ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It's rivalry week in the state of Michigan as Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines host Mark Dantonio's revitalized Spartan squad.
Michigan is coming off a bye week and is ranked No. 7 in the country, while Michigan State just knocked off Iowa to improve to 3-1.
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It's a huge game for both teams, but for different reasons. Michigan is looking to stay on track for a possible playoff bid, while Michigan State tries to make this more than just a bounce-back season.
For the Wolverines to win, they'll need another stingy performance from the defense, and the offense will have to be better than its been all year.
Here are the five players who are more important to Michigan this weekend:
1. LB Devin Bush
Michigan State's offense hasn't been explosive this season, but it presents a unique new challenge for the league's best defense.
Brian Lewerke is the first true dual-threat quarterback Michigan has seen this season, and that type of player has given the Wolverines fits in the past.
In the past, mobile quarterbacks burned Michigan because its defense wasn't very fast or athletic. Now, Don Brown has put together a unit loaded with speed on the second level.
Devin Bush will be the most athletic linebacker Lewerke has seen, and not only will he be tasked with spying, he can also get in the backfield and put Michigan State behind the chains.
If Bush can pick up a few tackles for loss and limit Lewerke's running ability, Michigan will be very tough to score against. The Wolverines are in a spot relying on one of their best players.
2. QB John O'Korn
When John O'Korn took over for an injured Wilton Speight against Purdue and led Michigan to an easy win, it felt like a mere formality before Harbaugh named a new starting quarterback.
Sure enough, Harbaugh announced Speight isn't cleared to play yet, so this will be O'Korn's team for the near future. He played very well against Purdue, but Michigan State's defense is a different animal.
O'Korn tore up Purdue because of his accuracy, an area Michigan has been lacking at quarterback this season. Harbaugh let O'Korn get into a rhythm with the short passing game, and then opened up the offense for a few plays downfield.
It was Michigan's best offensive game this season, and O'Korn will need to mirror that efficiency to get past Michigan State.
3. DT Maurice Hurst
Whether it works or not, Dantonio is going to make every effort to establish a running game against Michigan, especially between the tackles.
Michigan State hasn't been great running the ball this season, but L.J. Scott and Gerald Holmes are guaranteed to get their share of carries. If Michigan shuts down the running game and forces Lewerke to throw 30 or more passes, he will make mistakes, and the defense will capitalize.
Maurice Hurst is Michigan's leader on the interior defensive line, and he's been instrumental in stopping the running game all season. With so many young players seeing their first true rivalry action, Harbaugh needs his veteran leader to step up and have a big game.
Hurst doesn't have a sack this season, but he has 16 tackles and two tackles for loss. It's only a matter of time before he has a breakout game, and it could come under the lights.
4. RB Ty Isaac
No. 4 on the list should really say, "Whoever starts at running back," but since Ty Isaac has had two weeks to heal, he's the favorite to be in that role.
Isaac has been the only consistent running back for Michigan this season, rushing for more than 100 yards in each of the first two games before getting banged up against Air Force.
Since he transferred to Michigan, Isaac has made big plays in big moments. For example, he came up big against Florida in the season opener when the offense was stalling, converting two third-and-longs with runs he bounced to the outside.
Like Dantonio, Harbaugh is going to run the football whether it's working or not, so if Isaac gets off to a good start, it will open up the passing game and help O'Korn.
5. CB David Long
Michigan's defense hasn't shown any weaknesses this season, but the young secondary still hasn't been tested by a true passing attack.
Lavert Hill has established himself as the team's No. 1 cornerback, and while he's broken up three passes and returned an interception for a touchdown, teams have already stopped throwing at him.
Michigan State is likely to go after Michigan's second-best cornerback, David Long, to exploit his youth on the big stage. Long has been solid so far this season, but he got beat downfield a couple of times against Cincinnati. The Bearcats couldn't connect, but Lewerke is a more accurate passer and will capitalize on those mistakes.
Big plays are one of the best ways to pull an upset, and Michigan State isn't going to put together long, methodical drives against Brown's defense. The Spartans will be looking for every opportunity to burn Michigan downfield, and Long has to be disciplined in coverage.