One of these two is looking at 0-3

They are two of the most storied programs in college football, ranking first and second in victories and combining for 22 national championships, but when Notre Dame and Michigan play Saturday, they’ll make a different kind of history.

It will be the first time they have played when both teams are 0-2.

Michigan, still reeling from its Sept. 1 loss to Appalachian State, took a 39-7 loss to Oregon on Saturday, falling to 0-2 for the first time since 1998 and only the 11th time in school history. The Fighting Irish lost, 31-10, to Penn State and dropped to 0-2. The Fighting Irish were 0-2 in 2001, but the last time before that was 1986, and this is only the sixth time in school history.

And these are pretty significant histories. Michigan has been playing football since 1879 and Notre Dame since 1887. Michigan has 860 victories, the most of any team in the nation. Notre Dame is second with 821.

“I don’t think we could have a more difficult opening than we’ve had,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said.

It continued a week of lowlights for the Wolverines, who began the season ranked No. 5, then became the first team to drop from the top five to out of the top 25 in one week.

Michigan has not started 0-3 since 1937 -- the year the Golden Gate Bridge was completed, the Hindenburg exploded and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” became Disney’s first full-length animated motion picture release. But then again, Notre Dame, in its 119 seasons, has never started 0-3.

One is certain to have that record come Saturday.

“You can’t worry about that,” Michigan receiver Adrian Arrington said. “You have to come ready to fight. Michigan and Notre Dame next week. It is one of the biggest rivalries in college football, if not the biggest, so we have to come ready to fight. If you can’t get up for that game then you are in trouble.”

Henne doubtful

Michigan may have lost more than the game Saturday. Quarterback Chad Henne did not play in the second half against Oregon because of a lower-leg injury and Carr said he might not be ready to play against Notre Dame.

“I think he’s very doubtful for next week,” Carr said.

Henne was 12 for 23 for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ryan Mallett, a highly touted freshman from Texas, started the second half and finished six for 17 for 49 yards and an interception.

Familiar look

Tom O’Brien figured he might have an advantage when he led his North Carolina State team against Boston College because he recruited and coached most of the Eagles players before departing for the Wolfpack nine months ago.

But it was Boston College that seemed to know what was coming when it handed its former coach a 37-17 loss.

“I’ve seen those routes thousands of times,” linebacker Jolonn Dunbar said of the North Carolina State passing game. “I knew the tight end would come off. I knew what he was going to do.”

Boston College had five interceptions and Jamie Silva, who had two, credited O’Brien for taking offensive coordinator Dana Bible with him to North Carolina State.

“Playing against an offense coordinator that I’ve played against many springs, I recognized stuff that was happening on the field,” Silva said.

Pressure kicker

Ben Hartman’s career-long, 39-yard field goal on the final play of the game lifted East Carolina over North Carolina, 34-31, for the Pirates’ first victory over the Tar Heels since 1975 and only the second in school history.

But the kick didn’t just have the pressure of the in-state rivalry on it. Hartman had missed field-goal attempts of 30, 32 and 37 yards -- two in the fourth quarter.

“You’ve got to block out everything that’s gone bad,” Hartman told the Charlotte Observer. “I knew it was going to come down to me.”

Tired leg

One of the busiest punters in the nation Saturday was John Stec of Akron, who punted 14 times in a 20-2 loss to No. 12 Ohio State.

“I punted more than I did my entire senior season of high school,” Stec said. “I think I punted 10 times that season.”

His performance was admirable as he set a school record by averaging 41 yards. His team’s offense couldn’t quite say the same. The Zips had only three first downs, 69 yards and three yards rushing in 19 attempts.

“We’re young and inexperienced and we’re playing against one of the better front sevens in the country,” Akron Coach J.D. Brookhart said. “We knew we’d struggle -- but not that badly.”

Ohio State has not lost to an in-state school since a 7-6 loss to Oberlin in 1921 -- a streak of 30 games.

Chase-ing history

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel completed 30 of 42 passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-25 victory over Mississippi, but it’s what he didn’t do that’s making news.

He did not have a pass intercepted for the fourth consecutive game and ran his streak of attempts without an interception to 233. The NCAA Division I record is 271 set by Trent Dilfer of Fresno State in 1993.

Daniel has 14 touchdown passes during his streak.

Lost the streak

Division III Heidelberg in Ohio ended a 36-game losing streak -- the nation’s longest -- with a 37-26 victory over Oberlin. Heidelberg had last won a game Oct. 4, 2003.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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peter.yoon@latimes.com

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Streakers

Boise State lost, 24-10, against Washington on Saturday and Brigham Young lost to UCLA, 27-17, ending the two longest winning streaks at 14 and 11 games, respectively. The current longest winning streaks:

Wisconsin

11

Louisiana State

9

Florida

9

Louisville

6

Source: NCAA