Michigan Football: 5 predictions for the Wolverines against Michigan State

Michigan football and Michigan State will renew their rivalry Saturday, here are five predictions in the battle for Paul Bunyan Trophy.

All season long, Michigan football fans have wondered if this Wolverines team would finally find a way to win big games. Last week, the Wolverines proved they could beat a good team at home.

Now, UM needs to prove it can do the same thing on the road, which won’t be easy, especially with the 24th-ranked Michigan State Spartans awaiting sixth-ranked Michigan football Saturday.

To be blunt, Spartan Stadium has not been kind to the Wolverines over the years, especially when they are ranked. Michigan has just won there once since the days of Chad Henne, who owned the Spartans and won twice in East Lansing. Henne (4-0 vs Michigan State) was also the QB the last time Michigan beat a ranked team on the road, so it’s been a minute since UM has accomplished what it will set out to do Saturday.

To be fair, the Wolverines did win their last game in East Lansing, but that came back in 2016 when Michigan State finished the season 3-9. More recently, the Spartans celebrated at the Big House, upsetting the Wolverines in 2017 and winning by way of a miracle in 2015.

Because of that, head coach Jim Harbaugh comes into the game with a 1-2 record against the Spartans and Mark Dantonio. He needs to turn that around and that’s why some have suggested this game is the most important of his tenure to this point.

If UM wins Saturday, it controls its destiny in the Big Ten East. It will also put itself squarely into the College Football Playoff Mix. Yet, beyond that, Michigan needs to win back the state and that starts Saturday. With that in mind, here are five predictions for UM and Michigan State.