Odds Michigan Beats Michigan State And/or Ohio State in 2015

The performance of the Michigan football program has been the surprise of the 2015 season, and college football fans want to know if the sudden resurgence could possibly lead Jim Harbaugh's team to beat Michigan State or Ohio State this year.

Just one month ago, the mere thought of a Wolverines victory in either rivalry matchup was nothing more than a pipe dream.

After all, MSU quarterback Connor Cook has guided the Spartans to 23- and 24-point victories over the last two years. Michigan State has won six of the last seven series meetings.

That pesky school in Ohio? Oh, the Buckeyes are merely the reigning national champions of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Plus, 10 of the last 11 matchups have ended in Ohio State's favor.

But the 2015 edition of the Wolverines is different. Both opposing coaches and analysts have taken notice.

"There's an edge to this Harbaugh team, one I didn't think he'd be able to bottle in his first season," Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer said.

A lackluster offense doomed the 5-7 campaign in 2014, especially during the 35-11 loss to Michigan State. But Harbaugh has already turned the middling unit into a physically driven squad.

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Michigan's scoring output has risen from 20.9 points per game last season to 27.8 this year. Plus, partly thanks to Harbaugh's power-run scheme, the Wolverines have increased their average time of possession from 30:52 to 34:20.

Now, the unit certainly isn't perfect, and it'll struggle with both Michigan State and Ohio State.

Quarterback Jake Rudock has thrown few on-target downfield passes. The offensive line needs more consistency. And though the running backs have shared carries, they've lacked a single-game one-two punch.

"Even though the team is still somewhat limited offensively," Kramer said, "it's already been able to build confidence and assume the role of the bully in pretty much every game. Even against Utah in Week 1—despite the moments of sloppy play—you could feel it."

Junior running back De'Veon Smith epitomized Michigan's new style of play during a 60-yard touchdown run against BYU.

The offense is improving, but the biggest bully is a defense that's posted two consecutive shutouts and twice held opponents to 105 total offensive yards.

"Defensively, this team has assumed Harbaugh's identity," Kramer said. "Right now, that's really a team no one wants to play. He's reset all expectations and changed the clock on us without us knowing."

Considering the problems Michigan State and Ohio State have encountered early on—particularly through the air—the Wolverines present the type of defense neither program has proved it can easily handle this year.

Michigan is No. 5 in the country against the run. It allowed just 69 yards to Utah's Devontae Booker, who has since tallied 124.7 yards per game. If the Wolverines contain Madre London and L.J. Scott or Ezekiel Elliott, do the Spartans or Buckeyes have enough passing game to overpower Michigan?

But that won't be easy, either. Junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis is the most impressive player on the Wolverines defense, and he's more than capable of limiting Aaron Burbridge and Michael Thomas.

Michigan won't out-offense either rival, but an elite defense gives the Wolverines a real chance. In fact, Yahoo's Pat Forde predicted Michigan will end the undefeated seasons of Northwestern, Michigan State and Ohio State.

The numbers mostly agree, too. ESPN's Football Power Index predicts Michigan will be the winner of every remaining game except OSU. Michigan is rated No. 3 in Football Outsiders' S&P rating, while Ohio State (25) and Michigan State (34) are noticeably behind.

Circumstances have set up Michigan to topple Michigan State. The showdown is less than 10 days away. It'll be played at the Big House. Three Spartans offensive linemen and a few key defenders have sustained injuries.

Ohio State, on the other hand, has eight weeks to correct its early-season mistakes. Although "The Game" is also in Ann Arbor and injuries could still occur, the Buckeyes defense has typically carried the team. Assuming the quarterback situation gets settled by late-November, OSU will have the advantage.

Michigan is more likely to beat Michigan State than Ohio State, and the Wolverines might even be a Las Vegas favorite against MSU. In a matter of a month, Harbaugh has changed the pipe dream of a rivalry triumph into a reality.

Beating both Michigan State and Ohio State remains a questionable notion. However, if the first month of the 2015 season has taught us anything, it's that Harbaugh's timeline for success at Michigan is much quicker than our projections.

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from cfbstats.com. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.