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Michigan State Football: Ranking Mark Dantonio’s 8 wins over Michigan

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Jim Harbaugh Michigan Wolverines shakes hands with head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans after a 32-23 Michigan win at Spartan Stadium on October 29, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Jim Harbaugh Michigan Wolverines shakes hands with head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans after a 32-23 Michigan win at Spartan Stadium on October 29, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MI – OCTOBER 17: The Michigan State Spartans celebrate in the end zone after defensive back Jalen Watts-Jackson #20 scored the game winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the final seconds of college football game at Michigan Stadium on October 17, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines 27-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI – OCTOBER 17: The Michigan State Spartans celebrate in the end zone after defensive back Jalen Watts-Jackson #20 scored the game winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the final seconds of college football game at Michigan Stadium on October 17, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines 27-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. The ball is free (2015)

From the overall aspect of a football game, this was one of the most evenly-played contests in the rivalry’s history.

Though Michigan had the lead for the entirety and if you strictly scoreboard watched, you’d think the Wolverines dominated, it was a back-and-forth battle. Michigan took a 10-point lead in the first half and another big nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Spartans didn’t quit.

Following Michigan’s field goal in the fourth which made it 23-14, LJ Scott added a touchdown just minutes later, pulling the Spartans within two.

Michigan State got the ball back after a nice defensive stand, but couldn’t do anything with it. Then there were 10 seconds left and all the Wolverines had to do was punt the ball away and the game would have been over. If only things were that easy.

Punter Blake O’Neill had trouble with the snap, was hit by a couple of Michigan State defenders and Jalen Watts-Jackson grabbed the ball out of the air and returned it 38 yards for the game-winning touchdown as time expired.

This was arguably the greatest moment in college football — or at least most improbable — in the past decade.

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