Vince Lombardi once said, “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” While they may not have the top recruiting class in their conference or have flashy players, that exemplifies the Mark Dantonio era at Michigan State. With less resources, notoriety and superstars, the 6-1 Spartans are looking to win back the Paul Bunyan trophy and continue their recent success against the Wolverines. As rivalry week draws to an end and we prepare for the showdown in East Lansing tomorrow, hope and expectations are high for both sides going into the pivotal matchup. While both teams have a lot to play for, part of the beauty of a rivalry game is that you never know what’s going to happen.

Located less than 70 miles from each other, the hatred between these in-state rivals runs deep – you’re either blue or green. This rivalry also goes beyond the realm of sports and encompasses all aspects of the 2 schools. Growing up as a Spartan just 10 miles from the University of Michigan campus, I’ve heard it all. From MSU always going to the “toilet bowl” in the early ‘90’s to all the misguided and offensive chants I’ve heard over the years (yes, we have stereotypes and sayings we have for their fan base too), there is no love lost between the two major schools in the mitten state. They’ve been conference foes since 1950 and Michigan leads the series overall 68–32–5. However, the Spartans lead U-M 4-2 in the last six meetings. Each fan base likes to make sure the other knows those numbers too. One side is said to be arrogant (pick your word) while the other has an inferiority complex. The criticism from each side is never-ending.

Even in some of my darker years as a fan (end of the Perles era, Bobby Williams, John L Smith), I always looked forward to the Michigan game. When things were bad, I still had hope that we could beat our dreaded rival and somewhat salvage the season. My family has owned Spartan season tickets my entire life and we have our own now too. Between home and road games, I’ve seen this clash live at least 15 times and will be there again on Saturday. I was also there in 2007 to experience a heart-breaking loss and see the game that changed the complexion of the rivalry. In his now infamous post-game interview, Michigan running back Mike Hart ignited a new hatred in Spartan fans: “I was just laughing,” Hart said of Michigan State taking the lead. “I thought it was funny. They got excited. Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you’re playing basketball, and you let him get the lead, and then you come back and take it back.” Coach Dantonio was infuriated when he heard this and later warned “pride comes before the fall” – which became a mantra of sorts for MSU faithful. The “Curse of Mike Hart” after that game was a dark time for Michigan fans as the Spartans beat the Wolverines every time in both football and basketball over a time span of 1,181 days from Hart’s comment until the UM basketball team broke the streak with a victory in 2011. The football team broke their own curse in 2012 after 4 straight losses. Since that time, there have been many jabs between the fan bases of both the little brother and big brother (or little sister) and while some are ready to move on from those labels, others just keep re-igniting that flame.

As both sides prepare for the 106^th meeting between the 2 teams on Saturday, stakes are high again and there will be no shortage of trash talk taking place. The Spartans currently lead the division and would like to maintain that cushion before some tough road games.  The Wolverines are looking to win in order to keep their Big Ten Championship game hopes alive. It’s the top defense in the country versus an offense that has the potential to be explosive. Earlier this week, Michigan running back Fitz Toussaint added some extra spice to this year’s meeting. “We labeled them as a little brother,” Toussaint said. “And, you know, little brother always wants to prove themselves and try to beat up the big brother one day. I think they really take offense to that.” He was right on about the last part as Coach D responded to it with a reminder that this game is very personal for him. Both teams are ranked and MSU is favored (which is unusual) by 5. Like I said, it’s a rivalry game and anything can happen. Saturday will be intense, physical and emotional for everyone involved.

When you look at the rankings of their recruits, the resources at each school and the cache that comes with playing there – the Wolverines have the edge. But like Lombardi said, it’s about what you do with what you have. You can’t put a tangible measure on the determination of each team and we’ll soon find out what each coach is able to do with the team he has. Spartans Will.