The Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry dates back over 100 years and there haven’t been many games less anticipated than the 2026 battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
The Spartans are 2-6 after losing six straight games and Michigan is now 5-3 and one win away from its first bowl berth of the Kyle Whittingham era. The problem with Michigan? The expectations are a lot higher than 5-3 and the way the Wolverines looked against the worst team in the Big Ten (Rutgers) on Saturday was unacceptable.
Michigan was lucky to hold on to beat the Scarlet Knights who had the Wolverines on the ropes in the fourth quarter of a 21-21 game.
The Wolverines were able to hold on to beat Rutgers, but that’s a phrase that no one expected to hear when the season began. The team has regressed from a ranked one to one that should’ve lost to Western Michigan (it actually did but that’s an argument for a different day) and can barely skate by Rutgers.
Michigan State, on the other hand, hasn’t won a game since early September and the injury report seems to be multiplying by the week. Pat Fitzgerald was down his starting quarterback and running back last week and it ended in an 18-point blowout road loss to a team that was also without its QB1.
The Spartans have also been down Cam Edwards, Jordan Hall, Ben Roberts, Tre Bell, Charles Brantley, Marvis Parrish, Alessio Milivojevic, Brady Pretzlaff, and Jaz Patterson throughout the season. Maybe it’s time to invest big money into a more extensive training staff.
Neither team looks good right now and one fanbase collectively wants their head coach fired. That’s going to make for one snoozer of a rivalry game in Week 10.
So… you’re saying there’s a chance?
In the great words of Lloyd Christmas in Dumb & Dumber, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”
Before the season, no one would have given Michigan State a shot to beat Michigan even with the Wolverines clearly taking a step back under a new coaching staff in more of a “bridging the gap” year but things have changed even with the Spartans losing six straight games.
Michigan fans haven’t been this down on their team in a while and the Wolverines are starting a true freshman at quarterback — Michigan State could be doing the same.
If you’re a fan of good football, you may want to keep your TV off next Saturday when Michigan and Michigan State kick off.
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