3 reasons Michigan football will avoid upset against Michigan State

Michigan football is aiming to avoid an upset against Michigan State on Saturday and here are three reasons why it won’t happen. 

Saturday night’s game won’t be the first time that Michigan football has gone into East Lansing as a heavy favorite.

It also wouldn’t be the first time ever that a really good Michigan football team lost to an average Michigan State squad, which is the best way I can characterize the 2023 Spartans.

Michigan State is 2-4 coming into this matchup. The Spartans looked on their way to 3-3 last week when they took a 24-6 lead against Rutgers, before allowing 21 unanswered points in a crushing defeat.

Michigan football always seems to get the best game out of Michigan State though. A few years ago, Mel Tucker and his team won as massive underdogs with Rocky Lombardi at quarterback.

Harlon Barnett is the interim head coach now but I don’t expect the rivalry to feel any different. This is the Super Bowl for the Spartans and here are three reasons why Michigan football will avoid the upset in what’s always a scary game for a good U-M team.

J.J. McCarthy

Michigan has one of the best quarterbacks in college football. You can split hairs between Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, Caleb Wiliams, and Jayden Daniels, but McCarthy is in that mix.

J.J. doesn’t get the high-volume of pass attempts and that’s partially because of Michigan football’s identity of running the football.

Yet, McCarthy is so efficient. His elite arm talent is constantly on display and coupled with his athleticism and how badly you know he wants to win this game after what happened in 2021, I expect McCarthy to have a big game.

If he does, Michigan State won’t win.