Hate week is here. It feels like this game always sneaks up on us. Somehow, eight weeks of the college football season have gone by, and the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans will go to battle this weekend.
Michigan is a big favorite going in, but you never know what you’ll see in this rivalry. Here are a few bold predictions for the game.
Michigan rushes for 250 yards
After losing to USC, things weren’t looking great going into the Washington game. The Wolverines responded with maybe their best performance of the year,
and they have to keep the consistency going. That all starts with being able to run the football.
MSU has struggled this season in just about every area defensively, but the Spartans aren’t horrible when it comes to stopping the run (52nd nationally at 131.3 yards per game). But Michigan has run the ball on better rush defenses this season, and even did so last weekend against the Huskies to the tune of 187 yards. If the Wolverines run the ball effectively on Saturday, they should be able to hoist the Paul Bunyan trophy after the game.
Michigan will force 3+ turnovers
One thing that has been consistent for Michigan’s defense this season is forcing turnovers. The Wolverines have forced 14 takeaways (11 interceptions) through seven games, which is good for fourth in the nation.
The Spartans have some good talent on offense, but they are a bit inconsistent thanks to quarterback Aidan Chiles, who has a lot of talent but is prone to making mistakes (turnovers) seemingly every single game. Michigan is going to capitalize this weekend.
Marsh > Marsh
Going into this season, a lot of people thought there would only be one star wide receiver with the last name Marsh making highlights in this game, but that won’t be the case.
Michigan State’s Nick Marsh is one of the best in the Big Ten, but Michigan has a pretty good Marsh as well, as true freshman Andrew Marsh has emerged as one of the best offensive players on the team and one of Bryce Underwood’s top weapons. He will out-duel MSU’s Marsh with a big game that includes at least one touchdown and more than 80 receiving yards on the way to a 27-17 Michigan win.
