ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan-Ohio State joke was making its rounds on both sides of the border less than 24 hours after the Wolverines lost a school-record eighth game.
Did you hear they had to cancel the game?
No, why?
Because Michigan can't get past Toledo.
Yes, it's gotten that bad for college football's winningest team.
"I'm sure we'll hear all week that our guys have no chance," said Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, whose Wolverines did in fact lose to the Rockets (2-8) this season.
Why does Rodriguez think the Wolverines (3-8, 2-5 Big Ten) have a shot to beat the 10th-ranked Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1)?
"It's 0-0 when you start," he said. "If they're favored by whatever and up 21-0 before you kick off, that's tough. But it's 0-0 when you start.
"We've got some young guys and they've got some young guys."
One of Ohio State's youngest - freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor - considered Michigan only after Rodriguez was hired nearly 11 months ago.
"We have to have a better plan than we did against running quarterbacks earlier this year," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez knew he would be starting another rebuilding job after building West Virginia into a power and bolting for Ann Arbor.
But he and no one else thought it would get this bad at Michigan.
