the feeling in the room is that

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigans chances of having a special season improved when a trio of standouts chose to come back to college and put their dreams of playing in the NFL on hold.Cornerback Jourdan Lewis and tight end Jake Butt, second team All-Americans, and defensive tackle Chris Wormley all made the decision to help the Wolverines chase a desperately wanted Big Ten championship this season.The storied program has not won a conference title since 2004, its longest drought since failing to finish first in the Big Ten between 1950 and 1964.We could have opted out and made the money, Lewis said. But money wasnt important to us. It was our legacy.If they can help No. 7 Michigan start well in its opener at home against Hawaii and close strong enough to win the conference championship, it will go a long way toward making their careers memorable.The Wolverines moved a step toward respectability last year by winning 10 games in Jim Harbaughs first season as coach, but they lost to rivals Ohio State and Michigan State to stunt any sort of celebration.We just got a little taste of what its like, Butt said. I really wanted to come back and see what we could do this year because I really believe we can get something special done.The Wolverines open with five straight home games and have eight in all at the Big House. Tests, though, at Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa may prove to be pivotal.We have a pretty tough road schedule, but I really think we can get it done, Wormley said.Heres are some things to watch when Michigan hosts the Rainbows (0-1) on Saturday:WELL TRAVELEDHawaii started the season in Australia, losing to Cal by 20 points, and went back to campus before making another long trek to Michigan. By the Rainbows get home, they will have traveled about 20,000 miles and been in airplanes for about 40 hours for just two games.If they start looking for excuses, theyll find them, Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich said. I hope they dont watch the news. We got to look at it as an opportunity and play a great team and a coach that is good for college football. Its the (Ferdinand) Magellan mindset. Were ready to explore the world. We got to embrace it.JUMPMANMichael Jordan will be Michigans honorary captain because the Wolverines are first college or pro football team to wear the Jordan Brand.Im going to need to get a haircut, said Butt, who will be one of the captains to be alongside the former NBA superstar for the pregame coin flip.JUST JOKINGRolovich told reporters earlier in the week that Michigan denied a request to share its scrimmage video because the Rainbows have already played a game for them to be scouted. Later, the first-year coach and former Rainbows quarterback apologized and insisted he wasnt being serious when he said that.SECRET SNAPHarbaugh refused to reveal who will start at quarterback, but he is expected to go with Wilton Speight ahead of Houston transfer John OKorn. Speight played in seven games last year and threw a game-winning TD at Minnesota after Jake Rudock was injured.NO WORRIESAt least one Hawaii player doesnt sound the least bit intimidated about facing Michigan at the Big House.Theyre not national champions, Rainbows receiver Dylan Collie said. Theyre just another football team. That just makes this more fun. Thats what you grow up thinking about. Thats what you live for. Thats why I play this game. I want to play in front of a lot of people. It will be a good time.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Bill Baumgartner Jersey Store . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Frank Nesser Jersey Store . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. https://www.chinacheapjerseys.net/bobo-wilson-jersey-store/ . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Don Wells Jersey Store . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Alfred Malone Jersey Store . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. DALLAS -- The Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars both had big victories over the weekend, making Tuesdays matchup at American Airlines Center a battle of two teams showing good form.Calgary (13-13-2) blitzed the Anaheim Ducks 8-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday.First-year Flames coach Glen Gulutzan, who coached Dallas from 2011 to 2013, said, Well, you dont get too many games in the NHL where you can breathe. I thought eight different goal scorers is good, too. Its good for team morale; its good for confidence for the whole group. I thought everybody played a solid game.The Flames, who have won three straight and five of their past seven, got a goal and an assist each from Sam Bennett, former Star Alex Chiasson and Matt Stajan in that win over the Ducks.I think this can boost our offense, Chiasson said of the Flames offensive outburst against Anaheim. Maybe we get a little more confidence. Weve got eight games until Christmas, and this is a real important stretch for us as a team. Its nice for us to get everyone on the scoring page and build some confidence for the next little bit.Stars coach Lindy Ruff, whose team ended a 1-2-1 road trip with a 2-0 win at Colorado on Saturday night, was also impressed with Calgarys onslaught against Anaheim.They are playing well, Ruff said. Their goaltender, (Chad) Johnson, has really played well for them, has kind of taken over, so this is going to be a real hard test. Were coming off a tough grind on the road and coming against a team that has been really going well.Dallas (10-10-6) is 6-3-2 at home and will face a Flames team that is 7-6-2 on the road. And even though the Stars took only three of a possible eight points on their four-game trip, the feeling in the room is that they easily could have won two of those games.Against Detroit (on Tuesday, a 3-1 loss), I thought we played well, said center Tyler Seguin, who leads Dallas with 27 points. We didnt execute. We had chances to score, got our looks and didnt. Against (Pittsburgh, a 6-2 loss on Thursday), we played well until the last four or five minutes theree.dddddddddddd It was a 6-2 loss, but it was a game that was right there if we wanted it. We could have taken it; we just didnt.The Stars will continue to be without three key veterans for Tuesdays game. Veteran forward Jiri Hudler, out the past 17 games due to illness, went through his first practice with teammates on Monday but is still a bit away from returning to game action.I really think hes going to need some real good, hard practices and conditioning after practice, Ruff said of Hudler, who was signed to a one-year contract last offseason. Hes had some hard skates; hes been up and down. The reports have feel good one day and not so good the next day. I want to make sure hes up to speed before he gets back in.Defenseman Johnny Oduya has missed seven straight games with a lower-body injury, but it appears the veteran blueliner could return later this week.Johnnys doing pretty well. I think hell skate with us in the morning (Tuesday), Ruff said. I think were looking at him sometime later in the week.However, the news isnt so favorable on veteran forward Patrick Sharp, who has re-entered the leagues concussion protocol after missing Saturdays win in Colorado.We dont know if this is still lingering from the first time, Ruff said. In the Pittsburgh game, he was going backwards and got just a little bit of a (whiplash), nothing major, but was really slow to get up inside that game and just didnt feel right.Ruff said Dallas will recall a player from its AHL affiliate in Cedar Park, Texas, but that roster move wasnt to come until Tuesday morning.The Stars, who defeated the Flames 4-2 in Calgary on Nov. 10, are beginning a stretch in which they will play nine of 14 games at home -- a run Seguin knows he and his teammates must capitalize on.Obviously, we have a lot of home games coming up. We have to take advantage of that, Seguin said. You want to play hard at home. Weve had a decent record there, so we want to keep going. ' ' '