Michigan's Hart, Henne and Long can avoid hole in legacy

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Mike Hart did not guarantee a win over Ohio State, a la Jim Harbaugh a couple decades ago.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr chose not to give him a chance to open his mouth when the week of hype kicked off.

The star running back with shifty moves and loose lips was not among the players Carr made available for interviews, living up to a prediction Hart heard from a reporter.

``He better let me come next Monday. It's the last one,'' Hart said last week. ``He might not let me because I might say something stupid.''

Such as?

Guaranteeing a win over Notre Dame or referring to Michigan State as a little brother, as Hart did this year?

Proclaiming things would be ``different'' if the Wolverines had a rematch with Ohio State, as Hart did last season, adding its defense wasn't ``as good as people thought,'' after losing last year?

Yeah, something like that.

Hart, Chad Henne and Jake Long turned down a chance to make money in the NFL this year, returning for their senior seasons in part for another shot at the Buckeyes.

The trio's wait is almost over.

No. 7 Ohio State (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) will match up with No. 23 Michigan (8-3, 6-1) Saturday in Ann Arbor with the outright Big Ten title at stake.

For Hart, Henne and Long, their legacies will be on the line, too.

They are arguably the best running back, quarterback and offensive tackle the Wolverines have ever had, quite an accomplishment at college football's winningest program.

But if they go 0-4 against the Buckeyes, it will add a permanent blemish on what is otherwise a flawless resume on and off the field. The trio is also 0-3 in bowl games.

Long made the biggest gamble financially when he chose to come back because he likely would've been a top-five pick.

The offensive tackle insisted a win wouldn't validate his decision.

``That's not what this game is about,'' he bristled. ``This game is about this team, about this championship. It's not about me. I'm not even worried about that.''

In the preseason, however, Long agreed that it was fair to say the trio's legacy would be diminished without a win against Ohio State or a bowl opponent.

``No matter what type of season we have, people are going to look at what we do against Ohio State and our bowl opponent,'' Long said in August.

While the trio's mark against the Buckeyes will always be remembered, each player has also accomplished a lot of things that can't be taken away.

Hart is Michigan's career rushing leader with 4,867 yards, ranking fifth in Big Ten history, and has run for at least 100 yards in the eight games he has been healthy enough to start this season. A high-ankle sprain has sidelined him for about 3 1/2 games.

Henne holds school records with 9,274 yards passing and 84 touchdown passes. He added to his lore last month by playing with a separated shoulder at Illinois, helping the Wolverines rally for a 27-17 win. The injury kept Henne off the field for much of last week's loss at Wisconsin and out of a game three weeks ago.

Long was the first of five players The Associated Press listed earlier this year as players worthy of Heisman Trophy consideration, but with no shot to win it. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound tackle has routinely punished defensive linemen and linebackers to pave the way for Hart, and it's difficult to recall a sack being his fault.

Carr is quick to rave about the trio as players and people.

``They've been everything a coach could want in a player and as a representative of this program on and off the field,'' he said. ``When you look at three guys, all of whom could have left early to go on to the draft, and they all came back. To me, that speaks for the fact that they love their experience here.

``They're all going to graduate. And they're all going to be very, very successful when they leave Michigan.''

Before Hart cut off any Ohio State-related questions last week, he did provide hint about how important it is to him to finally beat the Buckeyes.

``Everyone knows already how bad I want to win that game,'' he said. ``I'm going to give everything I've got in that game.''

Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins sounded like he was ready to quiet Hart once and for all when asked about the running back's comments after the top-ranked Buckeyes beat the second-ranked Wolverines last season.

``Hopefully at the end of this year's game, he won't have too much to say,'' Jenkins said.

SOURCE:NCCAFOOTBALL.COM; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

Manningham far from being a favorite son in Ohio

By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

One of the things that amplifies the rancor in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, at least for Buckeyes fans, is that so many of Michigan's greatest players have migrated north.

