Michigan football team's seniors call players-only meeting for Ohio State

Michigan seniors Brandon Graham and Mark Ortmann called a players-only meeting before practice Monday. The topic: “Just explain to (underclassmen) if they don’t know already how serious this is and what it can do for this program heading into next year,” Graham said.

Michigan needs a win Saturday against ninth-ranked Ohio State to become bowl eligible and avoid its second consecutive losing season. The Wolverines (5-6, 1-6) have lost six straight Big Ten games and five consecutive years to the Buckeyes.

Mark Ortmann

“We’re trying to get an extra game for us seniors because we don’t want to leave, but what’s a better than to beat O-State and get into a bowl game off them?” Graham said. “That’ll feel so much better, and everything else will erase itself because you’re always thinking about we might have had a bad year but we beat O-State.

“That’s what it boils down to and that’s why it’s the last game of the season. We’ve been waiting a long time for this one.”

Graham said a win Saturday would give Michigan momentum heading into 2010. Besides a feel-good ending, the Wolverines would get 15 extra bowl practices, essentially a second spring practice for their young nucleus.

Brandon Graham

“When you lose like this you want to see what other people are thinking and how they’re feeling towards next year,” Graham said. “This type of game right here pushes everybody up to know that a lot of games just slipped away from us and they’ll be so hungry for next year.”

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Tuesday he didn’t ask about the tone of the meeting.

“It was a players meeting not a coaches meeting, so I don’t think it’s my right to ask what they want to talk about,” Rodriguez said. “But a couple of the seniors wanted to have one, a brief meeting, and I’m sure it helped everybody get focused for this big ball game.”

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.