After watching Michigan State's befuddling, inexcusable loss to Illinois last Saturday, the Spartans' fourth-straight defeat, it would be very difficult for the MSU faithful (including myself) to get fired up for this Saturday's game in the Big House.
Michigan's football team appears to be back on track, while Michigan State's is in the process of being totally derailed.
As of this writing, Vegas oddsmakers have the Wolverines as a 14-point favorite.
Personally, I thought it would be around 21.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is 2-2 vs. the Spartans, losing twice in Ann Arbor and winning twice in East Lansing. MSU coach Mark Dantonio, who the sharp-tongued Harbaugh actually praised this week, is 8-4 against the Wolverines.
The intense in-state rivalry has produced many surprises, especially in the last two decades, and has been filled with numerous twists and turns and tons of bulletin board material.
Perhaps the oddsmakers realize that, but the bottom line is — these two programs just don't like each other.
It's happened before, but the fact remains that teams playing walk-ons and two-and-three star athletes seldom beat teams loaded with four-and-five star athletes, even though Dantonio would disagree with that statement. Why? Because he's done it eight of the last 12 years.
I hate to say this, but make it:
Michigan 34, MSU 13
I'm debating whether to even turn it on, after watching the Spartans blow a 28-3 lead at home against Illinois.
Idle thought
When it's all said and done, it's going to be hard for the College Football Playoff committee to keep a one-loss Alabama out of the four-team playoff.
On with the forecast:
HIGH SCHOOL
Last week: 3-1, .750
Season: 148-35, .809
Friday
Paw Paw 21, H. Unity Christian 20
Saturday
Edwardsburg 28, DeWitt 10
COLLEGE
Last week: 25-12, .676
Season: 426-106, .801
Tonight
Pittsburgh 23, N. Carolina 20
Friday
Fresno State 38, San Diego St. 34
Saturday
Michigan 34, MSU 13
Notre Dame 27, Navy 17
Ball State 28, CMU 27
Iowa 21, Minnesota 20
Northwestern 42, UMass 6
Penn State 35, Indiana 23
Ohio State 72, Rutgers 3
Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 21
Air Force 28, Colorado St. 18
Alabama 42, Miss. State 17
App. State 33, Geo. State 22
Arizona State 35, Oregon St. 31
Ark. State 28, Coastal Carolina 17
Auburn 31, Georgia 28
Boise State 42, New Mexico 17
Cincinnati 34, S. Florida 20
Clemson 45, Wake Forest 14
Duke 30, Syracuse 22
Florida 38, Missouri 28
Florida State 38, Alabama St. 10
Geo. Southern 31, La. Monroe 24
Iowa State 34, Texas 31
Kansas State 38, W. Virginia 21
Kentucky 35, Vanderbilt 24
La. Lafayette 42, S. Alabama 14
Louisville 33, N.C. State 27
LSU 37, Mississippi 17
Memphis 37, Houston 27
Middle Tenn. St. 31, Rice 17
Oklahoma 42, Baylor 31
Oklahoma State 42, Kansas 7
Oregon 42, Arizona 14
Southern Miss 31, San Antonio 15
Texas A&M 35, S. Carolina 27
Texas Tech 28, TCU 27
Troy 38, Texas State 28
UAB 34, UTEP 17
USC 38, California 34
Utah 34, UCLA 20
Utah State 27, Wyoming 23
Va. Tech 27, Geo. Tech 24
Wash. State 34, Stanford 23
Al Arend is a sports correspondent for The Herald-Palladium. His weekly football predictions appear every Thursday throughout the season.