Over the years, Michigan has invaded Ohio to snag standouts like Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson, as well as Thom Darden, Jim Mandich, Rob Lytle, Ricky Powers, Elvis Grbac, Dan Dierdorf, and Benny Friedman just to name a few.

It's one thing to battle your biggest rival. But it gets even more personal when your biggest rival used to be the kid down the street.

The latest native to be seen as a traitor by many Ohio State fans is Mario Manningham, a graduate of Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio.

In Saturday's showdown at The Big House, a lot of eyes - on both sides of the border - will be watching him. Manningham is in one of the best six-game stretches of his career, and that's saying a lot.

The junior leads the nation with a streak of six straight 100-yard receiving games and he has scored in each game, including a school-record 97-yard TD in last week's loss at Wisconsin.

``He's been unbelievable,'' Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said. ``He's been sensational. He's a threat every time he touches the ball.''

Before a knee injury stunted Manningham last year, he had nine TDs in his first six games. He caught six TD passes in 2005 as a freshman.

``He did some great things as a true freshman,'' Carr said. ``A year ago, he really began to display the unique qualities as a receiver he possessed. He's got a great burst. He's tough, he loves the competitive part of it. In terms of all the things you want a wide receiver to do, he can do them.''

Except maybe wear his letter jacket in his hometown.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Spartans, Wolverines set to mark 100th meeting in rivalry

By TIM MARTIN
Associated Press Writer

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Former Michigan State running back T.J. Duckett says his lifelong best friend, fellow Kalamazoo native John Bradford, ``is the biggest Michigan fan in the history of the state.''

In 2001, Duckett irritated his buddy - and millions of other Wolverines fans - by catching the game-winning touchdown as time expired in one of the most controversial games in a rivalry that celebrates its 100th game Saturday.

Measured by a century or a second, time is a recurring theme in the Michigan-Michigan State football series.

In the 'Clock Game' of 2001, Michigan fans swear time stood still in Spartan Stadium long enough for Michigan State and Duckett to pull off a last-second 26-24 victory. Duckett says that to this day, Bradford claims Michigan State didn't really win the game.

This year, clocks in football training facilities at Michigan State (5-4, 1-4 Big Ten) began counting down the days to kickoff against No. 15 Michigan (7-2, 5-0) before the season started.

It's the latest edition of a rivalry that began in 1898. Except for a two-year break caused in part by World War II, it's been an annual affair since 1910. That's plenty of time to develop millions of split allegiances between friends and families that roar to the surface during Michigan-Michigan State week.

Michigan State usually has measured its football success against neighboring Michigan, college football's all-time winningest program. The Wolverines have dominated the series with a 66-28-5 advantage.

All but a few games were played in Ann Arbor until Michigan State became a full-fledged member of the Big Ten in the 1950s. That's when the teams began playing for the Paul Bunyan Trophy and the Spartans had equal standing for a home-and-home series.

The only prolonged streak of Spartan superiority over the Wolverines came in the 1950s and '60s, when Michigan State held a 14-4-2 edge while winning at least one version of a national championship in six different seasons under Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty.

Before and since, it's been pretty much all Michigan. The Wolverines have won five straight headed into Saturday's contest and own a 29-8 record in the series since 1970. No wonder some Wolverines say the Spartans have an inferiority complex.

First-year Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio this week asked his players, none of whom has ever beaten Michigan, if they were ready to stop bowing to the Wolverines. He says the Ann Arbor school, located roughly 60 miles southeast of East Lansing, is a measuring stick for the Spartans - and they haven't measured up lately.

``We compete against them in everything that we do every day, whether it's for a recruit, whether it's for a fan, or whether it's for a 9-year-old's heart,'' Dantonio said. ``Whatever it is, we are going to compete against those people down the road every single day.''

Some Michigan alums say the rivalry means much more to Michigan State than it does to them. No wonder some Spartans say the Wolverines are arrogant.

``I've always considered Ohio State and Notre Dame to be our rivals, not Michigan State,'' former Michigan receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. ``As a player, I always had the impression from State that if they could beat us it would make their season. However, it was never like that for us. We expected to win and beating them held no more significance to us than a victory against Purdue or Minnesota.''

