Spartans Face Rising Wolverines Saturday
MSU has dominated recent rivalry games, but UM is favored to win.
Michigan State’s football team has beaten its arch-rival Michigan in six of the last seven years, and the Spartans have dominated most of those games. But when they visit Ann Arbor this Saturday, Wolverines team that is reminding people of the ones Bo Schembechler coached. Those squads featured efficient—if not flashy—offenses, and suffocating defenses. So does this year’s team under head coach Jim Harbaugh. U-M has won its last three games by a combined score of 97-0, and is number 12 in the Associated Press national rankings. It’s also favored to beat MSU, which is undefeated and is ranked seventh by the AP. Detroit Today producer Art Regner has covered Michigan football for many years. WDET’s Pat Batcheller asked him if he’s surprised by the program’s swift resurgence after several mediocre seasons under coaches Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke. Click on the audio player to hear the conversation. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
Art’s prediction: Michigan 27, MSU 17.
Pat’s prediction: Michigan State 21, UM 20.
