PAT CAPUTO: Why Fans From Both Sides Should Be Rooting For Michigan And Michigan State Saturday
When the college football season started, both Michigan and Michigan State were at the proverbial fork in the road.
Speculation was running rampant about Michigan's next head coach — Rich Rodriguez was that much on the hot seat. And the luster on Mark Dantonio's once shooting star at MSU had quickly faded.
So far, the year couldn't have gone better for either of this state's Big Ten schools. Eight games. Eight wins. Two of them over Notre Dame and head coach Brian Kelly, the coach so many of the fans of both teams were pointing fingers at and saying, "Kelly should be our coach."
Truth be told, it means very little now.
The Big Ten season begins Saturday. For the Spartans it's a visit to East Lansing by Wisconsin, the 11th-ranked team in the nation, and easily the best squad MSU has faced in 2010.
Everything at Michigan State is based on the running game, not only rushing the ball effectively, but stopping it.
There will be a great matchup in the game Saturday. Greg Jones, the Spartans' All-American linebacker, against John Clay, the best running back in the conference. Last year, Clay won the that matchup, gaining 142 yards, in a not-as-close-as-the-final-score indicated 38-30 victory.