The Wolverines established their football program in 1879 and were considered a powerhouse well before what was then Michigan Agricultural College fielded its first team in 1896.

Michigan won the programs' first meeting 39-0, en route to a perfect 10-0 season in 1898.

A 0-0 tie in 1908 prompted wild celebration in East Lansing. About 6,000 fans threw their hats and pennants in the air and carried Michigan State players off the field. Then some 600 students took streetcars to nearby Lansing and partied in the streets, starting a big bonfire near the state Capitol.

Michigan State's first win, 12-7 in 1913, came in Ann Arbor and ruined Michigan's unbeaten season. Michigan State fans celebrated on the Wolverines' field for a half-hour after the game. Back home, the win prompted another celebration near the state Capitol and a building fire on campus that some suspected may have been set by rowdy celebrants, although that was never proven.

Police still marshal a larger-than-normal force whenever the Wolverines visit East Lansing.

The teams have traded massive upsets over the years.

In 1955, Michigan State's only loss was 14-7 in Ann Arbor. Although the Spartans would win the Rose Bowl and a minor version of the national title that season, the loss to Michigan likely cost them the consensus national championship.

In 1990, Michigan was ranked No. 1 in the nation and hosting the underdog Spartans in the Big House. The Spartans escaped with a controversial 28-27 win. On a potential game-winning 2-point conversion pass late in the game, Howard looked for a penalty flag against Michigan State's Eddie Brown, but it never came.

In 1999, Spartans quarterback Bill Burke passed for a school record 400 yards to lead No. 11 Michigan State past No. 3. Michigan in East Lansing, 34-31.

``You got the idea that a lot of people were affected by the outcome of that game,'' said Burke, an Ohio native who didn't know much about the rivalry until he arrived at Michigan State. ``You drive down almost any street in East Lansing and you'll see a lot of Spartan flags, but you'll see some Michigan flags too. Michigan State grads marry Michigan grads. A lot of families are split right down the middle.''

Ron Bellamy, a former Wolverine receiver who like Duckett is now with the NFL's Detroit Lions, grew up in Louisiana but quickly learned about the Great Lakes State rivalry.

``Michigan State is like the neighbor that keeps coming on your property, and you say, 'We're going to have to handle this if you keep coming on my side,''' Bellamy said. ``We hate them, and they hate us and it's a dirty game with a lot of trash talking.''

Bellamy is among those who believe the Wolverines were robbed by the clock operator and game officials as time wound down in the 2001 game at Spartan Stadium.

Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker spiked the ball during a last-chance drive in time to preserve one second on the clock, officials ruled, despite Michigan's objections that time should have run out.

Frank Beckmann, a longtime radio announcer for Michigan football games, called the clock incident ``criminal'' on the air.

Smoker, scrambling and off-balance, then lobbed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Duckett as time expired.

``I don't know if it was criminal, but it definitely was a great play in Spartan history,'' Duckett said.

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

Michigan's turnaround hinges on three tests in November

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Michigan has distanced itself from an awful start with seven straight wins.

If the 15th-ranked Wolverines (7-2, 5-0 Big Ten) can close the regular season with three more victories, it will be hard to snicker about their loss to Appalachian State without also giving them credit for an impressive turnaround.

The Wolverines rose four spots in this week's Associated Press poll after beating Minnesota 34-10 at Michigan Stadium on Saturday.

Michigan's regular season ends with three challenging matchups: at Michigan State, at Wisconsin and at home against top-ranked Ohio State.

``We're about to see three different teams,'' coach Lloyd Carr said.

While the reeling Spartans (5-4, 1-4) might seem to be the easiest remaining opponent to beat, anyone who has followed the first 99 games of the rivalry knows they are capable of beating Michigan - especially in East Lansing.

The Badgers (7-2, 3-2) are always tough to beat at home, where they beat Michigan two years ago.

