisioning them knocking off one of the top teams in the conference like they did last year in Iowa City.

#8 Purdue
The Boilermakers will rest their hopes on former Miami Hurricane quarterback Robert Marve, who has impressed the coaching staff this year with the way he can both pass and run. That said, Caleb TerBush could see snaps if Marve struggles early, so Purdue has options. Whoever is under center this year will benefit from the ultra-productive Keith Smith, who finished with 1,100 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season. Running back Al-Terek McBurse is also very talented, although the offensive line returns just two starters and will be inexperienced as a whole. The defense has a solid front seven, but the secondary is highly inexperienced and the run defense wasn’t very good last season. This team won’t have to play Iowa or Penn State this year, so they could wind up making some noise. But I can’t see them beating either Wisconsin or Ohio State in order to emerge as a true sleeper.

#9 Illinois
The Illini lost their top two playmakers from a season ago in receiver Arrelious Benn and quarterback Juice Williams, but they should be able to run the ball effectively with Mike LeShore, Jason Ford and dual-threat quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. The defense will likely be more aggressive than it was a year ago, but if the unit can’t force more turnovers then it’ll likely struggle again. This is an intriguing team to keep an eye on, but there’s just too much unproven talent at key positions to think U of I will make any noise this year.

#10 Indiana
Thanks to quarterback Ben Chappell, running back Darius Willis, and receivers Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Terrance Turner, the Hoosiers will score plenty of points in 2010. It’s just a matter of if they’ll stop anybody. The defense only returns four starters from last year and there are plenty of question marks surrounding the seven new replacements. That said, with Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron and Arkansas State on their non-conference schedule this year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Indiana will snag two conference wins and head to a bowl game this year, which would be a nice accomplishment.

#11 Minnesota
Too many questions surround the Gophers this year to ignore. They have potential issues at every level of their defense and if they can’t run the ball more effectively than they did in 2009, then talented quarterback Adam Weber and the rest of the passing game will suffer. Considering they have a solid group of freshman coming in this year, there’s reason for hope in Minnesota but chances are this team will sink to the bottom of the conference.

Check out other 2010 College Football Conference Previews: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12

Gerardo Orlando of Cleveland Scores wonders whether or not Ohio State should bench highly touted sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

As an Ohio State fan, it’s hard to imagine watching Pryor play quarterback for two more seasons. The Buckeyes are loaded on defense, and they have a solid offense as well, even with a mediocre offensive line. All they need right now to compete is a quarterback who can hit open receivers and avoid turnovers. They don’t need a Vince Young or even a Troy Smith. Put Craig Krenzel on this team and the Buckeyes are competing for a national championship. Instead, we have the Terrelle Pryor train wreck, and an excellent defense is being wasted.

Pryor chose Ohio State because he wanted a program that could help him develop as a future NFL quarterback. That seems like a pipe dream now. The kid needs to focus on just being a competent college quarterback.

What should Tressel do? Would sitting Pryor help? Tressel needs to consider this if Pryor continues to turn over the football. He owes it to the other players on the team.

In the meantime, short of benching Pryor, Tressel needs to rethink what he’s trying to do on offense (the issue of Tressel calling the plays will be addressed another time). We can see he’s already tried to incorporate the option more into the offense, but we’re seeing that Pryor’s instincts aren’t much better there. Perhaps with practice he’ll get better, as the option at least plays to his running ability. Tressel should toss aside a good chunk of the playbook and go to a much simpler offense. Focus on running the football, the option, and other Wildcat-type plays, and have Pryor make much simpler throws that play off the running game. Dig up old tape from Oklahoma and Nebraska from the 1970’s, or even most of the Woody Hayes years. Keep it simple until the kid shows he can handle more.

Buckeye fans often get frustrated with Tressel’s conservative play-calling, but opening up the offense is not the solution here. He has to pull things back and start over. And, if Pryor can’t cut it in a simpler offense, then Tressel will have to make a change.

Well said. I could get into all of the things Pryor is currently struggling with, but the article does a nice job going into detail about the sophomore quarterback’s issues with arm strength, accuracy, mechanics, pocket presence, decision-making and leadership.

I find it interesting that Pryor was between Ohio State and Michigan two years ago and he might have been a better fit for Rich Rodriguez’s offense than Tressel’s. Not that Pryor has run the option well at OSU, but at least Rich Rod could have exploited Pryor’s running abilities.

That said, hindsight is always 20/20. If Pryor isn’t cut out to be a collegiate quarterback, then Ann Arbor wasn’t going to solve his issues.

