Michigan Football vs Michigan State: How to watch, storylines and more
Michigan football is battling in-state rival Michigan State Saturday and here’s a look at everything you need including storylines and how to watch.
When the home opener for Michigan football is against Michigan State, it doesn’t get much bigger than that as the Wolverines and Spartans will do battle in Ann Arbor for the second straight year.
Last season, Michigan football trounced the Spartans by the score of 44-10 in what proved to be Mark Dantonio’s final rivalry game as Michigan State head coach.
Since then, Mel Tucker has taken over as the head coach and while he has implemented plenty of changes, the first game for the Spartans wasn’t pretty, as they fell to Rutgers at home.
But as the old saying goes, you are never as bad as you look and never as good either. We’ll see if that applies this week. The Wolverines come in feeling good, fresh off a 49-24 win over Minnesota, which started last week ranked but fell to 0-2 after an overtime loss to Maryland Friday night.
We’ll take a last-minute look at some key storylines, but in case you aren’t sure, here’s how to watch, stream and listen to Michigan vs Michigan State.
Game Info
Game 2: Michigan State at Michigan
When: 12:00 PM ET
Where: Big House
TV: Fox
Stream: Fubo TV or Fox Sports App
Radio: WWJ (950 AM) in Detroit or mgoblue.com
Odds: Michigan -24.5 (Fan Duel)
Storylines
The talk all week has been about how good the Wolverines are and how not so good Michigan State is and we will see how that impacts the game. Will Michigan be overconfident?
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Michigan State doesn’t have the talent that Michigan does, however, they aren’t total slouches. Wide receiver Jayden Reed lived up to the preseason hype with 11 catches for 128 yards in the loss. The passing game has some talent, as long as Rocky Lombardi can be consistent.
The offensive line is another key. Rutgers really dominated the line of scrimmage on defense and if the Wolverines are able to do that, it could be a long day for Lombari and the Spartans.
On the other side, Joe Milton will make his first home start. He was smooth, calm and collected in the win over Minnesota and this week, keep an eye out for more of the wow stuff. Certainly, I’d expect more shots down the field and maybe some more aggressive running.
At the same time though, I expect Michigan to try and use a similar formula to last week, which means running the ball, quick passes and letting the playmakers make plays.
On the recruiting front, it’s worth nothing that Rayshaun Benny is making his decision Nov. 9 and it appears that Michigan football and Michigan are the top two contenders for the Oak Park, Michigan prospect.
The Wolverines have been viewed as the leader for Benny and own all of his crystal ball projections from 247 sports and a win Saturday could help U-M lock up his commitment.
Next. 5 Predictions for Michigan vs Michgan State. dark
A victory will also reinforce that Jim Harbaugh and company have complete control of this rivalry.