How to Watch: Michigan Football at Michigan State

SB Nation

It’s Hate Week in the Mitten State as the Michigan Wolverines get ready to go to East Lansing to face the Michigan State Spartans. This rivalry runs deep into the blood of college football fans in Michigan,

but recently, it has been all Wolverines who have won three straight and five of the last seven.

Heading into this one, Michigan is favored yet again, this time by 14.5 points while ESPN Analytics give the Spartans just a 12.2% chance of upsetting the ranked Wolverines at home. A cold game on the eve of Halloween week, this one promises to have some sparks. This is how you can watch a critical game for both teams:

No. 24 Michigan Wolverines vs Michigan State Spartans

Day: Saturday, Oct. 25 2025
TV: NBC
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, MI
Weather: 45 degrees, clear
Odds: MICH -14.5, O/U: 48.5

Sherrone Moore and Jonathan Smith were hired at their respective programs just months apart from each other. Smith came from Oregon State, where he experienced a lot of success with the Beavers, bringing over his prospective 2024 starting quarterback Aidan Chiles with him. Meanwhile, Moore took over a Michigan program coming off of a national championship under Jim Harbaugh. After an abysmal year at quarterback, he recruited the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class, Bryce Underwood, to be his signal caller.

Expectations were much higher for both programs in 2025. The Wolverines were anticipated to be a borderline playoff team while the Spartans’ focus was improving on their win total enough to make a bowl game. Early indications are both programs will miss those goals, but Michigan State is much further behind.

Smith’s seat has quickly become hot. Michigan State has had a lack of identity continuing into this season, especially defensively. Chiles has not developed to the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal he was. The Spartans’ best win in Year 2 is a double-overtime victory over a 1-6 Boston College team.

Additionally, the Spartans have given up nearly 40 points per game to Big Ten opponents this season — USC, Nebraska, UCLA and Indiana. Boston College hit that mark as well. Essentially, anyone with a pulse has put up strong offensive performances against them, which is why they rank 87th in the country in overall defense, 121st in scoring defense and 124th in third down defense.

Chiles has been a problem of his own, as he has been sacked 10 times in the last four games. That’s led to a completion percentage of just 59.6 percent and less than 100 yards passing in two of those contests.

But particularly alarming is Michigan State’s inability to move the ball on the ground, which is what Smith’s Oregon State teams did really well at Oregon State. The Spartans average only 3.7 yards per carry and rank 107th in rushing yards per game. That’s not going to cut it in the Big Ten.

Michigan should have a clear advantage up front on both sides of the ball. Even with youth along the offensive line, the Wolverines should have their way with this defense. Underwood and company should be able to move the ball if they come out with a scheme like last week against Washington.

On the other side, Michigan must get pressure on Chiles. Containing him is equally as important, as he likes to use his legs to pick up first downs. The Wolverines did a great job of containing Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. last week, so expect a lot of base coverage from Wink Martindale again this week.

In an environment where both head coaches are desperate for a win, I think this one comes down to who has the better team. If the Wolverines take care of the football and move the ball consistently on the ground, Michigan should leave Spartan Stadium with a double-digit victory. The way Michigan State keeps things interesting is by forcing turnovers and having Chiles run wild. I like the Wolverines’ odds of controlling this game, much like their Big Ten counterparts over the last several weeks.

The play: Michigan -14 (-105)

Season Total: 19-14 (+3.35 units)

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