Since Jim Tressel took over, the Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0) have won five of six against the Wolverines.

``It's going to be a test,'' Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable said. ``All of those are games with bad blood.''

The Wolverines have beaten Michigan State five straight times - their longest winning streak in the series since 1979-83 - but they know it would make the Spartans' season to win for the first time since the infamous ``clock game'' six years ago.

``They're going to want to knock us off, no doubt,'' offensive tackle Jake Long said. ``But we have a lot at stake with the Big Ten title still in reach, so we'll be motivated too.''

Michigan says it expects to have running back Mike Hart and quarterback Chad Henne in the lineup Saturday against Michigan State, after holding both out against the Golden Gophers.

Carr said he's optimistic Hart and Henne will return and both the star seniors said they would play the Spartans.

Hart has missed 2 1/2 games since appearing to hurt his right ankle. Henne was on and off the field in the previous win at Illinois with a shoulder injury, but said he and the coaches decided not to push him on the field against Minnesota.

``There was a lot of pain (at Illinois) but the team needed me and I put my body out there to give us a win,'' Henne said.

Michigan has been hurt by slow starts and Crable said the team can't afford for the offense to struggle anymore early in games.

``If they do that, we're going to be in a tough situation,'' the defensive captain said.

Minnesota (1-8, 0-5) started strong on both sides of the ball on the road against the Wolverines, but could not sustain success.

The Gophers held Michigan to 49 yards on its first four drives and scored off a turnover to build a stunning 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Then, the Wolverines went 54 yards on their fifth drive to set up a field goal and Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber fumbled on the ensuing possession. Michigan went ahead after its next two possessions and ended up routing the last-place Gophers.

``We came in and got off to a good start, but after that we lost our momentum,'' linebacker Steve Davis said.

The Gophers are relying on a ton of young players in Tim Brewster's first season as coach, and one of them joined good company.

Duane Bennett ran for 106 yards, becoming the first true freshman to surpass the mark for the Gophers since Laurence Maroney in 2003.

``I was getting into a nice little groove and it was working,'' said Bennett, who averaged 5-plus yards on his 20 carries. ``It's a great confidence booster to do it against a good team.''

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL.COM; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

Wolverines have plenty of reasons not to overlook lowly Gophers

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Michigan has plenty of reasons to be motivated to beat Minnesota.

That's despite the Golden Gophers not exactly inspiring teams to be focused on them this season.

Minnesota (1-7, 0-4 Big Ten) has won only once - over Miami of Ohio and in triple overtime - and is coming off a loss to North Dakota State that rivals its embarrassing setback against Florida Atlantic.

But the 19th-ranked Wolverines (6-2, 4-0) insist they will not overlook an opponent again, no matter how lowly it appears, after their stunning loss to Appalachian State in the season opener.

``I think we learned early in the season not to take any team for granted,'' guard Steve Schilling said.

Still, Michigan might not have - or need - two of its senior offensive stars against Minnesota on Saturday.

It is unclear whether banged up running back Mike Hart and quarterback Chad Henne will play - either because their injuries are too severe or because Michigan's coaches want them at 100 percent for the season's stretch run.

Hart has missed 1 1/2 games after appearing to injure his right ankle Oct. 13 against Purdue, and Henne was in and out of last week's win at Illinois because of an unknown injury.

The Wolverines know the last time Minnesota played in Ann Arbor, the Gophers won and stormed across the field to snatch the Little Brown Jug.

``I wouldn't want to experience that again,'' safety Brandent Englemon said. ``That was by far one of the worst feelings I've had here.''

Michigan also is driven to extend its six-game winning streak, heading into a challenging stretch to end the regular season: at Michigan State and Wisconsin before closing at home against top-ranked Ohio State.

Even though the Gophers' season is far from finished, they already are eliminated from earning a bowl bid for the first time in six years.

Minnesota does, however, have trophies at stake in three of its final four games - the Little Brown Jug against Michigan; Floyd of Rosedale versus Iowa; and Paul Bunyan's Axe in the finale against Wisconsin.

