Michigan, Notre Dame hoping for win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan and Notre Dame have competed for many of college football's most significant prizes for more than half a century, from national championships to Heisman Trophies.

From fight songs to helmets to stadiums, fans of the Fighting Irish and Wolverines love to claim theirs are the best in the land.

When the Wolverines (0-2) and Fighting Irish (0-2) play Saturday, the question to be answered really isn't which team is better but which is worse.

For the first time since the AP started ranking teams in 1936, Michigan and Notre Dame will both be unranked when they play.

"I think beating Michigan on the road at the Big House would be a good way to flip the switch and start moving in a positive direction," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "You can't say it any better than that."

On the other side, Michigan tailback had a similar sentiment Mike Hart.

Hart guaranteed a win over Notre Dame soon after Oregon beat the Wolverines 39-7, handing them their worst loss since 1968, and a week after being upset by Appalachian State and becoming the butt of Jay Leno's jokes.

Hart will likely get a lot of chances to back up his words against a defense stacked against the run, since freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett is making his first start for Michigan.

"You have to think they're going to try to pound us and give Hart the ball a whole bunch of times," Weis said.

Hart wasn't worried about his bulletin-board material firing up Notre Dame.

"We have nothing to lose. We're 0-2," Hart said. "People are not going to expect anything out of us."

Michigan has started to earn low expectations.

Including last season's losses at Ohio State and to USC in the Rose Bowl, the Wolverines have lost four straight for the first time since 1967.

Michigan has been booed off the field at halftime in each of its first two games in its iconic venue filled with about 110,000 fans, many of whom have been attending games for decades and haven't seen their favorite team crumble like this.

Weis wouldn't mind if boos are heard at Michigan Stadium again.

"If that were to happen, I'd be most happy about that," Weis said.