Opinion: Michigan's season comes down to one thing: Beat Ohio State

“Starting off the season strong, you didn’t think that this would happen,” Graham said. “But stuff takes a turn and it’s a long season. It just happened like this.

“What will be a better way than to go out and beat O-State for that last game? That’s just the focus right now and that’s the talk in the locker room, what’s a better way than to go out and to beat O-State to get in a bowl game.”

For players, fans and a program that’s lost five straight to its archrival, there’d be no better ending. A month and a half of misery would be forgotten, and that faint beacon of hope for 2010 would shine bright again.

But there’s a reason Michigan (5-6, 1-6) is tied for last place in what's generally considered a down year in the Big Ten Conference.

The defense isn’t good. The offense is banged up. And coaches, to use Rich Rodriguez’s word, are “reaching” for answers, as they evaluate personnel, schemes and themselves.

“I’m not used to this, and certainly the University of Michigan’s not used to this,” Rodriguez said. “We’re in a process right now of fixing all the problems we have, and, painfully, it’s taken longer than everybody wants.”

Beating Ohio State (9-2, 6-1) would dull some of that pain, especially for Graham and a senior class that’s 0-3 against the Buckeyes and party to one of the most lopsided losses in series history, 42-7 last year.

“We got a lot at stake,” Rodriguez said. “It’s the bowl, it’s our seniors’ last home game, it’s Ohio State, it’s getting a good feeling going into the off-season. It’s all those things combined.

“But I just want our seniors to be able to experience singing 'The Victors' in front of the student section and in the locker room one more time. That’s the biggest goal for me.”

Notes, quotes and leftovers • While most freshman don’t understand the rivalry fully, quarterback Tate Forcier said that won’t be a problem for him. Forcier grew up a Michigan fan and his older brother, Jason, played briefly for the Wolverines.

“I’ve never liked Ohio State, so I’m going to do what I can do and hopefully we’re going to come out with a victory and get these guys to a bowl game,” he said.

• The biggest single play Saturday’s 45-24 loss to Wisconsin was Brandon Smith’s roughing the punter penalty on fourth-and-20 early in the second quarter.

Michigan led 10-7 at the time and Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien wasn’t playing particularly well up to that point. Tolzien threw an interception a drive early and had completed just 2 of his previous 6 passes. Wisconsin ran the ball 4 straight times following the penalty and on second-and-goal Stevie Brown let Nick Toon sneak behind him for an easy touchdown.

The Badgers ran away and hid from there.

“That was really disheartening,” Rodriguez said of the penalty. “I don’t know if our guys ran into each other and ran into him, but geez, we’re struggling to get stops anyway defensively. That’s the same as a turnover, and it wound up hurting us there.”

• Michigan didn’t completely lose steam, however, until John Clay scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:09 to play on a disputed 1-yard touchdown dive. Brandon Graham appeared to meet Clay in the air just short of the goal line, but replay upheld the touchdown call on the field.

The Wolverines, who won the toss and elected to receive for the first time all year, went to halftime trailing, 21-17, and had to kick off to Wisconsin to open the third quarter. The Badgers scored on their first possession of the second half - and their second, third and fourth, keeping Michigan’s worn-down defense on the field.

“Momentum shifting is something that we’ve struggled with all year,” Rodriguez said.

• One clarification from Saturday: Wisconsin scored all four times it possessed the ball in the second half. The official box score shows a Wisconsin drive starting with 1 second left after Denard Robinson’s incompletion on the final play of the game. Time expired on the throw, so the Badgers never ran another play.

Wisconsin finished the half with 286 yards of offense (21 more than Michigan had the entire game) and 22 minutes, 45 seconds time of possession. The Wolverines ran just 21 offensive plays and held the ball for 7:15 of the second half.

• Forcier on running back Vincent Smith: “I’m so proud of the way he played today. For him being such a little guy, especially in the Big Ten, you don’t see little backs too often. I mean, look at Wisconsin, (Clay's) twice the size of him.”

Clay is listed at 6-foot-1, 248 pounds; Smith at 5-foot-6, 168.

• Don’t laugh (or cry), but Michigan might set a school record for most points allowed for the second straight year. The Wolverines have given up 309 points this season. If Ohio State scores 39 or more Saturday - exactly what opponents are averaging the last four weeks - Michigan will surpass last year’s total of 347.

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.