Bold Final Predictions for Michigan State vs Michigan
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The biggest game on the Michigan State sports calendar is almost here. On Saturday, the Spartans will take on Michigan in front of a national audience with whatever is left of their season on the line.
MSU sits at 3-4 overall and 0-4 against the Big Ten. The Wolverines are 5-2 and 3-1, respectively.
On this edition of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast, let's break down this rivalry matchup, predict which side will take home the Paul Bunyan Trophy, and also guess what the final score of the game will be.
You can watch the entire episode just below. In addition a shortened, written version is available for reading.
Watch the MSU Spartans Insider Podcast here:
Written Predictions
When MSU has the Ball
Michigan State's offense has been scuffling lately. The Spartans made some strides and moved the ball a fair bit against No. 3 Indiana last weekend, but still only scored 13 points for the second consecutive week.
UM's defense has been strong this year, too. The Wolverines only allowed seven points against Washington in their most recent game and are only surrendering 17.0 points per game, which ranks 17th nationally.
The Spartans are already thin on the offensive line, as guard Luka Vincic and tackle Ashton Lepo are out for the year. There might be a chance that starting left tackle Stanton Ramil returns for this game, but head coach Jonathan Smith did not say definitively during his Monday press conference whether that would happen or not.
Michigan has several different pass rushers capable of exploiting that. Derrick Moore leads the Wolverines with 4.5 sacks and Jaishawn Barham has three.
When Michigan has the Ball
UM is going to want to run the ball, as it does against anybody. That plays into the stronger portion of Michigan State's defense; the Spartans rank 52nd in rushing yards allowed and 109th against the pass.
Michigan has one of the best home run hitters in college football in Justice Haynes. Even though Haynes missed the Wolverines' last game, he is second in the Big Ten in rushing yards (705) and is only eight yards behind the leader, Nebraska's Emmett Johnson.
Still, UM's passing attack is much more dangerous with true freshman Bryce Underwood under center, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class. He actually has more passing yards than MSU's Aidan Chiles so far this season.
One opening for Michigan State, though, is that the Wolverines will be minus starting left tackle Evan Link. It will be very important for MSU's pass rush that has struggled to cause some pressure on the Wolverines' freshman quarterback.
Prediction
Michigan is the better team, and the final score is going to reflect that. I think MSU is going to fight like it has nothing to lose and keep things interesting for pretty much 60 minutes, but the Wolverines will pull away later on to win their fourth straight over the Spartans.
Final Prediction: Michigan 31, Michigan State 21
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Previous Episode - Why Michigan is MSU's Final Chance to Save its Season
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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