Michigan Football: An in-Depth Preview of the Michigan State Game

Well, the game fans have been waiting months for is finally here: Michigan State week.

This just might be the best week of the year for fans, outside of the week leading up to the last Saturday in November,

Good old-fashioned hate is what it is, and it will all reach its boiling point on the field this Saturday in Ann Arbor.

So who are some of the players to take note of for the hated Spartans? Here's a complete, in-depth preview of the game, and a breakdown of which team has the advantage in each facet.

Michigan Rush Offense vs. Michigan State Rush Defense

Michigan State's run defense ranks eighth best in the country and best in the Big Ten.Statistically, their run defense has been very good once again this season. The key word, though, is "statistically."

Michigan State has only faced two rushing attacks this season that rank better than 65th nationally (Ohio State and Notre Dame). What happened in those two games?Notre Dame ran for 122 yards and Ohio State gashed them for 204.

Both games were at home.

I still think their rush defense is very good, but the fact that it ranks eighth nationally may be a bit skewed. The absence of Jerel Worthy has hurt tremendously, as this front seven isn't getting into the backfield the way it was last season.

In fact, after leading the conference in sacks last season with 45, Michigan State is currently last this year with only six. William Gholston isn't exactly having the breakout year the "experts" expected. He only has five tackles for loss and one sack!

By the way, that one sack came against Central Michigan.

Marcus Rush, the other defensive end starter, has only collected one sack as well. Anthony Rashad White starts at tackle, with both Micajah Reynolds and James Kittredge seeing plenty of time at the other tackle spot.

Denzel Drone and Shilique Calhoun will also see time on the defensive line, but not too many other bodies are rotated in.

The linebacking core was a huge strength last season, but they haven't played quite the same this year, even with all three starters returning. In fact, senior captain Chris Norman was benched last week against Iowa in favor of sophomore Taiwan Jones.

Whether Norman starts this week remains to be seen.

After Denicos Allen finished last season with 11 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss, he's having a much rougher go of it this year.

Allen currently only has one sack and simply hasn't been the force he was in 2011. Max Bullough is the other starter at linebacker and he is solid.

Honestly, this is kind of a hard matchup to judge. Outside of Denard Robinson, Michigan's running game has been very bad this season.

Many are calling for Fitz Toussaint to be benched in favor of Thomas Rawls. In a big game like this, would it be better to have the experienced veteran in Toussaint or the youngster in Rawls starting? We'll have to wait and see.

Either way, I think Rawls will begin to see a bigger workload this week, just as he did against Illinois. It would be well deserved too. I also liked the flashes that Justice Hayes showed against Illinois.

Michigan State has been able to contain Denard Robinson every time they've faced him. Their front seven has been blitzing like crazy all year, and they'll likely continue that to fluster Robinson.

He just has to learn that throwing the ball away is much better than heaving it up into coverage. He does seem to be learning that lesson, though.

Whoever wins the rushing battle in this matchup historically almost always wins, and I give Michigan a very slight edge in this category.

Edge: Michigan

Michigan Pass Offense vs. Michigan State Pass Defense

Denard Robinson's seemingly new found mentality in Michigan's passing game gives me a lot of confidence in this unit.

Nobody is talking about this, but Robinson has not thrown a pick since the Notre Dame debacle. I know its only been two games, but that's still major improvement for him.

That trend better continue this Saturday.

Michigan State does have very good pass defense numbers. They rank 17th nationally in pass yards allowed per game and are allowing opponents to only complete 54 percent of their passes.

Every starter from this secondary is back from last season, with the exception of Trenton Robinson. Johnny Adams flirted with the NFL but instead chose to return for his senior season. His current play is now causing his draft stock to plummet.

Darqueze Dennard is still starting opposite Adams, with Isaiah Lewis locked in at one safety spot. There has been some turmoil at the other safety spot, with Jairus Jones first being benched, then injured, then missing the Iowa game altogether.

Kurtis Drummond started in his absence. Although he doesn't start, redshirt freshman RJ Williamson will see plenty of time. It remains to be seen whether or not Jairus Jones will play on Saturday. Depth could be a real issue at the position if he doesn't.

Michigan State doesn't rotate in many guys in the secondary, so Robinson will be throwing against familiar faces.

Although many think this defense has taken a big step back from last year, the numbers basically remain the same.

In fact, Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, rush defense and total defense, obviously three of the most important categories. They rank in the top 15 in the country in all three of those areas too.

It won't be easy throwing on this defense, but I don't think Michigan will attempt many passes either. They will ride their ground game in hopes that that will get the job done.

Michigan's passing game has come a long way, though.

Robinson's new mentality, combined with the emergence of some surprising playmakers at wide receiver, has a lot to do with it.

Devin Gardner and Devin Funchess have stepped up in a big way. Both are averaging exactly 17.3 yards per catch, with Gardner already having caught four touchdowns and Funchess three.

Although most fans probably think this would be a huge mismatch, I actually think it's closer than people think. I definitely Michigan State the edge, but not by as wide of a margin as you might believe.

Edge: Michigan State

Michigan State Rush Offense vs. Michigan Rush Defense

Le'Veon Bell; that name needs to be the complete focus of this Michigan defense. If they shut him down, they're going to win this game.

This might just be the most important matchup in this entire game. So who has the edge?

Well, we all know the numbers Bell has put up so far, but it's unbelievable how many times he's carried the ball. He is second in the country in total carries and carries per game, and fifth nationally with 916 total rushing yards.

There have already been four games this season in which he has carried the ball 29 times or more: Boise State, Eastern Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. In fact, he is averaging just over 28 carries a game.

State fans will hate to hear it, but with all those carries he surprisingly doesn't lead the conference in rushing yards per game. That honor belongs to none other than Denard Robinson.

