Michigan State Football: Top 30 games in school history

Nov 28, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of Spartan Stadium during the 1st half game of a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

28. MSU vs. Michigan (1953)

If there’s one thing we know about Michigan fans, it’s that they love to talk about the past. Before 1950, most of the games played in the MSU vs. Michigan rivalry were played in Ann Arbor, giving the Wolverines a major advantage — whether it was thought of that way at the time or not.

In 1953, the Spartans had a three-game win streak and the Wolverines had to hit the road to play a rare game in East Lansing. That season also marked the first year that the Spartans were in the Big Ten, formerly the Big Nine, and Michigan was not happy about it. The Wolverines were fighting to keep MSU out of the conference and that just made the Spartans angrier.

Michigan State took the contest, 14-6, proving that it was no pushover in the new conference. That win started a domino effect that ended in a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl win in Michigan State’s inaugural Big Ten season.

You can bet Michigan State fans were more than happy to prove that they belonged in the same conversation as one of the best teams in college football.

The Spartans won their fourth straight game in the rivalry and proved itself as one of the powers of college football — especially the season after a national title.

Next: 27. MSU vs. Michigan (2013)