Championship aspirations at stake as Michigan, MSU battle in Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It's rivalry week in the state of Michigan as the surprising Wolverines welcome Michigan State to Ann Arbor for the first time since 2012. Michigan State, which spent the majority of the first half of the season ranked in the top five, will look to extend a two-game winning streak in the series after winning a pair of home games in 2013 and 2014.

Michigan hopes to end a streak of six losses in seven years to the Spartans since the program took a nose dive under coaches Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.

Rivalries separate college sports from the professional game. The two teams fight for the same local recruits, jostle for in-state bragging rights and flat-out don't like each other.

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But this year's matchup holds implications well beyond the state of Michigan. In fact, Saturday's outcome will greatly impact the Midwest and, maybe, even the entire country.

Here's a look at what's at stake for both programs.

Michigan State Spartans

Silence the doubters

Is it possible that the undefeated, highly-ranked Spartans haven't played a strong game all season? Michigan State is 6-0 after a perfect first half of the season, yet most Saturdays have sprung more questions than answers in East Lansing.

The start of the Big Ten season has been a strange one for Michigan State. In the opener, a homecoming game against Purdue, the Spartans nearly coughed up a 21-0 halftime lead to the worst team in the conference, eventually needing a late stop near midfield to complete a 24-21 victory. Purdue lost to Bowling Green the week before playing Michigan State and lost by 28 to Minnesota the week after. The Boilermakers are 0-5 against FBS teams this season.

MSU followed the scare with a lackluster performance against the second worst team in the conference. Rutgers scored with 4:21 left in the game to tie Michigan State at 24. The Spartans needed a huge 3rd and 9 conversion and a 76-yard touchdown drive to escape unscathed. Rutgers' only FBS win came against the winless Kansas Jayhawks.

So are the Spartans legitimate contenders or not? In reality, MSU is probably just playing down to its competition. Few college football fans would argue that Michigan State should be grouped with the likes of Purdue and Rutgers.

But the season is halfway over and Michigan State has only played one winning team (3-2 Air Force), so it's past time for the Spartans to pass the eye test and earn their top 10 ranking.

A win in Ann Arbor would add some substance to MSU's resume and silence the doubters.

Stay on the inside track to Indianapolis

As it stands, Michigan State controls its own destiny in the Big Ten, despite a couple of close calls to start the conference season. Wins at Michigan and Ohio State would likely land the Spartans a date with the Big Ten West champion at the title game in Indianapolis.

But a loss in Ann Arbor would make MSU's road much, much murkier.

With a loss, Michigan State's game against Ohio State on Nov. 21 would turn into a must-win for the Spartans in the conference. Barring an upset along the way, MSU would also need Michigan to lose to the Buckeyes on Nov. 28 in Ann Arbor.

If all three teams tied atop the division with only one conference loss, Michigan State would have to count on a high ranking in the College Football Playoff poll (the division tiebreaker). But their ranking won't be boosted by close calls against Purdue and Rutgers.

Confused yet? Simply put, Michigan State can make it easy by beating Michigan this weekend. If not, the Spartans will need some outside help to win the East Division.

Keep those playoff hopes alive

One loss wouldn't necessarily crush Michigan State's chances to make the College Football Playoff, but it might be hard to come back from a loss to Michigan after a string of close calls leading up to the in-state battle.

When the CFP committee looks at the first half of Michigan State's resume, it'll see six wins over teams that currently hold a combined record of 13-20. Does that really matter? Well, last season Florida State was the only undefeated team in the country, but the committee gave the Seminoles the No. 3 seed because of close calls against inferior opponents.

Unfortunately for MSU, four teams that might not even play in bowl games (Oregon, Central Michigan, Purdue and Rutgers) stayed within one possession of the Spartans into the fourth quarter. Those close games won't matter if Michigan State runs the table, but it will hurt much more once there's a blemish on this resume.

Look at Baylor and TCU, two teams who were snubbed (and very vocal about it) last season when Ohio State snuck into the inaugural playoff. Baylor won its first five games by 35, 35, 53, 28 and 59 points, respectively. Fair or not, those totals will stand out to the committee if it comes to comparing a one-loss MSU with a one-loss Baylor. Similarly, TCU has scored 50 or more points in five straight games and won its first six by an average of over 25 points.

If it comes down to a decision between those teams and Michigan State, those early close games can only hurt the Spartans.

But a win in Ann Arbor -- a road win over the No. 12 team in the country -- would erase most of the memories of Rutgers and Purdue. That's what's at stake for the Spartans.

Michigan Wolverines

Make a statement

Three weeks ago, Michigan pounded BYU, 31-0. Then, Michigan went to Maryland and smashed the Terps, 28-0. Last weekend, Michigan dismantled No. 13 Northwestern, 38-0.

Those wins are flashy, but beating Michigan State would be a statement.

At the beginning of the season, Michigan expected to beat Oregon State, UNLV, BYU, Maryland and Northwestern. But even with Jim Harbaugh, his all-star coaching staff and a roster teeming with untapped potential, nobody expected Michigan to knock off Michigan State.

There's been no comparison between Michigan and MSU over the last seven seasons. The Wolverines have won just 46 of 88 games while the Spartans have gone 68-25 and won four straight bowl games. Michigan missed the postseason three times while Michigan State won two conference titles and a Rose Bowl.

Until Michigan wins one of these matchups, it can pound as many Northwesterns as it wants. That won't win a Big Ten title or impress the playoff committee. Harbaugh's team can make a loud statement and jump into the top 10 with a win on Saturday.

Ensure the road to Indianapolis runs through Ann Arbor

Michigan's greatest advantage in the race for the Big Ten East title is hosting both of its top competitors, Michigan State and Ohio State, at the Big House. Harbaugh is 4-0 in four home games this season with a total score of 132-14. Hoke went 23-5 in home games throughout four years and even Rodriguez went 11-11 in three seasons at the Big House.

Michigan has a huge home field advantage. A win over Michigan State would keep the battle for an East Division championship in Ann Arbor.

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If Michigan knocks off MSU this weekend, the Nov. 28 battle with Ohio State might prove to be a play-in game for the Big Ten Championship. A Michigan State win would make the Wolverines' road much less clear.

As long as a game is in Michigan Stadium, Michigan will always have a chance. But as soon as the Wolverines surrender that advantage with a home loss, any chance at a conference title will likely slip away with it.

Enter the playoff discussion

At the beginning of the season, these words never figured to see the light of day. But with a win on Saturday, Michigan would climb into legitimate contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Wow. That looks even stranger in writing.

The Spartans pose the toughest test for the Wolverines until the showdown with OSU at the end of the season. Michigan will continue to improve each week under Harbaugh, so if they can survive Week 7, there's no telling how far the Wolverines can go.

But with a loss already on the resume and only one more chance at a statement win (Ohio State), Michigan can't afford to drop Saturday's game if it actually hopes to contend for the playoff. The Wolverines did what they had to do over the last five weeks, but without a win over Michigan State to cap it off, there won't be any utterance of "playoff" in Ann Arbor this year.

With so much added importance to an already bitter rivalry, this Michigan-Michigan State matchup promises to be one of the best games of the season.