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Senior running back hoping to finally get victory over Buckeyes
By George M. Thomas Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, Nov 17, 2007
COLUMBUS: At the end of last season, Michigan running back Mike Hart said he'd be returning for his senior year for three reasons.
He wanted to win the Heisman Trophy, a realistic goal for a running back who gained 1,562 yards and scored 14 touchdowns last year. Had the Wolverines' back been healthy all year, that might have been an option.
He expected his team to be very good and had plans to win the national championship. Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32. Oregon 39, Michigan 7. Nothing else need be said, even in this year of topsy-turvy college football that has a basketball school — Kansas — ranked in the top five in all of the football polls.
But more than anything, he wanted to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes. That goal is still attainable and, with what can be termed a disappointing season, Hart has to be more motivated, and the Buckeyes know it.
''I guess you need another shot; I guess that's how you want to look at it,'' OSU wide receiver Brian Hartline said. ''I don't know how many shots he had beforehand, but if he gets another shot to try and beat us, I hope he's ready to play and we'll be ready to play.''
In last year's meeting, Hart gained 142 yards on 23 carries and scored twice on the Buckeyes' defense. More importantly, Michigan racked up 39 points in the defeat, and Hart walked away thoroughly unimpressed with the Buckeyes' defense, saying that in a rematch, the Wolverines would beat the Buckeyes.
''Obviously, we're aware of it and things like that, but you can't let what somebody says really get under your skin too much,'' OSU linebacker James Laurinaitis said. ''That's the emotions of the game and the way it happens. People are going to say things that get under your skin all the time and you can't really get into a words match at all; that doesn't really matter.''
Hart he has missed significant parts of the past few games, but his numbers for this season are impressive nonetheless. He has gained 1,188 yards on 215 carries and has 12 scores. Even the Buckeyes have respect for a player who produces on the field in that way.
''I admire that guy a lot. He's tough. When they had that situation at the beginning of the year, 0-2, he was the guy who really made them rebound and come back,'' defensive end Vernon Gholston said. ''He plays with passion. He's a guy who's willing to do all he can for his team. Run hard, fight hard, will play hurt. I admire the guy a lot.''
Linebacker Marcus Freeman admires the way Hart plays the game overall.
''The thing about Mike Hart is he's such a tough back. He's a guy that looks like he's gonna be down, and the next thing you know, he's running down the field,'' Freeman said. ''I think he has great balance and he's able to shed a lot of those tackles, and cut back on people when they think they have him down. He's a great back and presents a huge challenge.''
Hart missed last week's game, a 37-21 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, and Michigan coach Lloyd Carr answered coyly this week when asked whether his star running back, and quarterback Chad Henne, who has also been dealing with nagging injuries, would play in today's game. He would only say that everyone would see Saturday. The Buckeyes aren't buying that.
''I'm sure Mike Hart will play; he's a fierce competitor,'' OSU coach Jim Tressel said. ''If he would have played at a hundred percent last week, I'm sure he would have. I don't know that it was solely to be ready for this game. He's a tough guy.''
Gholston said that they have to go into the game with a single expectation regarding Hart and Henne.
''We've got to go in with the mind-set that they're playing. And they're going to be healthy. For the most part, whether they do or do not, it can't affect what we do,'' he said. ''The guys they have behind them, I'm sure they have confidence in those guys, too.''
And whom would the Buckeyes like to see out on the field?
''Just being a competitor, you want to play against the best, and we fully expect them to play because they're competitors,'' Gholston said. ''And they know how big this game is and we expect them to be out there. We're gonna prepare like they're gonna be out there, and it's something that we're excited for and we're gonna be ready for.''
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
COLUMBUS: At the end of last season, Michigan running back Mike Hart said he'd be returning for his senior year for three reasons.
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