``Being a senior, if we can bring home three of those trophies that'd be amazing,'' safety Dom Barber said.

Claiming the first of the three trophies truly would be amazing.

Michigan is favored to win by more than three touchdowns against a defense giving up 534 yards a game - more than any other major football program - with injuries making a poor unit worse.

The Gophers expect to start three freshmen in the secondary as part of a defense that will be without five starters in front of about 110,000 fans at Michigan Stadium.

``I think about my favorite movie of all time, ``Hoosiers,'' and that basketball court where they go in with the tape measure. It's a certain number of feet here and that rim is 10-feet high,'' Minnesota's first-year coach Tim Brewster said. ``I don't anticipate them being in awe or anything like that. It's a football field, it's 100 yards long and we're going to go play.''

SOURCE: NCAAFOOTBALL; PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES

Michigan Earns Way Back into AP Poll

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Michigan has bounced back well enough from losses to Appalachian State and Oregon to get back into the AP Top 25.

The Wolverines were No. 24 in Sunday's poll after winning their fifth straight game, a 48-21 victory over Purdue on Saturday.

Michigan (5-2, 3-0 Big Ten) plays next weekend at Illinois (5-2, 3-1). The Illini rode their strong start to a No. 18 ranking, but fell out of the poll after losing Saturday at Iowa 10-6.

Michigan opened the season by being stunned at home by Appalachian State, triggering an unprecedented fall in the AP poll from No. 5 to unranked in a week.

College football's winningest program followed up the stunner by getting routed at home 39-7 by Oregon. The setback was the Wolverines' worst since losing 50-14 at Ohio State in 1968, the season before former coach Bo Schembechler's debut in Ann Arbor.

Michigan responded to being embarrassed last month by beating Notre Dame, Penn State, Northwestern, Eastern Michigan and Purdue.

After Illinois, the Wolverines finish the season with games at home against Minnesota, and on the road against Michigan State and Wisconsin before closing with rival Ohio State on Nov. 17 at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan and Ohio State are the only Big Ten teams without a conference loss, although they are on opposite ends of the poll. The Buckeyes jumped two spots to No. 1 after winning their first seven games, staying undefeated long enough to pass up teams such as LSU, California and USC.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

CFI INJURY UPDATE: MIKE HART

Scott Bell, of the Michigan Daily, reports Michigan RB Mike Hart (leg) suffered an apparent right leg injury in the first half of the team's game Saturday, Oct. 13, against Purdue. Hart did not come out with the team as they ran onto the field in the second half.

Hart limped off the field just before the half, collapsing to his knees before he reached the sideline, crawling the last few feet. The Wolverines took a 31-7 lead into the locker room, due in large part to Hart's 102 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 21 carries.

The senior running back and Michigan's all-time leading rusher set a school record with his seventh 100-yard game to start a season.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

PENN STATE FUMBLES ONE AWAY

BY PAUL ASPAN
PENN ST. INSIDER

I was all ready to rip into Anthony Morelli and Austin Scott for their play during Penn State’s loss to Michigan, when I saw a clip of Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy’s press conference. Gundy lashed out at a reporter for a story she wrote criticizing Cowboy’s quarterback Bobby Reid for not being tough enough. For a second it made me step back and if nothing else – think twice about the nature of covering college athletes. On the one hand, no they’re not getting paid, they have to balance class and practice, a lot of them are good kids, and the nature of the criticism they endure might not always be fair. On the other hand, they embrace the media spotlight when they perform well, they get preferential treatment, and let’s face it, it’s kind of tough to feel sorry for guys that have girls throwing themselves at them on a nightly basis. They don’t even have to be good. I watched it at Syracuse for the last four years.

On to the Penn State loss to Michigan….

