ANN ARBOR — The University of Michigan’s next football game will take place in a renovated Big House.

What everyone wants to know is whether the team will also be renovated a year from now.

Season two under coach Rich Rodriguez began powerfully and ended horribly with a seven-game Big Ten losing streak, finalized yesterday in a 21-10 setback to Ohio State.

“It’s a very, very competitive profession, but there’s nobody on our staff, and I don’t think there’s anybody at the university, that is daunted by the challenge,” Rodriguez said.

He sports a two-year record of 8-16 and won fewer Big Ten games this season (one) than in 2008 (two). He pointed to several issues within the program, some of them he has frequently cited — inexperience, lack of depth — and one that he addressed for the first time.

“I just think there’s a faction creating a negative type of environment that wants to create drama and wants to see people pointing fingers,” Rodriguez said. “There’s nobody in that locker room that’s going to point any fingers. Everybody in that locker room is all in.”

Rodriguez wouldn’t say specifically who comprises the faction, only that “I get overtones. I get messages from people saying this or that.”

UM punter Zoltan Mesko, a senior captain, agreed with Rodriguez’ assertion of a force operating against the program.

“There are people out there who don’t want us to succeed or the coaching staff to succeed,” Mesko said. “I could write a book about it. There are a lot of guys that don’t see what goes on inside the program of how much love there is for the players. It’s a shame they don’t see how close we are to being one of the best programs in the nation.”

Freshman Vincent Smith said he “loves” Rodriguez along with UM’s assistants.

“The freshmen, we’re all in for Michigan, and we love each other,” Smith said.

Smith said he expects fellow freshman Florida native Denard Robinson will remain with the program through the offseason even though Robinson wasn’t able to beat out freshman Tate Forcier for the starting quarterback spot.

“I think he’s going to come back,” Smith said.

DEFENSE SHINES: Had it given up 39 points yesterday, UM would have set a program record for most points allowed in a season. But the Wolverines played well on that side of the ball, allowing only 14 points — OSU’s Cameron Heyward scored on defense — and forcing the Buckeyes to punt on six of their first seven drives.

“The score was only 21-10, it’s not that big of a gap,” Troy Woolfolk said. “[OSU] only scored off of little mistakes. We’re going to get them next year. I ain’t worried about that.”

Woolfolk started at safety — his position to begin the year before moving to corner — because of an injury to Mike Williams. J.T. Floyd played Woolfolk’s corner position.

Linebacker Jonas Mouton statistically performed best on the defense, recording 11 tackles and an interception that caromed off the hands of OSU’s DeVier Posey.

Brandon Graham, who is expected to be selected in the first two rounds of April’s NFL draft, had four tackles for loss to end the year with a Big Ten best 25.

“It looked like the defense did their job today,” Graham said.

SHORT YARDS: Martell Webb played the majority of snaps at tight end over usual starter Kevin Koger. … Jason Olesnavage missed a 24-yard field goal from the right hash in the first quarter before making a 46-yarder in the second quarter. … Cathy Schembechler, the widow of legendary UM coach Bo Schembechler, was the game’s honorary coin-flipper. … Mike Shaw started at tailback for UM, which was without injured Brandon Minor.