Cade vs. Thorne, Corum/Haskins vs. Walker, U-M Secondary vs. MSU Secondary, The Passing Games
This weekend's top ten matchup between Michigan and Michigan State has so many intriguing storylines.
The quarterback matchup is interesting because so far, Michigan State's Payton Thorne has been better than Michigan's Cade McNamara. Despite being 7-0, McNamara has only thrown five touchdown passes and hasn't been asked to do much downfield. What will that mean on Saturday?
Michigan State Kenneth Walker III is a legitimate Heisman contender by himself, but Michigan's overall rushing attack is far better than MSU's with Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins both putting up big numbers. Through seven games, Walker has 997 yards and nine touchdowns, while Corum and Haskins have 1,331 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns combined.
Michigan's cornerbacks haven't been tested much this year, but the overall pass defense has been solid. The Wolverines are currently No. 4 in the Big Ten giving up just 182.4 passing yards per game. Conversely, Michigan State is dead last in the conference and gives up 285.4 yards through the air per contest. On the flip side, MSU puts up north of 250 yards through the air, while U-M manages just 189.
All in all, it just feels like a classic matchup. It's hard to predict how the game will look, which makes it hard to pick who will prevail. That's what makes rivalry games like Saturday's so special.