Anthony Morelli didn’t exactly instill confidence in the Penn State faithful before the Michigan game, but afterwards, let’s just say I don’t think he received a hero’s welcome on his return to Happy Valley. The Nittany Lion quarterback was 15/31 for 169 yards, no touchdowns and a huge fumble on the day. The key for the Wolverines coming in was to jump on Penn State early, as the Lions offense has struggled to get going in its last few games. The Maize and Blue parlayed Morelli’s first quarter fumble into an early touchdown and the Lions had to play catch-up the rest of the way. This allowed Michigan to grind it out with their All-American tailback Mike Hart.

It was a battle on the ground between the Lion’s nation-best rushing defense and the third best rusher in the nation. Often it seemed like it was All American PSU linebacker Dan Connor vs. Hart – as the two met repeatedly. In fact, Paul Maguire wouldn’t shut up about it. Especially with freshman quarterback Ryan Mallet under center, Hart was going to get his carries – 44 of them to be exact – so he was going to get his yards – 153, and eventually a one yard TD run. Ironically enough, it was a heads-up Mallet run that put Michigan on the board first.

Coming into the game – especially after that early Michigan score – if you had told me the Wolverines were only going to score 14 points, I absolutely would have picked Penn State. There is no question that the Penn State defense played well enough to win. To be perfectly honest with you, I expected something like 17-14 or 21-14 PSU.

Morelli didn’t play well, but he didn’t get much help from his running backs either. Scott chose an awful time for his fourth fumble in the last three games – this one at the Michigan nine-yard line in the third quarter. The Lions got the ball back at the Wolverine 35-yard line a few plays later, after a Mallet fumble, but they had to settle for a field goal to cut the lead to 7-6. Scott finished with 35 yards on nine carries, and backfield mate Rodney Kinlaw ran for 69 yards on 12 carries. Kinlaw, Morelli, and Scott are all seniors, but the latter two have not been the leaders on offense that one might expect. Scott’s inability to hold on to the ball speaks for itself, and do you think Penn State fans had any hope with Morelli under center for that last drive – not even drive, last series – for the Lions? He didn’t even give them a chance to get excited as he threw the ball away on the first two plays, and almost threw interceptions on the final two.

Penn State’s national title hopes (yea, yea they were a bit overrated) are gone, but they still have the chance to have a very good season. With upcoming match-ups against Illinois and Iowa in the next few weeks, the Lions defense should be able to carry them to a couple wins. But, they’re going to lose AT LEAST one more game if they don’t change something with the offense. It’s time to give Kinlaw the full workload, and for the Lions to see if there is a better option at quarterback.

Defense wins championships, but they need to have a lead.

Notre Dame at Michigan: Remember the Titans

BY MICK MILLER
BIG TEN INSIDER

Let me tell you about the good old days. Once upon a time, college football powers Michigan and Notre Dame would get together and play a meaningful game. This was a contest on each school’s schedule that would go a long way in determining rank, bowl position, and their status in the chase for a national championship.

Oh … how times have changed.

Let’s fast forward to 2007, shall we? Both team’s seasons appear unreal. Both team’s records currently stand at 0-2. Due to a lower leg injury to senior signal-caller Chad Henne, both teams will be starting freshman quarterbacks this Saturday. Notre Dame is going with Jimmy Clausen, who will be starting the second game of his career at Ann Arbor after an “unhappy” debut versus Penn State and a 31-10 loss. Michigan will be looking to drop the hammer on the Irish with freshman Ryan Mallett, the heir apparent of the Maize and Blue.

Both are highly ranked and coveted recruits that are inexperienced and learning amongst live bullets. Clausen will be starting in his second hostile environment, while Mallett, who relieved Henne in last week’s loss to Oregon, will be in the comforts of the Big House. With another week of preparation for Clausen, head coach Charlie Weis is ready to force-feed his freshman a little more fire to fight with, by opening more of the playbook. Mallett is hoping to benefit from a week’s work with the first team and play much more relaxed than his spontaneous debut in Michigan’s second combustion of the season.

