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Is Michigan State football really akin to Michigan basketball?

By Ian Olsen

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 07: Michigan State Spartans head football coach Mark Dantonio enters the stadium prior to the start of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 07: Michigan State Spartans head football coach Mark Dantonio enters the stadium prior to the start of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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The most popular in-state debate in recent years is comparing Michigan State football to Michigan basketball. How alike are they?

A popular suggestion sports commentators present is comparing Michigan Basketball to Michigan State Football.

Must Read: 5 reasons Brian Lewerke’s will be Mark Dantonio’s best QB

Both programs feature splendid coaches who’ve raised their programs to higher levels. Each seems to accomplish more with less, overachieving with relatively lower-ranked recruits. And each is considered by some to be second fiddle in its respective university’s athletic department.

After tying for fourth place in the Big Ten regular season, Michigan Basketball won the Big Ten Tournament and reached the national title game. MSU Football finished 10-3 beating Michigan, Penn State, and Washington State in its Holiday Bowl victory.

So, as both programs remain prominent on a national stage, the suggestion of the two being parallel continues.

Teams of differing sports are difficult to compare, but commentators find speculative ways of doing so. Of course, opinions are subjective and often influenced by bias, while facts are – well – factual. So, lets put the comparison through a data check.

Both programs hired their current coaches, John Beilein and Mark Dantonio, to start the 2007 seasons. So, we’ll compare the two programs from that point: In Big Ten winning percentage, Michigan Basketball stands at 56 percent and MSU Football at 69.

Perhaps most applicable to evaluating the commentators’ suggestion is considering the accompanying expectations.

Michigan Basketball has twice finished with a higher ranking than it was given in AP preseason polls, and four times with a lower ranking. MSU Football has finished six times with a higher ranking than it was given preseason, and three times with a lower ranking.

The highest final AP ranking Michigan Basketball attained has been No. 7. MSU Football has finished No. 6, No. 5 and No. 3.

Another factor in the commentators’ suggestion is the assumed dominance of the programs’ counterparts.

Michigan State is considered to have the dominant basketball team. It is 12-10 against Michigan and has finished ahead of Michigan in the Big Ten nine out of 11 seasons.

Michigan is considered to have the dominant football team. It is 3-8 against Michigan State and has finished ahead of Michigan State in the Big Ten three of 11 seasons.

If the commentators’ suggestion of similarity is warranted, then Michigan Basketball, with its deep tourney run, presented MSU Football a challenge for 2018.

Next: MSU Football: Post-spring 2018 game-by-game predictions

Meanwhile, MSU Football may have a bright future with a talented young core. And, to be worthy of being described as akin to MSU Football, Michigan Basketball has significant ground to make up.

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