What Does Rivalry Result Mean for Spartans?
The Michigan State Spartans (4-3) are searching to reinvigorate their identity as a top team in the Big Ten and a national contender. That process will hang in the balance this Saturday night as they travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines (4-3).
A win for the Spartans would break a two-year drought in this rivalry and say a lot about the direction that head coach Jonathan Smith is leading this program. Smith inherited one of the worst situations in college football with a team that finished 4-8 last season and fired their head coach mid-season.
Not to mention that a majority of the team entered the transfer portal in the offseason, Smith had to bring in several new coaches and players to start his regime on a positive note. To this point, he has done that as the Spartans have as many wins as they did a year ago.
Hoisting the Paul Bunyan Trophy in Ann Arbor would mean something sweet for the Spartans who have been unable to do so in enemy territory since 2020. If Smith can start his career in East Lansing with a win on the road against their in-state rival, the program will be on the fast track to success.
If the Spartans were to lose on Saturday night, it would be a good measuring stick of how far this program is from competing for a conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth. They would fall to 4-4 on the year and feel as if they left a lot on the field in a very winnable game.
The Wolverines have not been this vulnerable in years, and failing to take advantage of that will be a missed opportunity for a group that possesses more talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Regardless of a win or loss, the Spartans will not be competing for a Big Ten title this year but the result will determine which direction the program is headed towards. A win for the Green and White will revive the rivalry that has heavily been in the favor of the Wolverines for the past few years.
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