Let us remember as we watch these two shells of former national powers get it on this weekend, what once was. When these schools were factors in the national championship equation. The epic battles that have represented this rivalry will now be littered with losses and expiring expectations of the year 2007. Visions of victories this season have been replaced by lingering losses and retracted respect. The hallowed history that was once one of college footballs greatest has become an afterthought contest between two teams on the verge of an 0-3 hole. The names of the past (a short list), Joe Montana, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Rocket Ismail, Rick Leach, Anthony Carter, Desmond Howard, and Charles Woodson were great, iconic players who have played in these games.

More questions than answers are what remain of this union of two teams who have exited the polls and significance in the college scene this season.

What is left? What will be gained? B ragging rights? A win in the series between the two tradition-rich schools? Will the winner have won anything but a little self-respect? What of the fan whose school goes 0-3 and has to do this all over again next week? Is this the beginning of a rivalry between two freshman quarterbacks that will entertain for the next three years? Is Lloyd Carr on the way out and his successor coming from “miles” away? Will the records of these two teams, who appear to be in full on rebuilding mode, discourage recruits from coming? Does a guarantee from star tailback Mike Hart mean anything to anyone?

You wouldn’t think a game between two 0-2 teams on a weekend in September would mean so much. Fact is, no matter the records, it means EVERYTHING.

TOP PROGRAM IN AMERICA: ND vs. U of M

This week as a special treat we have allowed Notre Dame Insider Shannon O’Keefe to take off her journalists hat and invited Brad Kurtzberg over from Fantasy Football Insiders to go mano-a-mano. Did I mention Shannon is a Notre Dame grad and Brad is a Michigan alum?

OK Maize and Blue fans and Golden Domers let's here it for your schools! I'm assuming neither one of you is up for making a case for your team to win this week's game (how could you?), so lets duke it out for top program in America! Who has the better tradition? The better fight song? Nickname? How about the uniforms? More importantly the helmets...is it that "just sprayed on shine" of ND or the winged helmets of Michigan?

BRAD: Hey Shannon. Let's start with something simple...Michigan is still the #1 NCAA Div 1-A school in total wins and winning percentage. Plus, I do believe it was Michigan who taught Notre Dame how to play football and helped start its program back in the day.

SHANNON: So you got us in the first game. Congratulations, 1887 was a big year for you guys. But really, there's no comparing the history. Notre Dame's program is the stuff of legends. The four horsemen. Knute Rockne. Even Rudy exists in the public sphere in a way that no second rate Michigan defensive lineman ever could.

(We have) 13 National Championships to your 10. And you're only leading us on the all-time winning percentage by two hundredths of a point. Even our rickety offensive line could hold you to two hundredths of a point.

BRAD: Legends, yes but how much substance is there behind the legends? So, Notre Dame has had a better PR Department. Everybody knows Notre Dame is a favorite of the polls and always has been. Their popularity gives them that, but not what's really on the playing field. Rudy is perhaps the ultimate example. The guy was in on one meaningless play at the end of a game and they made a movie out of it. Pure PR but it doesn't make for a better program, just a more well known one.

As for ND offensive line holding Michigan to two hundredths of a point, obviously, they haven't or we wouldn't be ahead of you by them.

U of M and Notre Dame are two of the most distinguished and best run programs in the country. But Michigan is more substance than the "legend" of Notre Dame.

SHANNON: Legends are different from fairy tales. A strong Sports Information office is a huge plus, I agree. But you can't spin good press out of bad programs. People feel inspired by Notre Dame. As a kid, I watched Rocket Ismail run and run and run and it made me want to go to Notre Dame. I watched Forrest Gump run too, but it didn't make me want to go shrimping.

I think what you're saying is that there is an intangible at Notre Dame, and you're right. People who have no connection to the place cheer their whole lives for our team. Because they feel inspired to do so. I like thinking that people feel inspired by Notre Dame. I like feeling inspired by Notre Dame. Talk about inspiration - look at the recruiting class for '08. We already have 19 commitments (to your 15), including one five-star stud and 14 four-stars. Dayne Crist, the third best pro-style quarterback in the country, still wants to come in behind Jimmy Clausen, still wants to learn from Charlie Weis.

