Michigan Football: Wolverines should be wary of desperate Spartans
Michigan football will be a 12-point favorite going into the showdown with Michigan State Saturday but the Wolverines should be wary of the Spartans.
We all remember how good it felt when Michigan football knocked off Michigan State last season to bring home the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
That win on the road versus the Spartans was one of the biggest for Jim Harbaugh during his five seasons at Michigan football and a win Saturday against Michigan State, which would be his third would be just as huge.
That’s because it would feel like a death knell for Mark Dantonio, at least in terms of this rivalry.
Harbaugh wasn’t able to beat Urban Meyer and his record has been pretty even against both James Franklin and Paul Chryst. Those guys haven’t been better or worse. At least when it comes to head-to-head.
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As far as Dantonio, Harbaugh is 2-2 against him and while he has two wins in East Lansing, Harbaugh has yet to beat Dantonio in the Big House.
There was the 2015 diaster and then 2017 was also a massive disappointment when a Michigan football team everyone expected to be better, fell flat on its face and lost in the rain to the Spartans.
Those defeats were crushing and a loss this time around might be even worse.
The Spartans will enter the game at 4-5 and fresh off blowing a 25-point lead against Illinois. That’s tough to come back from but facing Michigan football might be the best medicine.
Dantonio has made some mistakes. It’s safe to say the shakeup he did with his offensive coaches hasn’t worked and he has to answer for that. Just like Harbaugh had to when Josh Gattis struggled early. Now, things have started to gel, at least in Ann Arbor.
Not so much in East Lansing. But you know what would change that? Beating the Maize and Blue.
That’s why even though it feels like the Wolverines should win this game, it’s not going to be easy UM may be a double-digit favorite and have the more talented team, but the Spartans are dangerous with their back against the wall and these are the kinds of games Dantonio finds a way to win.
Just when you think his team won’t have any chance, they will find a way to pull out a win.
If Michigan plays up to its capability, that won’t happen and the Wolverines will further establish themselves as the top program in the state again.
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But a win is far from guaranteed. Not in this rivalry, especially when it’s Harbaugh vs Dantonio.