Predictions
PETE FIUTAK
Overview: The game will be feisty and grouchy for a quarter, but the Michigan State offense won’t go anywhere. The Spartans will score early, but the Wolverines will lock down and go on a long scoring run. The running game will take over for Michigan, the crowd will get into it, and the drama will be over after the third quarter.
Player of the game for Michigan: Shea Patterson
Three bold predictions:
1.The over/under on the hot seat mentions between both coaches will be set at 2.5, and it’ll go way over.
2. The Michigan State offensive line will have an okay game in pass protection, but the running game won’t go anywhere.
3. People won’t consider this a “big game” win for Jim Harbaugh … even if beating Michigan State is always just that for the Michigan head coach.
Final score prediction: Michigan 34 – MSU 14
Brandon Knapp
Overview:
Michigan’s offense will struggle at first, figuring out how to attack this stingy Spartans defense. At halftime it will be 7-3 Michigan as it is a defensive battle. In the second half though, the running game will come alive for the Wolverines as Zach Charbonnet will create headaches for the Spartans as he finds the endzone twice and the Wolverines pull away in the fourth quarter.
For the defense, they will give MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke problems with coverage and blitzes from the defense as linebacker Cam McGrone will introduce himself to Lewerke as he sacks him for the first time. It won’t be as bad as last year when it comes to Michigan State’s offense, but they will only find the endzone once.
Player of the game for Michigan: Zach Charbonnet
Three bold predictions:
1. Michigan runs for over 200 yards
2. Jake Moody is the lone kicker
3. Donovan Peoples-Jones has over 100 receiving yards
Final score prediction: Michigan 28 – MSU 10
Matthew Lounsberry
Overview: Typically played in early October, fans on both sides of this rivalry have had to wait an extra month for the battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy.
Michigan enters as nearly a two-touchdown favorite, as the Spartans stumble into the matchup coming off four straight losses. Everything points to a decisive win for the Wolverines, but it will be interesting to see if MSU coach Mark Dantonio has any tricks left up his sleeve.
Michigan State usually brings its “A-game” into this matchup, but with their defensive leader Joe Bachie sidelined, it appears this is more of an uphill battle for the Spartans than in years past. One question I have entering the game is, “Which Jim Harbaugh are we going to see? The conservative, or the killer?”
Player of the game for Michigan: Shea Patterson
Three bold predictions:
1. Shea Patterson eclipses 275 passing yards, and throws for 2 touchdowns.
2. Zach Charbonnet scores his 12th touchdown of the year, giving him the most of any player for a single season in the Jim Harbaugh era.
3. Michigan’s defense gets the shutout
Final score prediction: Michigan 34 – MSU 0
Isaiah Hole
Overview: There’s certainly a lot of confidence coming from the Michigan side of things this week, and I’m mainly speaking of the fanbase, here. It reminds me a lot of last year’s Ohio State game, when many thought that was a foregone conclusion, but this is obviously different.
Listen, Michigan State is still a dangerous team. It still has players that can win games. If Michigan plays like it did early in the season when turnovers were its thing, this will be a Spartans victory. But, the maize and blue haven’t turned the ball over in 10 quarters and MSU essentially gave the game away to an eager Illinois team. Conversely, if Michigan plays how it has since the second-half of the Penn State game, then this will be a Wolverines victory. If the bad version of MSU comes to Ann Arbor, it could spell absolute doom for Sparty.
This should be a convincing Michigan win, if for no other reason than the roster. MSU’s OL is a disaster, but still somehow has managed to keep Brian Lewerke clean. However, he hasn’t noticed, and oscillates between errant and solid. He can make big plays with both his arm and his feet. The problem with the former is Darrell Stewart is questionable, which means it’s Cody White and a bunch of question marks. Elijah Collins has looked solid against bad defenses, mostly, but against defensive fronts with a pulse, he looks like a true freshman. TE Matt Dotson was a weapon, but he’s out for the year. So the offense is a moribund, injured and — often — inept unit. Still, don’t expect there to be just 94 yards of offense this time around. MSU will make plays. Just expect Michigan’s defense to make more.
On defense, the loss of Joe Bachie certainly hurts the Spartans. Kenny Willekes hasn’t been the force he looked to be last year. The secondary is middling. This team is still solid against the run, but was throttled by Ohio State. I’m curious to see how Michigan’s offensive line along with freshmen running backs handle the challenge there. We know the OL can do it, but Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins have not played in a rivalry game as mean as this. To me, the X-factor is Shea Patterson, who can make plays with both his arm and feet. He made a point this week to say he’s worked on his effectiveness keeping the ball. It hurt MSU last year, and it might again this year.
If MSU was wearing any other jersey, we’d all predict — at best — the score at Maryland 2 weeks ago. However, it is a rivalry game. 14 points seems a little high of a spread, but I still like the Wolverines to cover.
One last thing to note, though: Michigan has not played well coming out of a bye in recent memory. Yes, it won hosting Penn State last year, but lost to Wisconsin this year and MSU in 2017. We’ll see if the bye did the team good or not in terms of keeping the ball rolling.
Player of the game for Michigan: Cam McGrone
Five bold predictions:
1. MSU gets an early lead that doesn’t last long
2. Michigan all but shuts down MSU’s offense after the first series
3. Shea Patterson looks like the dynamic QB we all expected
4. Nico Collins and Tarik Black combine for 12 catches
5. There’s one egregious something that ends up getting talked about more than the game — again.
Final score prediction: Michigan 38 – MSU 10