Third straight loss wouldn't sit well with Schembechler

COLUMBUS (AP) -- Former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler says another loss to rival Ohio State is simply unacceptable.
The Wolverines have lost two games in a row to Ohio State heading into Saturday's 100th meeting between the two rivals. In the mind of Schembechler, who was 11-9-1 against the Buckeyes from 1969 to 1989, a third time wouldn't be a charm.
"It would be very hard for any Michigan team to take three straight losses to Ohio State," Schembechler said earlier this week. "It would be hard to take. I don't think that's any secret. Especially [since] we're playing here at home, there's a lot of motivation. We just have to get it done."
Jim Tressel has been in charge at Ohio State for both of those victories. He's not sure that there is more pressure on coach Lloyd Carr and the Wolverines come Saturday.
Waffling
"Gosh, I don't know. I mean, pressure is what you decide to feel yourself," Tressel said. "I know this: Michigan wants to win this game very badly. Ohio State wants to win this game very badly. No matter what the records are, no matter what has happened in prior years, I've never witnessed an Ohio State-Michigan game that wasn't played with tremendous emotion and with tremendous effort."
Schembechler certainly doesn't blame Carr for Michigan's recent failings against the Buckeyes.
"Lloyd Carr is as secure as any football coach in America no matter what happens in this game," Schembechler said. "Anybody takes issue with that, they'll have to go through me, because we're not going to fire Lloyd Carr. Not as long as I'm around. I'm not going to let that happen. Not that I could do anything about it, but I still throw a little weight around here."
Still, losing doesn't sit well with Schembechler, particularly not to Ohio State.
Michigan has dominated the series between the two, going 56-37-6 in the 99 meetings. The Wolverines piled up most of that advantage early in the 20th century, going 14-0-2 in the first 16 meetings.
Until the last two years, Michigan had been dominating again. Ohio State coach John Cooper was just 2-10-1 against Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Carr before Cooper was fired -- in part because of his miserable record against the Wolverines -- and he was replaced by Tressel.
Has the pendulum swung back in the Buckeyes' favor?
Bottom line
"I would definitely say the past couple of years the bottom line is that we played well enough and we did enough to go out and beat a couple of very good Michigan teams," said Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel, a Michigan native. "But the last 99 years, the last five years, none of that stuff matters right now. The only thing that matters now is what takes place on Saturday."
Still, there is no disputing that things snowball, both for teams who are winning and those who are losing.
"There is a certain point in people's minds when they say, 'Here we go again,' " Ohio State offensive lineman Alex Stepanovich said. "No matter what you do, things never seem to go your way.
"Maybe these last couple of years, we've stuck together and just kept fighting. When the game hasn't been in our favor and we were able to turn the tide and win those games."
Ohio State (10-1, 6-1) is No. 4 in the polls and stands second in the Bowl Championship Series rankings. The defending national champions can clinch their first outright Big Ten title since 1984 with a win and can inch closer to possibly defending their title in the Sugar Bowl.
The Buckeyes haven't won three in a row against the Wolverines since taking four straight from 1960-63.
Michigan (9-2, 6-1) can also capture an outright Big Ten crown (its first since 1997) with a win and can assure a BCS bowl of its own.
Big Ten Ben
Tight end Ben Hartsock was around those years when the ball never seemed to bounce the Buckeyes' way against Michigan. Now he's part of a team that is 12-1 the last two years in games decided by a touchdown or less, including two consecutive wins over the Wolverines.
"I know their seniors are going to be fed up," Hartsock said. "They're going to want to have their legacy to be getting that last win at home against Ohio State when they've struggled the last couple of years."