Michigan should cruise over Michigan State, but the rivalry looms large

Michigan is the better team, but Michigan State has every reason to believe it can play spoiler.

Michigan should beat Michigan State to win the Paul Bunyan Trophy, but what if Tuck coming?

No. 4 Michigan is 7-0 and very much on a collision course with Ohio State for who gets to represent the Big Ten East in Indianapolis. Despite a tremendous season a year ago, things have not gone swimmingly for Mel Tucker’s Spartans. Sparty is 3-4 on the season and is running out of opportunities to get to a bowl game. Fortunately, his team has had Jim Harbaugh’s number of late.

It may be a night game in the Big House, but a fearless Spartans team could hand Michigan a loss.

Tuck Coming?: Why Michigan should not overlook Michigan State Saturday night

To date, Michigan may hold the all-time lead in the rivalry series 71-38-5. However, the Spartans have proclaimed the Paul Bunyan Trophy for themselves the last two seasons. Keep in mind this was the Wolverines’ lone regular-season defeat before the eventual Big Ten champions fell to eventual national champions Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Wait, there is more to be unearthed…

Since Rich Rodriguez left Morgantown for Ann Arbor, the Spartans have really had the Wolverines’ number. From 2008 to 2021, the Spartans have gone 10-4 against big brother. A lot of this may have to do with the fact that Mark Dantonio had a helluva run in East Lansing, but keep in mind Jim Harbaugh has been back at his alma mater since 2015. He is 4-3 in this game and 0-2 vs. Tuck.

No, it is not just Ohio State who has been Harbaugh’s bugaboo in Ann Arbor. With this being another year of great promise for the Wolverines program, now would be a terrible time to overlook a desperate Spartans team. Should Tucker get win No. 3 over the Wolverines, it would do wonders to save a disastrous season in East Lansing and possibly curry favor toward next season.

What makes this game even more intriguing is all the pressure is on the Wolverines to win it. They have the better team, they are riding a seven-game winning streak and have every reason to believe they can play for a national championship. Of course, that is not the nature of rivalry games such as these. Just when you least expect it, the loser will get lucky sometimes and win big.

Ultimately, how this one shakes out in the Big House will have huge consequences in the Big Ten. A win for the Wolverines will give them even more confidence heading into the road date vs. Ohio State, as well as fuel for the fire to overcome the trap game vs. Illinois brewing the week before that. A loss for the Spartans will evaporate all momentum Tucker seized in year two at the helm.

However, if this rivalry game goes the way of the last two, oh boy… The Wolverines will be seen as a massive underdog to Ohio State in The Horseshoe. Heck, they might lose a game to Illinois at home before that. As for the Spartans, this gets them to .500 with a real shot at bowl eligibility. They could also use this victory as a confidence builder to upset Penn State over Thanksgiving.

If the victors lose to Sparty for the third time in a row, Ann Arbor will douse Harbaugh in rancid milk.

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