Michigan hosts Michigan State nearly 30 years to the day after one of the great Spartans wins over the Wolverines, during one of the better seasons in MSU’s history.
The Spartans' 1987 Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship season seemed to come out of nowhere, a resurgence into a big, strong, physically dominant team led by a purplish, balding, pimple-backed behemoth offensive lineman named Tony Mandarich.
“How did this happen overnight?” many wondered. “It’s almost too good to be true!”
And, of course, it was.
Mandarich and many of those Spartans had used steroids to level the playing field with more talented teams, with Mandarich finally admitted to Showtime’s "Inside the NFL" in advance of his autobiography released in 2008 that he faked a drug test before the '88 Rose Bowl against Southern Cal … which means, technically, that the 1987 season was played with ineligible players, and that victory and the 17-11 win over U-M, etc., should probably be erased from the record books.
“The word is that several MSU players who used steroids had a motto: ‘At least we’ll die big,’” Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom wrote.
Which pales in comparison to the more recent “Spartans Will” slogan.
Three decades later, head coach Mark Dantonio has his team on the rebound following a disastrous 3-9 campaign. He injected something into his team that had been there since he arrived, but that seemed to be lacking last year. The chemistry seems to be much better, and the Spartans are playing better as a team than their individual parts … at least on defense.
But this is a team that failed its first big test miserably against an average Notre Dame team — in East Lansing, no less — and now will be asked to move the ball against one of the nation’s top defenses.
Not an easy task for a young team in its first road test of the year.
This is a game against a decent team the Wolverines simply can’t afford to lose, and generally haven’t under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Two weeks to prepare, better athletes, under the lights at home … it all adds up to what should be a Michigan win.
We were all winners during the bye week, enjoying plenty of sofa and football watching time. This week’s winner receives … well, nothing. You’re supposed to win this game.
The picks:
CHRIS BALAS: This is not one of the better Michigan State teams to visit the Big House in the past decade. This might, however, be the best Michigan defense we’ve seen in the last several decades. Michigan 24, Michigan State 13
JOHN BORTON: Bo Schembechler lost to the Spartans in his first year as Michigan’s head coach, in 1969. He quickly realized that made for a very long year in his adopted state, and did something about it, winning 13 out of the next 14 and losing to Michigan State only four times over a 21-season span.
Jim Harbaugh felt the sting of a stunning giveaway against MSU two years ago in The Big House. He hates losing just as much as his coach did, and he's gearing up for a run that could make Spartan Bob’s trigger finger tremble. Michigan 27, Michigan State 17
BRANDON BROWN: Michigan has had a week off to get healthy and prepare for Michigan State and I think that bodes very poorly for the Spartans. The Wolverines are far more talented and will be playing at home and at night. Don Brown and his unit are going to harass Spartan quarterback Brian Lewerke all day long and I think Michigan signal caller John O’Korn is ready to have a coming out party.
Jim Harbaugh lost a heartbreaker against Michigan State in year one and got some revenge last year in East Lansing with a pretty convincing win. This year, I see Harbaugh and his Wolverines leaving no doubt. Michigan 31, Michigan State 6
AUSTIN FOX: After years of domination by MSU, the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry is finally starting to swing back into place. The Wolverines are a clear favorite on Saturday, and would seemingly have to self-destruct to lose the game.
The Spartans are a fairly hard team to judge at this point in the season, just because they were blown away by the only team they’ve played with a pulse (Notre Dame).
Michigan’s defense is as nasty as there is in the nation, and should completely shut down MSU’s offense. However, the Wolverines’ offense is still a work in progress — it’s almost impossible to predict how fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn will play on Saturday — and will have a hard time moving the ball as well.
They’ll do enough to get the job done, though, and will continue to shift the rivalry back in the direction it belongs.
Michigan puts Sparty in its place. Michigan 20, Michigan State 13
ANDREW VAILLIENCOURT: Rivalry games are always closer than you’d expect, so I don’t envision some huge 40 point win for Michigan, but the Wolverines are just too talented for the Spartans. I’m expecting both teams to struggle running the ball, which will mean there will be a lot of pressure on the two quarterbacks. The Michigan defensive line is going to spend a lot of time in the backfield - they just need to keep Brian Lewerke from escaping the pocket. If he does (he will at least a few times) he should get to meet Devin Bush.
The turnover battle will be key in this one — especially if the weather is sloppy. John O’Korn wasn’t good in the snow last year, how will he handle the rain? Something fluky is bound to happen one way or another.
I just don’t see Michigan State being able to move the ball, especially if it’s forced to run more than it would like due to rain. Michigan will keep it rolling. Michigan 24, Michigan State 10.
DOUG SKENE: The Michigan defense will simply not allow MSU to move the ball consistently, and the U-M offense should get good field position to work with. Michigan 24, Michigan State 10
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