Wolverines report: Inside slant

2Slick

Michigan went into the home of the No. 1 team in the country and scored 39 points.

But after USC throttled Notre Dame on Saturday, it doesn't look like UM's effort in Columbus will warrant a rematch in January.

In the latest BCS standings, the Trojans leap-frogged the Wolverines and claimed the second spot behind Ohio State. USC can seal its title-game ticket with a win over UCLA this weekend.

Michigan certainly showed that right now, two of the best teams in the country represent the Big Ten.

Coach Lloyd Carr is still steamed about the loss to OSU. He wants to know why Shawn Crable was whistled for a helmet-to-helmet blow along the sideline of Michigan's 42-39 loss to Ohio State.

On 3rd-and-15 from Michigan's 38, OSU quarterback Troy Smith scrambled out of the pocket and threw incomplete. But Crable came over and delivered a shot on Smith that was whistled illegal. Coach Jim Tressel said the hit was out of bounds, but the ruling was helmet-to-helmet.

Instead of punting, the Buckeyes had a first down and three plays later, they were in the end zone. Carr thinks the rule should only apply when the quarterback is in the pocket.

"I feel like when a quarterback is in the pocket and he's getting hit, I think the rule has to protect him," Carr said. "But when a quarterback is scrambling, when he's running around, especially some of the guys we've got in college football, I'm not sure I'm clear on exactly what the rule is. But that was a big play ... I'm not complaining about the call. I do have some questions about that situation."

Michigan must now wait until after the conference championship games in two weeks to learn its bowl fate. The players obviously want a rematch with the Buckeyes on the neutral field in Glendale, Ariz., away from the hostile grounds in Columbus.

"I guarantee if we play them again, it would be a whole different game," tailback Mike Hart said. "We should have got them the first time around. We didn't ... But if we played them again, it would be a whole different game. Guarantee that."