It's officially Michigan-Ohio State week.

That means Hayes-Schembechler. That means The Game. That means the Ten-Year War. But for the Michigan football team, for the past six years, that has meant a loss.

Does this cause the rivalry to lose some of its luster? After all, it's hard to call a game a "rivalry" when one team keeps beating the other.

"To say it's less important?" Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said at Monday's press conference. "No. Never. Not Ohio State-Michigan."

The last time Michigan beat Ohio State was in 2003, when many of today's Wolverines were just getting started in high school.

One player, redshirt sophomore safety Jordan Kovacs, remembers the 35-21 Wolverine victory in the Big House fondly.

"I was here at the game," Kovacs said. "I was 13 years old and obviously that was the 100th game. I was sitting in section 27 with my parents and my brother, so that was a big win for us."

Most of the players who took the podium on Monday, though, hardly remember that game.

In Ann Arbor, the game takes on added meaning with every year that passes without a Wolverine victory.

"It means a lot, not just for me but for the seniors the past six years who didn't get a chance to go out beating them," fifth-year senior offensive guard Stephen Schilling said. "It's been a couple classes now that have gone through here without getting a chance to beat them so it means a lot for me and this team but also for those guys I played with the past few years."

THAT WEIRD STUFFED BEAVER THING: By this time, most Michigan fans have seen the video. It depicts defensive coordinator Greg Robinson shoving a stuffed beaver toy in the face of redshirt sophomore linebacker Kenny Demens after the defense came off the field in the third quarter.

It was strange. Even stranger might be the way the defensive players clamped up when asked about it during Monday's press conference.

"Are you saying there's an animal on the sidelines? Next question," sophomore defensive end Craig Roh said, completely devoid of humor.

When junior nose tackle Mike Martin stepped up to the podium he was questioned about the stuffed animal as well, but though his answer was slightly less resentful, it was still cryptic.

"That's a secret, that's kind of our thing," Martin said. "That's a defense thing. I can't talk about that."

But it does exist, right? The stuffed beaver?

"If you see it, I guess it exists," Martin said, smiling.

INJURY REPORT: When asked for an update on his injured players, Rodriguez said his hands were tied.

"I'd love to give you an update, but I have so many names," Rodriguez said. "Counting the guys out for the year, there's probably about 20 guys out of practice."

He said Michigan had multiple players suffering from headaches and concussion-like symptoms and until they get cleared by the doctor, they won't be able to go in practice. He was optimistic that most of the players knocked out of the Wisconsin game would be able to go.

The team still isn't sure about junior wideout Darryl Stonum's ankle, which he injured during Saturday's game. Jeremy Gallon's shoulder will be day-to-day and Martin "should be okay." He and senior linebacker Jonas Mouton will be a little limited, Mouton with a chest injury suffered a couple weeks ago.