Campus Clash

Michigan State Spartans at (13) Michigan Wolverines 

Michigan State: Whenever I’ve talked about the Big Ten East, four teams always come right to my mind. That’s Ohio State (of course), Michigan, Penn State, and Sparty. All four of them have beat each other up for years. Now in East Lansing, things may be a tad different. Mel Tucker is now the head coach as he replaces Mark Dantonio who announced his retirement in February. The start of Mel’s tenure as the Big Ten started didn’t get off to a good start. They lost to Rutgers. You read that correctly. They also beat themselves. Turnovers can kill the confidence of any football team. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi threw two interceptions. It also doesn’t help when you fumble the ball as many times as they have. These issues are fixable though. Take better care of the ball. It’s rivalry day on Saturday!

Michigan: Out of everything I saw in week eight, they caught my eye the most. Coming into the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, I didn’t know what to expect from them because they tend to struggle under the lights in primetime games. For years, the Michigan Wolverines had everything on the checklist. A solid running game, serviceable receivers on the perimeter, and the defense has always been the backbone. It’s been the inconsistencies at quarterback that have held them back. I think they have their guy now in Joe Milton. The biggest thing I took away from his debut was the deep passes he attempted to down the field. Anything he wanted to do, he did it and succeeded. This could be a scary group if they remain consistent. The defense will do its part. They make their debut at the big house on Saturday.

Michigan State X-Factor: Jordon Simmons– This is an all-purpose back that impacts his offense in more ways than one. He takes handoffs in the backfield, can line up in the slot to catch the ball and Jordan can also return punts. I can’t wait to see how he’s used on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Michigan X-Factor: Donovan Jeter– The big man in the middle. He’s being counted to impact the defense and step his game up this year. They’re expecting him to be the tone-setter in the middle of that defensive line. It’s one thing to get pressure from outside guys, but the inside guys can do damage as well.

Final Analysis: The Paul Bunyan Trophy is on the line once again. Playing against this Michigan defense, Sparty must take care of the ball and hold onto it tighter. Wear their defense down with the no-huddle attack. For Michigan, their defensive line will generate pressure to get after Lombardi. I also expect them to run the ball to control the clock more.

Prediction: Michigan 38 Michigan State 17