The Michigan-Michigan State has lost its fire over the past few years as the Spartans have won the pst five of six matchups. The days of the Wolverines dominating the Spartans year in and year out appear to be over for the time being and this game should not be much different. While Michigan State's chances at making the College Football Playoffs are on life support, they still rank in at No. 8 while the Wolverines grasp on for relevancy.
The Spartans enter the game a two-touchdown favorite while Michigan is winless on the road. Connor Cook continues his run as the second highest-rated passer in the Big Ten with 1,641 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season. The issue is that the Spartans cannot afford to overlook any team right now as they fight for one of those four spots, Michigan included. Last week, the Spartans actually trailed Indiana before having to rally off six consecutive touchdowns for the win. They aim to avoid a slow start against Michigan, but keep up the high scoring. The Spartans face Ohio State next month in a big division matchup.
Michigan's offense is the issue. Quarterback Devin Gardner is struggling heavily with just six touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season. They struggled to an 18-13 win over Penn State but now face a much more talented team with Michigan State's defense. The unit is averaging 12.6 total quarterback pressures per game while Michigan continues to give up sacks to Gardner.
The Spartans will ride running back Jeremy Langford in this game. He as 11 straight 100-yard rushing games in conference play which is the longest active streak in FBS history. Michigan's run defense has been weakened allowing Langford to keep the streak up.
Mike Dantonio has found the secret to beating Michigan. The team's point totals have gotten worse each year since 2004 which was the last win by the Wolverines. At this point, everyone's job is on the line at Michigan and they cannot afford to not give this game all they have.
