Can Michigan State Beat Its Archrival Later This Year in Ann Arbor?

Michigan State knew it would have to upset a few teams to have a successful season. With one upset out of the way, is a bigger upset possible later in the season?

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive back Ade Willie (6) reacts after tackling Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Braeden Wisloski (19) on a first half kickoff return at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Michigan State entered the season with many unknowns and few believers in the team’s potential in Coach Jonathan Smith’s first season.

The Spartans went on the road as an 8.5-point underdog to face a Maryland team that had put up over 600 yards of offense the week prior and walked away with a victory. Many college football experts left Michigan State off their bowl game predictions at the start of the season. The Spartans are halfway to becoming bowl-eligible, which would be a significant win for Coach Smith and his coaching staff. 

Two weeks into the season, Michigan State has already done things it was not expected to do, like going on the road and beating Maryland, putting itself in position early to have a much more successful season than initially thought possible.

If Michigan State continues the season playing with a chip on its shoulder and continues to improve on offense and defense, it will lead to results on the field. The Spartans improving and winning more games will only lead to the team gaining more confidence over time until it eventually faces Michigan later in the season. 

While Michigan’s home loss to Texas was embarrassing, Michigan State is a far cry from where Texas is currently as a football program. Still, Michigan is undoubtedly not the same team it was last season. It is unclear if this season’s Michigan team is that much better than Michigan State’s team this season. 

If the two teams were to get into a close game when they face each other later this season, all the pressure would be on Michigan to win, and Michigan State would be playing with nothing to lose. On paper, this would even out many of Michigan's advantages over Michigan State, giving the Spartans a puncher’s chance to pull off an even bigger upset than the one they just pulled off at Maryland.

In a season where Coach Smith and the Spartans are already doing things many in the college football world did not think they could do, beating Michigan this year may not be that far out of the question for Michigan State this season. Weirder things happen in college football weekly.

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