Spring Gleaning: ‘Bama’s Backs Still Thrill, Robinson Leads Michigan QBs

Breaking news out of Alabama: Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson are both very, very good. Ingram ran for 90 yards, including a 60-yarder, and Richardson had three catches for 63 yards and a score at the Crimson Tide’s spring game, which drew 91,312 fans, enough to beat 15 FBS schools’ entire 2009 home attendance.

Michigan fans may have no clue who is going to be the Wolverines’ quarterback this fall. Increasingly, though, it looks like that quarterback will be good: Denard Robinson starred during Michigan’s spring game, running for one touchdown and connecting with Roy Roundtree on a 97-yarder for another. Between Robinson, Tate Forcier -- who struggled to move the ball -- and highly regarded freshman Devin Gardner, Michigan will have talent under center for certain. Whether that talent will be composed is another issue.

Landry Jones spent last season picking up the broken dreams of a season shattered by multiple injuries to Oklahoma stars Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham. This year, Jones is the man from the outset of the season, and his adequate performance in the Sooners’ spring game gives hope that OU might have a comfortable trigger man for Kevin Wilson’s explosive attack again.

Nebraska got its biggest long-term lift on Saturday from Ndamukong Suh’s gift. But in the short term, Taylor Martinez did much to muddy the waters in the Cornhuskers’ quarterback competition with his great spring game, passing for two scores and leading all players in rushing. He outshined Cody Green, the only other healthy ‘Husker QB, and likely moved up to second on the depth chart behind the injured -- and often ineffective -- Zac Lee.

Tennessee fans who are concerned that quarterback-of-the-future Tyler Bray was just 18-of-40 in the Vols’ spring game might want to consider that Bray should be in his final semester of high school. They probably don’t want to consider that presumptive starter Matt Simms threw three picks. And they might want a glass of something stiff to help consider that Simms and Bray don’t have the luxury of Montario Hardesty that Jonathan Crompton did. At least the Vols have a good basketball team!

Some things happened at Ohio State’s spring scrimmage, but it was boring and defense-dominated and it’s not exciting to talk about the idea that the Buckeyes might be the best team in the country this fall if Terrelle Pryor can be above average all season. Oh, and it’s troubling to note that even with a no-hit jersey on, Pryor was just 5-of-16 passing, got sacked four times, and fumbled once. Even just two months removed from knee surgery, that performance isn’t going to inspire confidence.

Finally, SN’s Dave Curtis notes that there are murmurs about spring games shifting from intra-squad scrimmages to inter-squad matchups at some point down the road.

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