Raising the Stakes

The match-up between Michigan and Michigan State this weekend marks the first time that both teams enter the game unbeaten since 1999 when 11^th ranked Michigan State beat 3^rd ranked Michigan 34-31 at Spartan Stadium. 

This game is without a doubt the biggest game of the Rich Rod tenure at Michigan.  Rich has lost in his first two games to the Spartans and Mark Dantonio.  Michigan fans are upset enough with a two-game losing streak to “Little Brother” and all good-will that Rich Rod has built with a 5-0 start would quickly evaporate with a third straight loss to the Spartans. 

Rodriguez’s primary detractors will insist that his spread-option “gimmick” offense will never work in the Big Ten.  Everybody has said that even with the right players in place, aka one Mr. Denard Robinson, that Michigan would be too much of a finesse team to compete with the “physical” defensive units of the Big Ten.  Rodriguez has consistently taken issue with his offense being labeled as a finesse offense, and I would have to agree that this is insulting to both him and his team considering the punishment that Michigan’s offensive line has consistently dished out so far this season.  If the offense continues on its’ torrid pace this weekend against the “physical” defense of Michigan State, I think that the complaints of the doubters will finally begin to fall on deaf ears as people will quickly realize that the Michigan offense will only get better from here on out.

This game would also give Rich Rod his first marquee win against a quality Big Ten opponent.  In all honesty, Big Ten victories over Indiana (2x) and Minnesota just don’t quite do it as the coach in Ann Arbor where you are expected to compete for the Big Ten title each and every season.  For Michigan, it is time to build expectations back up again and they can start by beating a legitimate Big Ten opponent, who also just happens to be a ranked in-state rival.

This game also affords Michigan the opportunity to get bowl eligible just six weeks into the season.  Michigan needs this in the worst of ways after being totally absent from the bowl scene the last two seasons.  If Michigan were able to move to 6-0, thoughts would suddenly turn from early season hopes of just playing in any bowl game to truly wondering just how high in the bowl pecking order this team could climb by seasons end.

However, the most important facet of this weekend’s game in my mind is Michigan’s truly unique ability to rapidly alter the perception of their program in just one crucial game.  The local media (ahem, looking at you Detroit Free Press) has been quick to get on board with the “rock-solid” program that Dantonio is building in East Lansing despite a losing season in his third-year that was fittingly capped off with over 10 players from his team deciding to don ski masks and provide their own “charitable” contribution to a philanthropy event in the form of beat downs.  You are seriously delusional if you don’t think this story would have made national headlines had it happened under Rodriguez at Michigan.  Rodriguez was grilled in the media for attempting to bring in one borderline recruit while Dantonio maintains a label as a disciplinarian despite plenty of off-field antics in his time at Little Brother.

 After all, it was Michigan who the Free Press decided to make a poster child of all that is wrong in college sports with grand accusations of a borderline labor camp style practice atmosphere that amounted to a total of 20 minutes over time over the course of two seasons.

The local media, even with both teams 5-0, continues to tout MSU as the team that has turned the corner while continuously mentioning that Michigan is a one-man show that won’t be able to stop anyone in the Big Ten.  Newsflash folks!! Do you see Oregon stopping anyone? No, you don’t, but a dynamic offense is sure going to give you a chance to win every game you play.  A win for Michigan over the Spartans and the local media would finally have no choice but to accept the reality that Michigan is once again relevant and that the Spartans have yet to turn the mythical corner that has been part of their program-long quest to escape the clutches of mediocrity where they fit in so well.

Michigan has too much at stake not to pull out all the stops in an attempt to win this game.  If Michigan can take care of business this week it will go a long way towards restoring the respect of a program that has fallen on tough times recently.  I want nothing more than to see Denard continue to quiet his critics and prove that he doesn’t need a Steve Slaton because he’s even better than what Slaton/Pat White brought to the table combined.  I also want nothing more than to watch Dantonio’s face as he slowly realizes that all of his MSU “taking over the state” non-sense is finally being laid to rest as Michigan continues to capture the attention of the nation while the Denard Robinson Heisman trophy march continues.

Will Michigan take care of business and put Little Brother back where they belong? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.