Michigan basketball’s home game against Michigan State, which was postponed due to COVID, has been rescheduled for March 1.

It’s become an annual tradition: Michigan football drops a big game to a rival, forfeiting its chance to take control of the Big Ten East and earn a year of bragging rights.

Michigan State stole a win from Michigan in East Lansing on Saturday, in one of the biggest games of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry.

A matchup between Michigan and Michigan State always has special meaning within the state.

A matchup between Michigan and Michigan State always has special meaning within the state.

Michigan football is once again looking for a statement victory against Michigan State, and fans are grabbling with the dichotomy between hope and trust issues.

Is this year’s Michigan football team actually different than others? Cade McNamara said it best after the Nebraska game.

Will the passing game be Michigan’s downfall? That question has echoed through the Big House walls for the better part of two months. This week against Michigan State, we’re probably going to find out.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan basketball has rescheduled home games against Michigan State, Illinois and Iowa after several matchups were postponed by a three-week pause. READ: If Michigan basketball wants Big Ten title, it has to beat the best over next 2 weeksTwo of those five games -- home games against Michigan State and Illinois -- will now be made up, the university announced. Here’s how the final six games of the Michigan schedule will play out:Feb. 21: at No. 5 IllinoisMarch 4: vs. Michigan StateMarch 7: at Michigan StateThe Iowa game was originally scheduled to take place March 4, but now, the Wolverines will finish the season with a home-and-home against in-state rival Michigan State. Ohio State, Iowa and Illinois are the top three teams in the conference, other than Michigan.

Meanwhile, Michigan State lost to Big Ten bottom feeder Rutgers in East Lansing. Nobody outside the Spartan locker room expected Michigan State to beat Michigan, but from the moment the opening whistle blew Saturday, it was Rocky Lombardi who embarrassed the Michigan secondary. Henning #3 of the Michigan Wolverines runs the ball during the first quarter at Michigan Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan State always gets up for the Michigan game. It’s the way Michigan lost that’s much more damning than the actual loss itself.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – With Michigan and Michigan State set to square off in Ann Arbor this weekend, we’re breaking down which team is better at every single position. B1G: Wisconsin-Nebraska game canceled this weekend as Badgers report COVID-19 outbreakWhere Michigan truly separates itself from Michigan State is at defensive end, with Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson. ADVANTAGE: MichiganLinebackersAnjuan Simmons was at it again Saturday, leading Michigan State with 11 tackles, including three for losses. Safety is a strength for Michigan and Michigan State, but Hill has by far the highest ceiling. Michigan is recruiting near the top of the Big Ten and Michigan State is trying to reboot under a new regime.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football is expected to crush Michigan State this weekend, as the current betting line favors the Wolverines by more than three touchdowns. While Michigan dominated a top 25 team in Minnesota, Michigan State turned the ball over seven times in a loss to conference bottom feeder Rutgers. “This game against the school down the road is not just another game, so it’s really special to me,” Tucker said. Tucker said that’s when teams generally show the most improvement, and it’s hard to imagine Michigan State turning the ball over seven times. Michigan crushed Michigan State 44-10 when the two teams met last season at the Big House.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker tried to avoid saying the name of his in-state rival ahead of their matchup this weekend, calling Michigan “that school up/down the road” four times during his Tuesday press conference. In his first season as Michigan State’s head coach, Tucker is stoking the flames of an already-hot rivalry between the Wolverines and Spartans. You can hear Tucker calling Michigan “the school up/down the road” in the clips beneath each quote. “This game against the school down the road is not just another game, so it’s really special to me," Tucker said. “We know that it’s always a physical game," Tucker said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football’s rivalry game against Michigan State will kick off at noon on Halloween. Due to the irregularities created by the pandemic-shortened schedule, the Spartans will be forced to travel to Ann Arbor for the second year in a row. 21 Minnesota, while Michigan State hosts Rutgers. Last season, Michigan defeated Michigan State 44-10 at the Big House, marking the second-straight victory for the Maize and Blue in the rivalry. READ: Which Michigan football jersey number duo will be most valuable this season?