So how is this Michigan front seven going to shut him down? Well, it may not be as hard as some think. A number of teams have accomplished that feat already this season.

Central Michigan held him to 3.9 yards per carry, Notre Dame to 4.1, Ohio State to 2.6, and Indiana to 3.3. Central Michigan and Indiana? That's right, even though those are literally two of the worst run defenses in the country.

Whether it's Bell's fault or a very disappointing offensive line's doesn't matter; the fact is that he clearly can be contained.

Michigan needs to stack the middle and do whatever it takes to not let him beat them. They must make Andrew Maxwell beat them with his arm and simply take Bell out of the equation.

It's obviously easier said than done, but the way this rejuvenated Michigan front seven is playing, they can handle it.

Quinton Washington may be the most improved player on the team, as he and Will Campbell are actually forming a solid duo at tackle. The five or six other bodies that are rotated in are all playing well too.

The linebackers are, without a doubt, playing the best they've played all year, as all three of them have been unblockable lately. Demens might just be playing the best he's ever played, and Morgan has rebounded from a rough start. Jake Ryan, meanwhile, just continues his havoc-wreaking ways.

For all the hype Michigan State's ground game gets, it actually ranks 64th nationally and sixth in the Big Ten. Poor offensive line play has a lot to do with that, though.

Larry Caper and Nick Hill are two other backs that may see a little time. Hill is a speedy sophomore and Caper is a senior who's career ended up being a huge bust. Neither of them are too concerning.

Ever since Le'Veon Bell made the statement that State wouldn't lose another game all year, they've lost two in less than a month. That prediction isn't looking too good anymore, is it, Le'Veon?

Edge: Michigan

Michigan State Pass Offense vs. Michigan Pass Defense

Michigan better be able to force Andrew Maxwell to have to throw the ball to beat them. Playing in the biggest game of his life, is he really capable of that, though?

Some of his numbers are impressive, while others aren't so much. He leads the Big Ten in attempts and completions but is last in the conference in completion percentage, at an abysmal 54.3 percent.

He does lead the conference in total yards thrown for, as he already has 1,607 passing yards. Maxwell's quarterback rating of 111.64 is second worst in the conference, though.

Michigan State actually throws the ball the exact same number of times they rush the ball per game. As a whole, their passing numbers are much better than their rushing numbers.

They are actually third in the conference in passing yards per game, throwing for 236 yards a game.

Maxwell has completed more than 55 percent of his passes in only three games this season: against Boise State, Central Michigan and Indiana.

His receivers have a lot to do with that, though, too. The inexperience and youth that many were so concerned about in the receiving core has come to fruition.

No player has more than two touchdown catches, and only two have that many. Keith Mumphery does lead the team in catches and receiving yards, but drops have been a real issue with him.

Dion Sims is second on the team in catches with 24, but his status for Saturday's game is up in the air. That would be a huge blow for State if he doesn't play.

Bell is third with 23 catches, which is pretty surprising for a running back with his size. Aaron Burbridge has emerged lately, averaging just under 16 yards a catch. He has 223 receiving yards in his last two games, but those did come against the likes of Indiana and Iowa.

Bennie Fowler and Tony Lippett are the two other receivers that will see the majority of the time. Redshirt freshman Andre Sims Jr. could see more time as well, as he did see an increased role last week. The same can be said for freshman Macgarrett Kings.

State is just looking for any kind of help they can get at wide receiver.

DeAnthony Arnett, who was thought to provide a huge spark, seldom plays; he has just two catches on the year.

Will Michigan's secondary have much trouble with these receivers? With the way J.T. Floyd and Raymon Taylor are playing lately, I don't think they will. These two corners are the main reason Michigan's numbers against the pass are so unbelievable.

Michigan ranks in the top 5 nationally in the following categories: completions allowed, total pass yards allowed, passing touchdowns allowed and passing yards given up per game. Again, folks, all of those stats are top 5 nationally.

The opposition they've faced obviously has to be taken into account as well, but it's still very impressive.

Plus, this defense is finally intercepting passes. After not recording a pick in its first three games, Michigan has now intercepted five passes in its last three. Four of those alone belong to Raymon Taylor and Thomas Gordon.

If the Michigan front seven is able to get consistent pressure on Maxwell, who knows how many mistakes he'll make? With the way State's offensive line has been playing, that's a real possibility.

If Michigan can stop State on first and second downs, it will bode well; their third down conversion percentage is third last in the Big Ten. Their touchdown percentage in the red zone is also second last in the conference, at 54 percent.

I like Michigan in this aspect by a wide margin. State may be forced into throwing the ball a bit more than they'd like, and that bodes well for the Wolverines.

Edge: Michigan

Prediction

Although I gave Michigan the edge in three of the four categories, two of those three were extremely close. Michigan's rushing attack and rush defense received the edge, but both of those are basically tossups.

The key will be to slow down Le'Veon Bell, making State's offense one dimensional. If Michigan can do that, then we'll know its run defense is certainly for real.

My gut feeling tells me that it is, anyway.

How well State defends Robinson and Michigan's running backs is another huge key. I'm starting to think Toussaint may never really "bust out" and have that breakthrough game we're all hoping for. That could mean an increased workload for Rawls once again this week.

I don't expect Robinson to run wild on this defense, but I do expect him to get his 80 to 100 yards or so.

Four years of frustration and misery will finally come to an end Saturday in Ann Arbor. That streak has been embarrassing and unacceptable, but luckily for Michigan fans, we won't see a streak by State even close to that again as long as Brady Hoke is at the helm.

"Little Brother" simply needs to be beaten every single year if you're at Michigan, and luckily a new streak starts on Saturday. Get ready for one heck of an afternoon this Saturday at the Big House!

Prediction: Michigan, 27    Michigan State, 14