MSU Coach Harlon Barnett Says His Team Is 'Locked In' For The 'Best Rivalry In Football'

Interim head coach Harlon Barnett, who played for Michigan State from 1986-89, is 0-4 since he took over the team after the Spartans fired head coach Mel Tucker.

He will have to lead his 2-4 team on Saturday night against Michigan (7-0) for the battle of Michigan. The Wolverines are currently favored by 24.5 points heading into the prime-time game with the Spartans.

Michigan State has dropped four straight after starting the season 2-0. The Spartans started Katin Houser for the first time this season a week ago after starting Noah Kim for the first five games. Michigan State is trying its best to put a winning product on the field while dealing with the off-field scandal left by Tucker.

During his pre-Michigan availability, Barnett believes his guys are locked in and ready for Saturday. Regardless if it's a rivalry game or just a regular game, Barnett says the goal every week is to get better and improve the following week.

"Looking forward to this week's game," said Barnett. "As we all know, it's a big game and our guys are locked in and already looking forward to it, and it should be a great week."

"You always are just trying to get better, no matter what, a rivalry game or not. Definitely, it can bring some more focus to it though, and we talked about having great attention to detail. But, as far as it [being] Michigan or not Michigan, what have you, we just need to start playing better, and now it's about finishing. That's our next step. We've got to finish, and we look forward to doing that this weekend."

Heading into Saturday, on paper, Michigan has a huge advantage over the Spartans. Michigan State has the No. 97 total offense, but the Spartans' defense has been good enough sitting at No. 35 in the entire country.

Barnett respects how disciplined the Wolverines are. He said Michigan is a good team and he credits how the Wolverines' offense is in sync with one another to understand their assignments.

"They are very disciplined in what they do - offense, defense, and special teams," Barnett said. "They play hard. They have a good passing game, as well as a running game. They have a good balance. They just do a good job. They do a good job of coaching those guys up and putting them in position to make plays. They're a good football team."

"They're disciplined in how they attack everything they do," Barnett said regarding the Wolverines' rushing attack. "You can tell the offensive line is in sync, along with the tight ends and their running back. Everybody is in sync in understanding their assignments."

During his playing days, Barnett went 1-3 as a player against the Wolverines, but he's found more success as an assistant coach against Michigan. He says you truly don't know what the game means until you suit up and play in it. The Spartans' coach fully believes this, not Ohio State and Michigan, is the greatest rivalry in all of football

"You don't really know until you play in it. Some guys, you [tell them] this is serious, this is big-time. It's the best rivalry in football, in my opinion. You try to tell them, but sometimes they just don't know until they play in it."

"I think it's great for the state of Michigan," said Barnett. "I really do, because in this state you grew up one way or the other. When I go out recruiting in the state, I [ask] who'd you grow up rooting for? Because they're going to tell you one way or the other. You're going to get one, one way or the other. And you kind of know where most guys stand."

Michigan and MSU will take the field for a 7:30 p.m. ET kick and it will air on NBC on Saturday night.

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