After three seasons of coming up short, Mike Hart, Chad Henne and Jake Long were supposed to redeem the class of '08. But three years of anticipation led up to one major disappointment. Now Michigan's top leaders must look ahead.

The storybook ending wasn't supposed to come 12 chapters early - and the celebration wasn't supposed to be in the visitors' locker room.

A trio of players that put its childhood dream of playing in the NFL on hold for a year wasn't supposed to be immediately punished for it.

And a talented group's already-tainted legacy wasn't supposed to take on more questions before it found answers.

Three seniors - running back Mike Hart, quarterback Chad Henne and offensive lineman Jake Long - came back to Ann Arbor for one last season to win a National Championship and prove they could win the games that count.

0-3 against Ohio State.

0-3 in bowl games.

Both of those stigmas attached to the team, especially the senior class, were supposed to be shed this season.

Instead, now there's a new one:

0-1 vs. D-1AA teams.

Appalachian State changed everything last Saturday by shocking Michigan in what may be college football's biggest upset ever.

Now the group's goal has shifted, and unless the trio of returning Wolverines act quickly, the legacy it came back to improve could become more tarnished.

Back for one last shot

It was just a day after one of the program's most turbulent weeks concluded - one where the Wolverines lost not only a shot at a National Championship, but also a legend in Bo Schembechler.

But on the Sunday after Michigan's 42-39 loss to Ohio State last season, things seemed to look up almost instantly.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr summoned Henne, then a junior, into his office. That's standard for the coach when he's dealing with a player who might leave early. He brings the player in question to his office to hear about his plans for next year.

If said player stays, great. If he leaves, it's time for Carr and his staff to hit the recruiting trail to find a replacement.

Henne was projected to be one of the top quarterbacks in his draft class, and many thought he would test NFL waters. But the Wolverines' only starting quarterback since 2004 drained the drama out of his decision by telling Carr right away he would return for his senior season at Michigan.

"I had no feelings of being anywhere else but Michigan," Henne said.

Despite his solid numbers when healthy, no one thought Hart was a serious threat to make an early jump. Fans assumed he'd return, since many experts didn't even have him as a day-one pick in the draft.

They were right. Hart returned.

But as Hart revealed last month, his departure to the NFL was closer to happening than many believed at the time.

"If Jake would have left, I would have left," said Hart, who before last year's Rose Bowl said he was 99.9-percent sure he was coming back. "He's that great of a player, and he means that much to me. When he said he was coming back, I was back, too."

Hart's one-tenth of a percent was actually much larger than anyone could have imagined - about 315 pounds larger.

Hart's decision essentially rested on the broad shoulders of Long, who some considered the top offensive lineman in last year's draft.

Carr said last month that immediately following the Ohio State game, he felt Long was going to leave for the NFL. But some time between Michigan's loss to the Buckeyes and the Rose Bowl, Long had a change of heart.

Whether it was pressure from teammates, wanting to pursue a degree or not being ready to say goodbye to college life and his teammates, Long stayed.

In short, Long passed up guaranteed millions in the NFL to return to Michigan for his teammates and one last shot at glory. But don't tell Long the only reason he stayed was because he buckled under the pressure from his teammates.

"They never had to persuade me," Long said. "We kind of just stayed away from each other and let each other make their own decision. The biggest thing Mike said was he was coming back if I came back."

Just how much money did Long pass up?

Most figure he'd have been selected in the top five since he was rated ahead of Penn State's Levi Brown in most projections. Brown signed a six-year, $62-million deal with the Arizona Cardinals as the fifth pick of the draft.

"There would have been no Levi Brown at five, I can tell you that," Hart said. "Levi better send Jake some of his signing bonus."

By the Rose Bowl, all three had committed to returning to Michigan for their senior seasons.