Michigan Football: 3 things we need to see vs. Michigan State

2. No physical altercations on or off the field

With a rivalry like this, something confrontational is bound to explode. We saw it in East Lansing before with the Devin Bush and Joe Bolden incidents. Then it happened in the tunnel at Michigan stadium in 2022. It's the collective black eyes that have been left on this intense in-state brawl for supremacy.

We've seen it in postgame interviews too. From Kirk Cousins to Chase Winovich and the most memorable one of them all, Mike Hart. Mark Dantonio's response to Hart and how he willed his Spartans to fully make his words come to life with four consecutive wins and seven of eight overall, following those statements.

From that to Jim Harbaugh slamming the door on Dantonio's career and Mel Tucker out-coaching Harbaugh before he was fired for cause. And going all the way back to 2001 in Spartan stadium where the home clock operator left the longest second in the history of this rivalry on the clock. Imagine if social media would have been around for that debacle.

Surprisingly there hasn't been any pregame chatter yet, but when the ball is kicked, tensions will rise. There's just too many combustible elements between these two neighbor schools. In the end the winner can chirp all they want for 365 glorious days.

3. Score more then 7 points

You can't beat anybody, let alone Michigan State by field goals. Even though this feels like a low-scoring affair, Michigan football has got to find ways to get in the endzone to win Saturday night and for the remainder of the schedule.

The point total is 40 and a half. Feels like the first one to 16 or 17 should win. This may remind some people of the 2012 game where Brendan Gibbons connected on a 38-yard field goal with five seconds left on the clock. Michigan football got its fifth win of the season that night and Michigan State endured their fourth loss. It was Michigan's 900th program win.

Sherrone Moore needs a win more than Jonathan Smith does right now to keep the heat off of him. He was supposed to be in the middle of a playoff push right now, while Smith is on course to where he should be in season one in East Lansing.