MICHIGAN WOLVERINES SPORTS

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The unranked University of Michigan football team will be without quarterback Steven Threet and right tackle Steve Schilling for Saturday's matchup with No. 10 Ohio State, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Friday.

Threet will miss the game because of a shoulder injury he suffered last week. Schilling sprained a knee in practice Tuesday, and will be replaced in the starting lineup by redshirt sophomore Perry Dorrestein.

When the Ohio State-Michigan football game arrived each year, Greg Mathews would find himself in front of the TV.

Or rather, his mother made certain he was watching.

Mathews' mom, Lesia, was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and did her best to steep him in Ohio State tradition.

As Mathews admitted Monday, however, he didn't pay much attention to the rivalry until Michigan's Tim Biakabutuka caught his eye in 1995.

After suffering through the Michigan series during the John Cooper era, Ohio State has firmly established itself as the dominant program under Cooper's successor, Jim Tressel.

Now that there has been a change of coaches at Michigan - from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez - perhaps the rivalry will regain its balance. Some day.

For now, No. 10-ranked Ohio State (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) will roll into its Ohio Stadium date with the slumping Wolverines (3-8, 2-5) with nearly every advantage.

Greg Mathews admitted being to partial to sports video games.

And when the University of Michigan wide receiver plays "EA Sports NCAA Football" editions, he said he's partial to teams from Florida, the state in which he grew up. After all, the Orlando native strongly considered Florida State as a high school recruit.

And the Wolverines teammate he likes to make mad when he beats him? Read on to see who is that video game foe:

ANN ARBOR -- Did you hear they had to cancel Saturday's 105th game of the storied Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry?

Because Michigan can't get past Toledo.

That's what this historic Wolverines season has been reduced to. Jokes.

NEW YORK - Two days earlier, John Beilein had downplayed the significance of a possible early-season upset.

Even if Michigan could beat No. 4-ranked UCLA, the second-year University of Michigan basketball coach said on Tuesday, it would be too early to chalk it up as anything but a "measuring stick."

And Thursday night, as Beilein sat flanked by his two best players in front of a roomful of reporters following the Wolverines' stunning 55-52 win over the favored Bruins, Beilein didn't stray far from his original sentiment.

Frank Franklin II | APMichigan's DeShawn Sims scores against UCLA during the second half of the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Sims led all scorers with 18 points, including a powerful two-handed dunk with 23.8 seconds remaining.

Related story: 1-3-1 zone defense key in upset

NEW YORK - DeShawn Sims knew the pass was coming before it was even delivered.
So when he beat a fatigued UCLA defender with the first step of a backdoor cut Thursday night, all the University of Michigan forward had to do was catch and finish.

He did so emphatically.

Sims scored the final two of his game-high 18 points with a powerful two-handed dunk with 23.8 seconds remaining, finishing off the Wolverines' shocking 55-52 upset of the No. 4 Bruins in the 2K Sports Classic semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

The victory snapped a 12-game losing streak to ranked opponents and gave Michigan its first win over a Top 5 team since a 1997 upset over top-ranked Duke.

And, although Wolverines coach John Beilein said the win was one to be kept in perspective heading into tonight's tournament final against No. 10 Duke, his players realized it meant it carried some weight.

Frank Franklin II | APMichigan's Kelvin Grady, left, Stu Douglass, center, and DeShawn Sims guard UCLA's Jrue Holiday during the second half. The Bruins, who led 29-23 at halftime, made just eight of 24 field goals in the second half. "We did not do a good job attacking that zone," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

NEW YORK - UCLA coach Ben Howland has faced John Beilein's teams enough over the years to know the kind of defensive pressure the Bruins would face.

An effective University of Michigan 1-3-1 zone not only forced 17 turnovers in the Wolverines' 55-52 upset of No. 4-ranked UCLA, but it took the Bruins out of rhythm when they could least afford it.

The Bruins hit just eight of 24 field goals in the second half of Thursday night's 2K Sports Classic semifinals, being outscored by 11 in a three-point loss.

AP PhotoTexas A&M's Danielle Gant grabs a rebound during the second half of Thursday's game at Crisler Arena. Gant scored a game-high 15 points for the Aggies, who improved to 3-0 on the season.

ANN ARBOR -- Three days after a surprising loss to Akron, the University of Michigan women's basketball team held its own against No. 12 Texas A&M on Thursday night, falling 59-56 at Crisler Arena.

The Aggies (3-0) shot 28.1 percent in the first half but wore down the Wolverines (1-2) with their inside offensive execution, connecting on 50 percent of their shots (12-of-24) and turning over the ball just five times.

Michigan's Carly Benson missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 2 seconds left. Texas A&M grabbed the rebound and the win.

It shouldn't come as a surprise considering Michigan's 3-8 record, but Wolverines insider John Heuser expects another loss against No. 10 Ohio State - and a big loss at that.

"I do see a pretty big loss," Heuser told WGHN. "Michigan's best hope is that they can get their running game going."

But as Heuser pointed out, Michigan will likely encounter trouble establishing a ground game against the Buckeyes.

File | The Ann Arbor NewsChris "Beanie" Wells (28) rushed for a career-high 222 yards in a 14-3 victory against Michigan last year. In 2006, his 52-yard TD run in the second quarter spurred the Buckeyes to a 42-39 victory.

Terrance Taylor feigned an incredulous look as he gripped the podium and responded to the question about Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells and his big performances against Michigan.

With furrowed eyebrows, the University of Michigan defensive tackle sounded almost like he was grinding his teeth as he spoke.

"The last couple of years? I wouldn't say all that," Taylor said. "(He) got a couple of good runs. That's it."

Then the senior, all 308 pounds of him, straightened up and smiled.

Following practice Thursday, Rich Rodriguez named four players as team captains for the 2008 season. Defensive linemen Terrance Taylor, Tim Jamison and Will Johnson and tight end Mike Massey were the choices.

"These four men have provided tremendous leadership and represented our program at the highest level throughout the season," Rodriguez said in a written release.

All four will stand at midfield for the coin toss Saturday against Ohio State.

Rumors are flying that running back Sam McGuffie will transfer from Michigan after freshman year. But Ann Arbor News Wolverines beat writer John Heuser says that there is nothing new with the story, and that McGuffie shouldn't be discouraged by his diminishing role this year.

"The coaches have confidence in him," Heuser points out during his weekly Q&A, "and he's been used much more this year than a typical freshman. I hope he stays, because I think he'll be a contributor throughout his career."

Still, Heuser thinks it's too close to say whether McGuffie is leaning toward staying at Michigan or transferring to a different school.

AP File PhotoDeShawn Sims (R) has faith in Michigan Wolverines coach John Beilein's (center) decision to have the junior forward come off the bench.

Maybe it's a good poker face.

Perhaps, it's a sign of contentment and a realization that the grand plan called for a change.

But by now, DeShawn Sims has gotten used to the questions - the repeated inquiries abut a different role that now has one of the University of Michigan men's basketball team's top talents coming off the bench.

And every time the topic is breached, Sims' response remains the same, maintaining it simply doesn't matter.