Michigan Can't Take The Spartans Lightly

On Saturday, Michigan takes it's first road trip in 2009. They really don't have to go very far for their annual meeting with intrastate rival Michigan State. This is always the game for bragging rights within the state of Michigan.

Looking at the records of the two teams, the Wolverines are 4-0 and the Spartans are 1-3. Therefore Michigan should have no problem disposing of Michigan State, right?

Not so fast.

The reality is—there is still question as to how good Michigan really is. They are 4-0 but two of those wins were against MAC teams. Another one was an ugly win against Indiana. The other was a last second miracle against Notre Dame. To be fair, an ugly win is still a win and a good team has to be able to win even if it is ugly.

Michigan State is actually much better than their record indicates. Sure, they lost to Central Michigan. However, the Chippewas are one of the premier teams in the MAC. It took a late rally for Central to pull it off. Then they lost a nail-biter to Notre Dame. Then last week they lost by eight to Wisconsin.

Michigan has made early season headlines with offensive players such as Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, Carlos Brown, and Brandon Minor. Senior Greg Matthews seems like the leader for them. The defense is still growing but have made gains each week.

However, don't count Michigan State short.

They have playmakers as well. Kirk Cousins is starting to come into his own as a quarterback. Freshman runners Larry Caper and Caulton Ray have shown promise. Sophomore receiver B.J. Cunningham has looked good as well. The defense is a concern for them though.

Looking at this game, Michigan State does match up better than many would think. My main measuring stick is Notre Dame. Both played the Irish in high-scoring shootouts. The Wolverines did get the win, but they were at home. When the Spartans lost their heartbreaker to the Irish, it was in South Bend. Besides, the games could have gone either way.

Therefore, this young Michigan team has to come ready to play against this Spartan team. I am sure Rich Rodriguez is sending the message not to take this team lightly. This is a rivalry game anyway. Whenever that happens, you can throw the records out. For Michigan State, a win can re-energize them and turn their season around.

I know Michigan would love nothing more than to bury this team and demoralize them for the rest of the year. So I am sure Rodriguez will have them ready. But whenever you have such a young team, taking a seemingly beatable opponent lightly is always a concern.