5 predictions for Michigan football against Michigan State

Michigan football will take on Michigan State on Saturday in a battle for the Paul Bunyan Axe and here are five predictions.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, center, watches warmups before the No. 9 Wolverines' 31-12 loss to No. 3 Texas at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 of 5

The defense forces a couple turnovers

Michigan football hasn't been as good as last season on defense. The offense is part of that. The Wolverines have constantly been put in bad positions.

At some point, it doesn't help when you are on the field forever, and constantly trying to defend short fields. Michigan State's offense was great last week against Iowa. The Spartans had over 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.

But the Spartans have struggled on the road this season. There is only once when they have scored more than 20 points on the road. Aidan Chiles has six touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's had great moments and bad moments.

The Spartans average 2.1 turnovers per game. So it's not like forcing a couple of turnovers would be crazy for Michigan football. Everyone talks about the offense and it has turned the ball over way too much but the defense is getting just 1.1 takeaways per game, which needs to change.

Get two turnovers and the advantage is Michigan's, so for the first time since the Minnesota game, the defense needs to deliver.

Home/Michigan Football