The Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans have been headed in different directions for the past few years, and this weekend, that dynamic will be showcased again in a big way.
Saturday, the Wolverines will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the last time, while the Spartans will head out west to tangle with the Oregon Ducks in a heavyweight battle. In a way, the match ups are an indication of where all four programs are heading.
One side will be competing in a match up with playoff implications, fighting for national acclaim. The other will be competing in a battle for relevance. While the winner between Michigan State and Oregon will take a leap forward in the polls and national consciousness and the loser might even do the same, the outcome of the other game won’t matter nearly as much.
If Notre Dame wins, many fans will tout the triumph as a sure sign the team is back and ready for a push. Should Michigan come out on top, the same will be true. It will be a repeat of plenty other fall seasons past. In either case, people will be wrong. It takes more than an old rivalry against a traditional opponent to return to relevance, and more than an early season win in such a game.
As both Michigan State and Oregon have shown, it takes something extra to return and stick with national prominence. Case in point? A victory for the Spartans would go a long way towards proving the program is here to stay. 2013′s success was nice, but more must consistently be shown in big games to say Michigan State’s a true national power worthy of accolade.
With this in mind, don’t have the temptation to jump to any conclusion about the Wolverines or Fighting Irish following Saturday night’s game. There’s far too much season left to be played, and far too much to find out about both squads.
At similar times Saturday across two different time zones and networks, two separate realities will still be playing out. One will be playing homage to the past, while the other will be playing with a focus toward the future. The Spartans, Wolverines and Irish seem to be heading in three separate directions.
One is based on current action and results, while the other two are based on plenty of talk, especially bluster about the future and plenty events of the past.
Local Big Ten This Week:
Michigan State at Oregon
Michigan at Notre Dame
Players To Watch:
Michigan: Devin Funchess, TE. Last season against Notre Dame, Funchess had one of his worst days on the field, catching only three passes for 19 yards despite the mess of offense going on around him. This year, with Funchess taking over at wide receiver, he will have to make a bigger impact on the game. Having the type of day he did against Applachain State (three touchdowns) would go a long way to helping Michigan’s offense remain hot on the road.
Michigan State: Connor Cook, QB. If the Spartans are going to beat Oregon on the road, they will have to get a major performance from Cook and the offense. Friday, Cook was good going 12/13 with three touchdowns and 285 yards. That’s the type of big, accurate game he will need against an Oregon defense which can give up points. If Michigan State can score and the Ducks’ offense has any trouble whatsoever moving the ball against the Spartan defense, it could set the stage for a big road victory. That won’t have a chance of happening without a good day from Cook, though.
Standings Update:
#8 Michigan State 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten)
Michigan 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten)
Max DeMara is a senior editor at The Detroit Sports Site. You can find him on Twitter @SportsGuyTheMax