Michigan continues pursuit of Big Ten title at Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Michigan Wolverines are adamant they're only focused on Wisconsin and not their looming showdown for the Big Ten title with No. 1 Ohio State.
The Badgers (7-3, 3-3) say they still have something to play for Saturday, too, despite squandering their conference title dreams.
No. 13 Michigan (8-2, 6-0) and Wisconsin are sure saying the right things.
"We know that there are going to be some challenges this week that you want to think about but you don't want to jump too far ahead," Wolverines linebacker Chris Graham said.
Across Lake Michigan, Badgers tight end Travis Beckum has a different take on what goals are left this season.
"Undefeated nonconference. Get the Axe back against Minnesota. Make Michigan a big game, and win it," said Beckum, who leads the nation's tight ends with 62 catches and 765 yards receiving.
Because of injuries, the passing combinations of Michigan's Chad Henne-to-Mario Manningham and Wisconsin's Tyler Donovan-to-Beckum may play a larger role than the star tailbacks that have been the trademark of both schools.
Three stellar running backs will be on the field Saturday as Wisconsin retires Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne's jersey at halftime.
The other two might not play, either.
Badgers coach Bret Bielema is still being cryptic about whether sophomore P.J. Hill will play with a lingering leg bruise.
"I wasn't playing games," said Bielema, who was optimistic Hill would return last week against Ohio State before it became apparent Hill didn't have a chance. "Basically from the time Tuesday was on, there wasn't any structural damage to the leg, but extremely sore, and then also some tightness in his lower leg that he just wasn't able to go. And really, it's on P.J. whenever P.J. feels he can come back."
Bielema said Hill regressed before Wisconsin lost 38-17 to the Buckeyes on Saturday. Freshman Zach Brown had 20 carries for 63 yards replacing Hill.
Michigan's Mike Hart, hampered by a nagging ankle injury, has said there's no way he'll skip the week to rest for the Buckeyes.
"These are the last two games of my career at Michigan, and a bowl game," Hart said. "I'm not missing anything."
Hart's run at the Heisman and climb up the Big Ten career rushing list has been sidetracked by the ankle injury. Hart is fifth in Big Ten history with 4,867 yards. Twenty-one more moves him past Michigan State's Lorenzo White.
Dayne, now with the Houston Texans, is the NCAA's career rushing lead with 7,125 yards and 71 touchdowns and he played before the NCAA began to count bowl game statistics in season and career totals.
Wisconsin has never found the next great Dayne, but have had several other successful running backs like Anthony Davis, Brian Calhoun and now Hill.
Hill is most often compared to Dayne, but was only 12 years old when Dayne was smashing through defenses.
"Everybody wanted to make a big deal about Ron Dayne's size," Bielema said. "Ron Dayne made a lot of people miss. He had a lot of one-on-one tackles with people off the edge on support, and he was so patient in what he was doing."
It's a lesson the Badgers could use after squandering a lead at Ohio State.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr's patience has paid off with an eight-game winning streak that's almost taken the sting out of two terrible losses to start the season.
Carr would pass Ohio State's Woody Hayes for the fifth-best winning percentage among Big Ten coaches
if Michigan can snap Wisconsin's 13-game home winning streak.
Carr's players think they've righted the program.
"I was shocked the way the season started," nose tackle Terrance Taylor said. "But the turnaround has been great. After the first two games we had a reality check that we are Michigan and we have to live up to that."
That's why Taylor doesn't think there's any chance the Wolverines will overlook Wisconsin.
"You see it all over the country. Teams don't focus on the team that they are playing and they lose," Taylor said. "The best lesson was shown in the first two games of the season."
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