Coming off their big win over Wisconsin, Michigan Football heads to East Lansing to take on the Spartans, looking to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Both the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans are coming off huge conference wins. The Wolverines made Wisconsin look like a MAC school, while the Spartans tore apart the already broken hearts of Penn State fans. This matchup plays a huge role in the Big Ten East. Both still have Ohio State on the schedule but if both were to win that game, this game would decide the tie-breaker if it came down to it.
Because this is a rivalry game and because the Spartans have played inconsistently all season long, the outcome of this game could go either way: A nail-biter that gives both fan bases anxiety attacks or a blowout win from either sideline.
Regardless, this game decides a lot for each team; Conference, playoff and even New Year’s Six implications are on the line in this one. It’s an early game but all eyes will be fixated on this as if it was in a prime-time slot, as it should have been.
Whether you’re a fan of the Wolverines or Spartans, or don’t have a horse in this ace, here’s everything you need to know about this big time, Big Ten matchup.
How to Watch
Date: Saturday, Oct. 20
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, MI
Venue: Spartan Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports App | FuBoTV
Keys to Victory
For the Wolverines, they’ll need Karan Higdon to have a good game. The Spartans have one of the best rush defenses in the country but were dominated last week by Penn State’s Miles Sanders. Higdon doesn’t have to be spectacular, but busting open a couple long runs will open up the offense for Michigan. On defense, they’ll need to apply pressure to Brian Lewerke and eliminate his favorite target from the game, Felton Davis III. From top to bottom, Michigan is the better team of the two but can’t afford costly mistakes or their playoff hopes will be gone.
For the Spartans, they need to keep playing like they did against Penn State. Their offense wasn’t great but if the Michigan State defense can keep the Wolverines under 21 points, the Spartans can pick up their second straight win over a ranked conference opponent. For the offense, they too will need to establish their run game, but not just as a team but as an individual stepping up. The Spartans don’t have one running back with over 200 yards this season. Hopefully in this one, they can establish their top back.
Prediction
It’s an early day matchup so both teams could come out a little slow to start the game, but both Michigan and Michigan State’s defense builds momentum that lasts for most of the games. In a low scoring affair, it’s all about the big plays and the long drives. And for the Wolverines, they win in both of this categories. A late fourth quarter touchdown run by Karan Higdon seals the game for the Wolverines as they continue their run at the first ever Big Ten Championship Game appearance.
Prediction: Michigan 30, Michigan State 20.