Michigan FB: In Mike Hart They Trust

Having been raised in a family full of Buckeyes, would it be blasphemous for me to write about OSU's sworn enemy?

Probably so.

Family ties aside, though, you have to give Mike Hart the utmost respect—even if you wouldn't admit it out loud.

Two weeks ago, after losses to Appalachian State and Oregon, the Michigan football team looked ready to pack it in for the season.

But Hart wouldn't let it happen.

With no hope of a BCS National Championship, the list of potential accomplishments for Hart and the other UM stars who returned for their senior seasons has narrowed dramatically.

Still, there's plenty left to play for—and Hart has made it his personal mission to prevent his team from wallowing in self-pity.

It started after the Oregon beat-down, when Hart guaranteed a victory against Notre Dame.

It wasn't a Namath-like promise, considering Notre Dame's struggles...but it gave us a glimpse into the mind of a player possessed.

By guaranteeing a victory, Mike Hart accepted full responsibility for his team's play.

That's what a leader does.

He didn't say it directly, but those who have played the game know what Hart was implying:

"Give me the ball and I will carry this team to victory. I will not quit 'til I'm dead and they have to carry me off the field."

And carry the Wolverines he did.

With Chad Henne out with a severe knee injury, freshman Ryan Mallett made his first start under center.

But Mallett's inexperience was of no consequence—the game belonged to Mike Hart.

35 carries. 187 yards. 2 TDs.

Next week, same story.

This time, Michigan faced a much better team: top-10 ranked Penn State, which arrived in Ann Arbor with one of the nation's best defensive units.

But Mike Hart wouldn't allow his team to lose.

44 carries. 153 yards. 1 TD.

Now, with the Wolverines sitting at 2-2, the future looks brighter. The game plan seems to be a simple one:

Give the ball to the smallest guy on the field and let him carry us on his shoulders to victory.

Yes, the National Championship is out of the picture, but there's still a lot left to accomplish.

Beat Ohio State. Win a Big Ten Championship. Win a BCS Bowl Game.

If history has taught us anything, it's that we should never count anyone out 'til all is said and done.

Mike Hart won't stop until every last one of us is proved wrong. I guarantee it.