Mighty have fallen

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 today, 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.”

Michigan tailback Mike Hart had a similar sentiment.

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.