Regardless, the Big Ten representative will be determined after this weekend, which sees Wisconsin host Penn State in addition to the showdown in Columbus.
A breakdown of the three remaining hopefuls, and their chances of making it to the Grandaddy of them All:
Back to reality: Smelling like a Rose
MIAMI - Bleachers full of screaming Florida International fans officially welcomed Michigan's basketball team to the regular season Friday night. Storming the court to embrace their heroes for the night - the Florida International players - the fans and the players celebrated the first victory of the season as though they had won the last game in March.
Panthers stun men in opener
NASHVILLE - Heartbreak Hotel.
For the Michigan women's basketball team, Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym was just that.Women sunk by Commodores
Ron Dayne was sitting by himself on the bench, looking straight ahead. There were just a couple minutes left in Saturday's game between Wisconsin and Michigan, and Dayne's team was already beaten, so there wasn't much he could do. But then, he wasn't able to do much of anything all afternoon.Big Dayne turns out to be a big bust
The best of the best squared off against each other at the Big Ten All-Star meet in Chicago this past weekend.
The tournament showcased the best of Big Ten swimmers and divers challenging Team USA. 
Women swimmers face old faces
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - How do you spell legend? In the case of the Michigan women's cross country team, it's M-c-G-R-E-G-O-R. As in Katie McGregor, who once again combined skill with smarts in a masterful performance at the Great Lakes Regional.
McGregor leads Blue to second with record pace: Next up for 'M' harriers: NCAA Championships
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Before the start of the NCAA regional on Saturday, it looked as though the focus of everyone's attention for the Wolverines would be, as usual, John Mortimer.
The senior, who finished first in two of his past three races, was one of the favorites coming into the race. Mortimer rests; men still take second at regionals
In water polo, wimps don't win national championships: n SportsMonday Column
If you look at the home page of the Michigan men's water polo team, you'll find links to rosters, game results and statistics, among other things. On the statistics page, there's a player-by-player breakdown of the season that concluded recently, complete with goals, assists, shooting percentages ... and KOs.
During practice last week, the starting tailback and his lineman - Clarence Williams and Jon Jansen - looked ahead toward the conclusion of their careers in Michigan Stadium.
"Jon Jansen said to me, 'Clarence, have a great game - it's our last one,'" Williams said.Williams, Thomas demolish No. 1 rushing defense
Despite standing 6-foot-2 and weighing over 225 pounds, Sam Sword matching up with Ron Dayne was sure to be a mismatch.
But Dayne, the Big Ten rushing leader entering the game, was less than his dominating self. In fact, it was Dayne who was dominated.Sword, Michigan defense slice through Dayne
Lost in the celebration of Saturday's convincing win was an ugly knee injury, and lost, perhaps, as a result of that injury might be Michigan freshman tailback Justin Fargas.
Coach Lloyd Carr said Fargas dislocated his right knee when he was tackled in the final minutes of the game. Fargas was taken to the hospital to be evaluated, and Carr said the freshman's status was not immediately clear.Freshman Fargas dislocates knee in win
Exciting? Yes.
Works of art? Not really.
On college football's show-and-tell Saturday, the nation's top three teams - Tennessee, Kansas State and UCLA -
demonstrated there's no need to play perfectly to stay perfect.Top 3 teams remain undefeated - just barely
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A truck carrying two Kentucky football players on a deer-hunting trip flipped on a rural highway yesterday, killing one of them and injuring starting center Jason Watts.
Another man, a passenger who was not on the team, was also killed in the early morning accident in which the pickup truck veered off the highway and then swung back onto the road before rolling over.Kentucky player dies in car accident
`MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Despite all the turnovers, the turnaround is complete at Kansas State.
Michael Bishop ran for two touchdowns and threw for two, including an 11-yarder with 5:25 to go, and the second-ranked Wildcats finally tossed aside once-mighty Nebraska 40-30 on Saturday.Kansas State thwarts Nebraska, secures Big 12 title game berth
IOWA CITY (AP) - David Boston caught two of Joe Germaine's three touchdown passes and Joe Montgomery scored on an 80-yard run as No. 7 Ohio State bounced back from a stinging loss to beat Iowa 45-14 Saturday.
Boston, who became the Buckeyes' career receiving leader, and Germaine saw to it that Ohio State (6-1 Big Ten, 9-1 overall) didn't stumble again after losing its No. 1 ranking because of a 28-24 loss to Michigan State.Germaine, Boston lead Ohio State to victory over hapless Hawkeyes
Last year, experience led to a breakout season for the Michigan women's basketball team.
Four seniors, led by current WNBA player Pollyanna Johns, took the team to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament and led it to its second ever NCAA tournament.Experience will lurk in the backcourt for '98 Blue season
Instability lies ahead for the Michigan women's basketball team.
What do the Wolverines have to do to make up for a player that scored 1,251 career points and was Michigan's first all-Big Ten selection?'M' frontcourt to fill large void this year: With the departure of Pollyanna Johns, Wolverines must rediscover the post
Behind most successful athletes lie supportive families - you know, the kind that go to all the games and cheer even when the team is losing badly. Heather Oesterle's family takes the adjective to a new level.
The family's basketball ties date back nearly two generations to the days when Oesterle's father used to play in a barn on the family farm. The present generation of players got their basketball starts in much the same way. Part 1 of the 'Four Frosh' Series: Heather Oesterle - From the family barn to Crisler Arena
MIAMI - Josh Asselin slithered off the court, shoulders drooped, head down, as 4,638 voices gave him a hearty sendoff in the final seconds of Michigan's 69-62 season-opening defeat to Florida International on Friday.
Asselin, the sophomore forward who just four days earlier electrified Crisler Arena with his thunderous dunks and aggressive play in a come-from-behind exhibition victory, led Michigan's frontcourt with its new-look, "excuse me" style of play. His line for the day? Five points, eight rebounds, two shots, two turnovers, five fouls.Michigan's Achilles' heel exposed in season opener: 'M' frontcourt turns in weak performance against Panthers
Soccer eliminated from NCAAs by Irish
SOUTH BEND - Michigan soccer coach Debbie Belkin was hoping her team could put its experience to use as it entered second-round NCAA tournament competition yesterday.
Belkin wanted to capitalize on the experience it gained by winning its first NCAA tournament contest earlier in the week, returning to the NCAA tournament for the second time in as many years and on the team's slim 1-0 loss several weeks ago to yesterday's opponent, No.
Young 'M' wrestlers headlock competition
The underclassmen of the Michigan wrestling team gained "a little more confidence and a lot more experience" this weekend at the McMullen Open in Muskegon, Mich.
The Wolverines had several weight division champions at the freshmen-and-sophomores-only event. Freshmen Mike Kulcyki, Charles Martelli, Kyle Smith and Matt Brink all took first in their respective weight classes.
Weekends in college are supposed to be fun. Just don't tell that to the Michigan volleyball team.
Time after time, the Wolverines have headed into a weekend of Big Ten conference play with high expectations. But, Michigan hasn't met these expectations too often this season.
Volleyball continues poor crunch-time play
11-16-98
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