ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan-Michigan State game is certainly set up differently than most of us expected heading into the 2024 season.
Both teams are 4-3, but the vibes couldn’t be more different. The Wolverines are coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in four years, while the Spartans are on the upswing after an impressive victory over Iowa.
For Michigan, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is one last chance to salvage something from a lost season.
Coming off an undefeated national championship campaign, some regression was expected for a Michigan team that went 40-3 over the previous three seasons. This team didn’t just lose more than a dozen players to the NFL -- it also lost a majority of its coaching staff.
But nobody thought all of Michigan’s goals would be dead by October.
The Wolverines were considered fringe playoff contenders coming into the season, largely thanks to four potential first-round picks in Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, and Colston Loveland, as well as a veteran secondary and a dynamic running back duo.
Losses to Texas, Washington, and Illinois -- all by double digits -- have put those playoff hopes to rest, and also erased any chance of a fourth-straight Big Ten championship.
So the question now is: What does this team have to play for?
It would be hard to blame Michigan’s draft prospects if they didn’t want to risk injury just to make a push for the newly named GameAbove Sports Bowl.
Michigan still has No. 1 Oregon, No. 13 Indiana, and No. 4 Ohio State left on the schedule -- three almost certain losses. That means it would need to beat Michigan State and Northwestern at home to avoid a losing record.
Regardless of how much talent they lost, a losing season would be an embarrassing encore for the national champions.
The one goal left on the board is to win the in-state rivalry -- which Michigan has done each of the past two years. The Wolverines opened as five-point favorites, but in reality, this year’s matchup feels like a tossup.
Michigan State put up 468 total yards on Iowa‘s normally staunch defense last week and comes into Ann Arbor with a major advantage at quarterback.
Aidan Chiles can be turnover prone, but he’s also capable of leading an explosive offense, as he showed with 256 passing yards and 51 rushing yards against the Hawkeyes.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s already cycled through three unsuccessful options at the most important position in the sport: David Warren, Alex Orji, and Jack Tuttle.
Orji has been the best, with three touchdowns, one interception, and the threat of the run. But that‘s not saying much. He’s thrown for just 148 yards, after all.
Fans are obviously unhappy with how the season has gone so far, but a loss to the Spartans and a likely losing record would open the doors to a whole new level of frustration.
The Michigan State game is one last chance to salvage something in 2024. Otherwise, things will go from bad to much worse.
