Michigan State Spartans

Michigan Football vs Michigan State: 3 Predictions for the Wolverines

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan football team will certainly be focused on beating arch rival Michigan State this Saturday. Here are three predictions for the Wolverines.

There is no doubt, as far as Michigan football goes, there are few games bigger on the schedule than Michigan State.

OF course, the rivalry, which at one time wasn’t even one, has turned. It seems like Mike Hart’s little brother comments were ages ago. In the last decade, the Wolverines have become the little brother.

Mark Dantonio owned Rich Rodgriguez and Brady Hoke, who at least beat him once.

That was back in 2012. The Wolverines made a last-second field goal to win an ugly game 12-10. It was also Michigan’s last win over Michigan State.

Sure, the Wolverines should have won last year’s game. But we all know they didn’t.

And that, beyond anything else, might be the biggest motivating factor for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football this week.

This team not only needs to make amends with that debacle. It also needs to reclaim the state of Michigan and no matter how much success they have, they won’t be accomplished until the Wolverines get the Spartan monkey off their back.

While Michigan comes into the game looking like world beaters — the Spartans look weak. At 2-5, Michigan State is in danger of missing out on a bowl game, one year after being in the College Football Playoff.

The Spartans defense isn’t what it used to be and the offense is just not very effective.

Maybe, in what is their last chance at turning their season around, Michigan State will be revived. I would certainly expect them to give the Wolverines all they can handle.

Either way, it should be exciting and on that note, here are three predictions for Saturday’s showdown in East Lansing.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Jabrill Peppers won’t be silent in back-to-back weeks

Jabrill Peppers didn’t necessarily have a bad game against Illinois. It’s just that when you are used to seeing him do something spectacular on a weekly basis, it’s a shock when he doesn’t.

And for some reason, Peppers just couldn’t make the splash play against the Fighting Illini like he normally does. He was close in a few instances, but never delivered.

I’d expect that to change this week. Peppers grew up idolizing Charles Woodson. It’s probably one of the main reasons why he ended up in Ann Arbor.

Woodson always showed up in the big games. Those were the moments he thrived in and you can bet Peppers wants to be known for that as well.

Rivalry games are always big and with what happened last year, I have to think Peppers will have a Heisman Trophy moment at some point Saturday.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan’s defense will be downright nasty against Michigan State

There really is no debate and until proven otherwise, Michigan football has the best defense in the Big Ten. In fact, the Wolverines may have the best defense in the country.

In truth, the numbers are pretty insane.

The Wolverines lead the Big Ten Conference in every major statistical category: Points allowed, rushing yards allowed, total yards allowed, passing yards allowed. And the list goes on.

Michigan football is allowing 10 points per game. In Big Ten play, the Wolverines have allowed less than seven.

This defense is legit and as Harbaugh said earlier this week, there could be a dozen players drafted next season. That’s not conjecture, it’s legit.

Peppers will have a big game sure, but expect the rest of the crew, especially the front seven, to put a hurt on the Spartans.

Anything less than a physical beat down and I think we will all confess to being a little disappointed.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Harbaugh not afraid to run up score

Let’s face it, Harbaugh doesn’t know how to take it easy. His intensity never seems to subside and I would think it would be amplified this week against Michigan State.

In my opinion, the loss last season really bothers Harbaugh, as it should and if he gets a chance to rub it in against Dantonio, I doubt he will miss that chance.

I’m not saying Harbaugh is a poor sport or anything. He’s just intense and it’s not in his DNA to let up. Look at the 78-0 win over Rutgers. Last week’s fourth-quarter fake punt, or the time he went for two at Stanford, when he had a big lead over USC.

That led to a post-game argument with Pete Carroll, but guess what? Harbaugh doesn’t care.

Harbaugh and his intensity are a big reason for the Wolverines quick turnaround these past two years and let’s be honest: there’s not a single Michigan football fan that wouldn’t revel in a pure domination of the Spartans.

For too long, Michigan football was just too damn nice. That’s not the case anymore and it won’t be the case on Saturday.