ANN ARBOR – At the midway point of the regular season, it’s been about getting back to the basics for the now-unranked Michigan Wolverines. They made a steep drop from No. 15 after a loss at USC that has put them dangerously close to being eliminated from reaching a playoff berth.

The 31-13 defeat wasn’t rock bottom for the Wolverines (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten), but it was close as the defense was gouged for 224 rushing yards and the offense became allergic to converting on third down, making 2-of-9. Now with two losses, Saturday’s game against Washington is even more significant. The Huskies are 5-1, 2-1.

Nearly desperate times call for nearly desperate measures. This is when coaches look for inspiration wherever they can find it, and Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore went to his closet, and

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