Michigan vs. Michigan State

Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans

A rivalry over a century in the making, Michigan and Michigan State are frequent combatants in the Big Ten, but have been competing on the football field well before the conference's existence. They have played well over 100 times since their first meeting in 1898, with many memorable games going a long way toward deciding both conference and national championships.

With the emphasis that Big Ten teams tend to put on defense, many of the key players in this rivalry tend to come from the defensive side of the ball, such as Charles Woodson for the Wolverines and Bubba Smith for the Spartans. Offensively, standouts like Braylon Edwards of Michigan made sure that the games were not strictly defensive struggles. Of course, with Michigan's history of special teams greats like Desmond Howard, both teams need to be strong in all three phases of the game to win in this rivalry.

Historic Michigan vs. Michigan State Games

The first game between Michigan and Michigan State took place in 1898, when Michigan State was nothing near the powerhouse athletic program that they are now. As a result, the Wolverines were able to demolish the school then known as Michigan Agricultural College by a 39-0 margin. Needless to say, the games have become much more competitive since then.

On the other end of the spectrum was the insanely competitive game between Michigan and Michigan State during the 2015 season. The two teams had one combined loss between them heading into the matchup, which was the seventh game of the season for each team. Michigan State was undefeated at 6-0 heading into the game, but fell behind and looked like they were going to suffer their first loss of the season. That is, until an all-important special teams play decided things.

Michigan was looking to punt the ball in order to run out the last few seconds of the game, but Michigan State was able to apply enough pressure on the punter that he could not kick the ball away cleanly, instead fumbling the football, allowing Michigan State to recover the ball, score the game winning touchdown, and snatch the victory away from the rival Wolverines to keep their undefeated season alive to that point. Michigan State eventually qualified for the College Football Playoff thanks in part to this incredible game.

For a more complete breakdown of the extensive history between the Wolverines and Spartans, click here.

When Does Michigan Play Michigan State?

The Big Ten features an unbalanced schedule, meaning that teams in the conference do not play every other team in the conference during the course of the season. For this reason, there is no guarantee that Michigan and Michigan State will play each year, although they tend to play every two to three seasons. Michigan's home games take place at Michigan Stadium, better known as the Big House, while Michigan State hosts games at Spartan Stadium.

Be sure to scroll up to see listings for all upcoming games between Michigan and Michigan State.