There have been some crazy moments in this series that started before the turn of the century – the 20th century that is. Since Michigan and Michigan State first competed on the gridiron in 1898, there have been 108 matchups between the schools. That’s plenty of time for wackiness to occur. But even the old-timers who have been around were in disbelief with the ending. The Spartans were handed Paul Bunyan, winning the prize for the seventh time in eight years. Sparty will attempt to hold on to the wooden trophy when they host the Wolverines on Saturday, Oct. 29.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michigan Wolverines -4
Michigan State Spartans +4
Odds Analysis
Michigan was tabbed a 4-point road favorite in early line action. Not too surprising considering the Wolverines are ascending under coach Jim Harbaugh while the Spartans are re-tooling at several key positions. Not only has Michigan State enjoyed success against Michigan on the field recently, they’ve also done it at the betting window. Sparty covered last year and is 6-0 ATS in the past six meetings.
Last Meeting
In an ending that can only be described as dramatic, No. 7 Michigan State was handed a 27-23 victory to remain unbeaten on the season. Thanks to a bad center snap, a botched punt and a perfect bounce, the Spartans turned certain defeat into one of the most improbable wins.
Michigan, ranked No. 12 coming in, had the game won. The Wolverines were leading 23-21 with just 10 seconds on the stadium clock. All punter Blake O’Neill had to do was kick the football. He didn’t. After a bad snap, O’Neill was swarmed by on-rushing defenders. He tried to kick the ball anyway, instead of just falling on it.
The ball sailed right to Jalen Watts-Jackson, who was in the right place at the right time. He scampered 38 yards with the gift and MSU improved to 7-0 following one of the most unlikely endings in college football.
The Series
The first game between these in-state rivals was played in 1898 and the teams have met almost every year since 1910, with the exception of 1943 and 1944. The matchup became a conference rivalry when Michigan State was admitted into the Big Ten in 1950, however they didn’t compete in football until the 1953 season.
Michigan State has always been the little brother that gets picked on. Michigan holds a 68-35 lead in the overall series with five ties. But the little bro has grown into a menacing man. The Spartans are enjoying their best run of success in the series, having won seven of the last eight meetings.
Importance
One of the two, and sometimes both schools, are jockeying for position in the Big Ten standings and for bowl eligibility. And, most importantly, bragging rights in the state are up for grabs. There’s also ownership of the 4-foot wooden Paul Bunyan statue that goes to the winner.
Michigan State has long been made to feel inferior by their neighbors in Ann Arbor. Part of that can be traced back to the early days of the football rivalry. Following Michigan’s 39-0 win over then Michigan Agricultural College in the first ever game between the two, Michigan sent its freshman team to play for the next three years.
Betting Angle
Michigan is kicking itself over the blown chance in last year’s game. There were still five games left to play in the conference schedule, but as it turned out the Wolverines finished just one game behind the Spartans in the Big Ten East standings.
If that kick to the gut wasn’t enough, the Wolverines are experiencing their worst funk in the series, having lost three in a row and seven of the past eight games. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has turned the program around and big things are on the horizon. One order of business is getting even with Sparty.
Quick Pick
There is a lot of excitement for the 2016 season in Ann Arbor, and rightfully so. Harbaugh, with his history of turning around professional and college programs, is at it again. After a 5-7 campaign in 2014 that led to the firing of Brady Hoke, Harbaugh stepped in and guided the Wolverines to a surprising 10-3 record with nearly the same roster.
Then came a top-five recruiting class to bolster the club and expectations have soared for the maize and gold. The Spartans had their run with Connor Cook at quarterback. He’s gone and the Spartans have taken a back seat to the Michigan media frenzy. Coach Mark Dantonio will likely use that as motivation, but Michigan is simply a better team.
NCAA Odds: Michigan 24, Michigan State 16
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