Under the lights in East Lansing, Michigan steps into Spartan Stadium hunting a fourth straight win in the 118th showdown of this storied rivalry. The Wolverines, who now sit at 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big
Ten, are coming off a strong second-half showing in last week’s win over Washington and appear to have regained some momentum after the blowout loss to USC.
Michigan State, meanwhile, has lost four straight game and has struggled mightily, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Second-year head coach Jonathan Smith is facing mounting pressure as the Spartans now frantically look to salvage any shred of their season being a success with an upset win over their most hated rival.
But despite those struggles, rivalry games are rarely predictable. Spartan Stadium has been hostile territory for the Wolverines for decades, and they have learned the hard way that records rarely matter once this game starts.
Game Info
Teams: No. 25 Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans
Date: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. ET
Television: NBC
Stream: Peacock
Spread: Michigan -14; O/U: 47.5
Today’s question: Can the defense force QB Aidan Chiles into mistakes and turn field position into points?
Michigan enters this matchup with one of the nation’s most opportunistic defenses, ranking fourth nationally in takeaways. That matches up directly with Michigan State’s biggest weakness — inconsistency and turnovers from quarterback Aidan Chiles, who has cooled off significantly in October. If the Wolverines can pressure him into bad decisions, short fields could fuel a run-heavy offensive attack designed to control the clock and take the air out of Spartan Stadium early.
The flip side? If Chiles avoids turnovers and connects with receivers like Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly, Michigan State could hang around into the second half and cause problems for a Michigan team that has had its own share of inconsistencies this season.