I respect your program. I've been to the Big House, and it's impressively large and impressively loud. But I'd take Clausen's young and inexperienced arm in Notre Dame Stadium any day over Mike Hart's legs in the Big House. It might not make sense on paper, but that's inspiration for you.

BRAD: I respect the tradition at Notre Dame...Touchdown Jesus, Knute Rockne etc...But give me Michigan....highest attendance in all of college football...100,000 plus per home game since before most of us were born...the most living alumni of any American University....the most wins and highest winning percentage of any Division I-A school....unique helmets that make a statement and oh yes, the best darn fight song in college football (I'll give u ND as a close 2nd). If "The Victors" doesn't stir up your blood and get you ready for college football, you're either not a college football fan or you're from Ohio....

SHANNON: This is the best part of college football, and the reason why I'll never love the NFL quite as much. I actually think about helmets and fight songs and alumni when considering the quality of the program. I actually feel a little bit gushy about Notre Dame football. I think our helmets are better because they're painted with real gold – from the Golden Dome! - which sounds ridiculous but somehow makes it all feel more legit; ties it all together; makes you believe in God, Country, Notre Dame. I think our fight song is better (though, to be fair, Michigan's is grand). There's nothing like having a couple of pre-game beers and then streaming into the stadium while the band knocks out the fight song. For a second there, I really thought I'd rather be in South Bend than Manhattan. That's how amazing it feels to be there. That's why I love college football.

The real question is what's going to happen to an already struggling Michigan team without Henne. Our freshman quarterback has had a game plus to work out some kinks, plus the kid is preternaturally poised. Seriously, I've never seen anyone so ready to play. Ryan Mallett may have been around for spring practices, but let's see how long he lasts in the fall.

BRAD: I think both QBs have their work cut out for them. Being a freshman QB is very tough in this day and age. I think ND has a slight advantage because Mallett has not been preparing to start until this week.

As for ND's helmets, they are really spray-painted. They are sharp, but silver or gold helmets are just painted while other colored helmets are actually their final color. One thing I do like about ND is their green jerseys, which they only use on special occasions. Think about the great players that have played for both teams, the fight songs, the facilities, the helmets, the traditions...Notre Dame and Michigan....can anything BE more representative of the greatness of college football. Even in an off year for both teams, it gets the juices flowing. Good luck, Shannon, but GO BLUE!

SHANNON: Back at you, Brad. I look forward to the game against Michigan every year - always exciting, and exactly what college football is supposed to be. Best of luck. I think the game is going to get a bit ugly and that both offenses will stutter, but I believe we'll pull this one out in the end. Go Irish!

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE MAIZE AND BLUE

Brian Y. Yu, The Student:

“Two nights ago, I was engaged in an ice-breaker (one of those cheesy, name-games you play with a group of people you first meet) for my campus job that was like musical chairs but without the music. With the chairs in a circle, facing inward, the odd-person-out would have to shout out a characteristic. If said attribute applied, you would have to stand and run to a different chair. One of the new employees found himself inside the circle and shouted, “…if you’re still upset about the Appalachian State game!” Out of fifteen participants, only six moved, including me. The others looked around and shrugged. A few didn’t even like college football. Others said that they were over it already. Even those who did move said that they were more upset that national title hopes were diminished than about the actual result. I guess in the land of Maize and Blue, a loss is a loss is a loss. Sure it’s a big loss, (D I-AA!) but let’s just hope it’s the only one for now.”

Brad Kurtzberg, The Alum:

“Michigan was out-coached yet again. Lloyd Carr just doesn't get the most out of his talent and for some reason, they cannot defend the spread offense to save themselves. They also seem to make too many mental errors under Carr and the lack of discipline costs them every year. Did I predict they would lose one of their early games at the last (NFL Draft Bible) meeting or what? (Yes he did) It's so frustrating sometimes. I think Carr is done unless he wins the Big Ten AND beats OSU.”