No. 1 Florida (4-0) at No. 4 LSU (5-0), 8:00PM ET
The Gators travel to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers on Saturday night in college football’s game of the week. Florida’s 14-game winning streak is in jeopardy because quarterback Tim Tebow hasn’t been medically cleared to play yet after suffering a concussion two weeks ago in a win over Kentucky. Another factor working against Florida is that LSU has won 32 straight Saturday night games and Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the more hostile environments in college football. But for betting purposes, something doesn’t feel right about this point spread. Why is Florida a 7.5-point favorite on the road against a Tiger team that hasn’t lost on Saturday nights in 32 consecutive tries and Tebow hasn’t been cleared to play? LSU’s offense has struggled so far this year and things won’t get any easier this week against a Florida defense that is the best in the nation. The game might be tight for a while, but the Gators cover in the end.
Odds: Florida –7.5.
Prediction: Florida 24, LSU 14.

Boston College (4-1) at No. 5 Virginia Tech (4-1), 12:00PM ET
The Hokies have won two straight ACC title games against the Eagles coming into this game, but BC holds a three-game regular season winning streak over VA Tech. While the Eagles have surprised many pundits this year, they’re likely to struggle this weekend in Blacksburg. VA Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor continues to improve as a passer and is starting to build a lot of confidence. Boston College doesn’t have the offensive weapons to match up with the a tough Hokie defense and the Eagles will struggle to contain Taylor for four quarters.
Odds: VA Tech –13.5.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 13.

Michigan (4-1) at Iowa (5-0), 8:05PM ET
The Wolverines struggled in their first road game of the year last week at Michigan State and will face another tough challenge this week in Iowa City. While quarterback Tate Forcier has proven to be a gamer, the key to stopping Michigan is to take away its ground game. Iowa has the fourth best pass defense in the nation and match up well with Michigan’s receivers. Look for the Hawkeyes to load the box to shut down the Wolverines’ running game and force Forcier to beat them through the air. As long as Iowa limits the big plays and doesn’t allow Forcier to move around the pocket, they should roll in this Big Ten matchup.
Odds: Iowa –8.
Prediction: Iowa 27, Michigan 17.

Georgia Tech (4-1) at Florida State (2-3), 8:00PM ET
The Seminoles are a mess and yet they still find themselves 3-point favorites against a Yellow Jackets team that has the sixth best rushing attack in the nation. FSU is allowing opponents to rush for 128.8 yards per game on the ground and could have issues containing Jonathan Dwyer. The key for Georgia Tech is slowing down Christian Ponder and FSU’s 17th-best passing attack, which shouldn’t be a problem as long as their offense keeps churning out yards on the ground. The Jackets need to keep Ponder and company on the sidelines.
Odds: Florida State –3.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 30, Florida State 27.

Michigan State fans will party in the streets tonight in East Lansing after Sparty knocked off rival Michigan in a thrilling 26-20 overtime victory. But sticking with one of their themes this season, MSU almost blew it after collapsing in the fourth quarter.

Thanks to a running game that racked up 197 yards on the ground, the Spartans controlled this game for three and a half quarters. But after building a 20-6 lead, Mark Dantonio’s team became complacent and showed their lack of killer mentality.

With four minutes remaining in the game, Wolverine freshman quarterback Tate Forcier flashed some of the magic that endeared him to fans a couple weeks ago in a win over Notre Dame. Forcier hit Darryl Stonum on a 60-yard touchdown pass to cut MSU’s lead to 20-13, then found Roy Roundtree in the end zone on a 9-yard TD pass with two seconds left to tie the game 20-20. Both touchdowns were aided by Sparty’s lackluster defensive effort.

On Stonum’s touchdown, the defender didn’t break down to tackle, he just ran by the receiver and put a hand out hoping that Stonum a stiff wind would knock him over. Then on the game-tying score, Forcier easily scrambled out of the pocket and found Roundtree, who was a step and a half away from all defenders, which is amazing considering it was a jam-packed end zone.

Not to take anything away from Forcier, because he toughed it out while playing banged up. And MSU’s defense did come up with a huge interception in overtime, which preceded Larry Caper’s 23-yard, game-winning touchdown run. But the Spartans should have never been in that position. A win is a win – I get it. And considering MSU lost three consecutive games coming into this matchup, this was a much-needed win.

But this isn’t the first time that Dantonio’s team took their foot off the gas when they had a victory wrapped up. In Week 2, they lost to Central Michigan in the final seconds when they should have won, then blew a great opportunity to beat Notre Dame in Week 3.

Michigan State has enough talent to be competitive in the Big Ten. But the Spartans need to show more mental toughness throughout games and learn to step on opponents’ throats in the fourth quarter or else they’ll continue to give away victories. (Or almost give away victories.)