Former Wolverine and present Big Ten Network analyst Marcus Ray joins the podcast with some strong takes on Michigan's backyard brawl.
Ray talks about learning how intense the rivalry between the Wolverines and Spartans is as a player, and also breaks down some of the key aspects of the 2017 showdown.
Here's the podcast…
Here are some podcast highlights, including Ray commenting on…
• Practice during Michigan State week as a demonstration teams player: "We wore plain white jerseys, but [equipment manager] Big Jon Falk gave us green tape. We taped our jersey number on for the week, and then we actually took our helmets and taped them green, with a white stripe and a white block S.
"Coach [Gary] Moeller told us to just be wild men, to be disruptive and dirty players, to try to get our offense and defense ready to play. That's when I said, 'Wow, this is a costume party! This is the real deal!' You really wanted to dress up and act like these people.
"After that first game, I understood why."
• A sobering pre-game moment versus Michigan State: "It seemed more personal. People knew one another, so they said things to one another. They went to high school together.
"I was thinking, hey, I can't wait to get out there. The next year, when I finally got a chance to play, they had Mushin Muhammad and Derrick Mason, two great wide receivers, and they got the best of us. They beat Charles [Woodson] and everybody else that was out there…
"[Muhammad] was a wrecking ball. He was unguardable. he blocked like a grown man. When we played them, he walked through our stretching drill, and he called a few guys out.
"I kind of peeked over my shoulder to look at him, size him up. He was like, 'What you lookin' at, 29?! I'll break your freshman neck!' I was like, 'Oh my god, this is bad.' That was the only man I think I ever feared on the football field.
"We ended up losing that game. I think we got cheated on a fourth-and-11, a bad spot. Charles ended up dropping an interception, and I missed a tackle right before the half on a draw play, and they ended up scoring. The coaches just came down on us really hard. I was like, this will never happen again."
• Michigan State now: "They play with a chip on their shoulder anytime, with the disrespect card. They're just a rough bunch. They're just rough and mean. They're not always super talented. They're not always going to wow you.
"They don't have the same parts now as when they were winning Big Ten championships, but they still believe they can play with anybody. They should have beaten Ohio State last year, when they were a 3-9 team. They showed some flashes against Michigan late.
"They're just a team that, when things go their way, they really pull it out, but when they don't go their way, they'll crack and fold. So I don't think Michigan State's for real, a contender, but I think they're going to play a factor in how this Big Ten East shakes out. I think they're going to beat somebody."
• Fifth-year senior John O'Korn heading into this game: "Two weeks definitely helps. You can sit back and watch all the film as the starter, not as the backup. Jim [Harbaugh] can add some wrinkles in the offense. With the extra week, you get to prepare and improve and maybe run something you haven't shown on film, just in case you can't run it on them, or they're taking away your tight end crossing and things like that.
"Michigan State will try to force the receivers to beat them. I picked John O'Korn to be the leading passer in the conference this week. I said it on TV yesterday. He has a lot of confidence, and he has the tools. He's a fifth-year guy.
"I guess we're going to find out of he can rise up to the moment on the big stage, at Michigan, against their most heated, hated, in-state rival. Can he deliver when it's his opportunity? You can't ask for a better opportunity for John O'Korn."
• The game being played under the lights: "I think it's going to raise the intensity level, as far as being on a national stage. The whole state of Michigan is going to shut down. All eyes will be on this game.
"I love it. I think it's a great idea. I'm not much into, it's in the city, and people are going to be acting all wild and crazy. There are rivalry games all across the country that have been at night before. I don't think this one is any different. I don't think these two teams hate each other any more than Oregon and Oregon State, or anybody else, and that's not to discredit the rivalry.
"Put this one on the main stage. I like it … this is the one everybody wants to see. They want to see Harbaugh versus [Mark] Dantonio. They want to find out about Michigan State's resurgence, and they want to find out about Michigan's defense…
"When you're sitting around all day watching everybody else play, and then your number gets dialed, and there's nothing else on that really matters except your game … I think it's the opportunity of a lifetime."
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