ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It didn’t take long for unbeaten Michigan to turns it attention this week.
Typically, Wolverines’ coach Jim Harbaugh advocates spending 24 hours to cherish a victory. As he and his team learned last year, they don’t always come in bunches.
But less than an hour after Michigan’s 33-7 win over Northwestern on Saturday, that focus shifted 70 miles to the northwest, in East Lansing, Mich., the location of next weekend’s Michigan-Michigan State showdown.
“All focus is there,” Harbaugh told reporters, minutes into his post-game news conference. “I knew once I walked through that door I was going to have to answer some questions about this game. But it’s on to that game right now.”
Both the Wolverines and the Spartans are off to 7-0 starts this season, monumental turnarounds after disappointing 2020 seasons that were truncated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan limped to a 2-4 season, its nine-game schedule cut short due to the virus, while Michigan State went 2-5 in its first year under new coach Mel Tucker.
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The two programs are sure to maintain their rankings this week, if not improve them after No. 7 Penn State was upset by Illinois on Saturday — setting the stage for a top-10 showdown next Saturday, Oct. 30, at Spartan Stadium (noon, FOX).
“Right now,” running back Blake Corum said about preparation. “We got to get ready right now. Come in tomorrow (Sunday) and prepare for ‘em.”
To get here, Michigan had to overcome a rather inefficient first half against Northwestern — mustering just 10 points on 267 yards of total offense. Harbaugh’s team came out on the other side of halftime and dominated, scoring 23 unanswered points to coast to victory over the Wildcats. It was the Wolverines’ fourth win in Big Ten play this season, a resume that includes a pair of road victories against Wisconsin and Nebraska.
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“Playing in big games is something that us football players dream of doing,” said Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who was 20 of 27 passing for 163 yards. “And winning those games and playing those big games. Especially beating our rival; beating them is as good a feeling as we’ll get this season. That’s a reason why we play.”
Since Harbaugh arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan is 3-3 against its in-state rival — with two of those wins coming in East Lansing. While the Wolverines have won two of the last three meetings, MSU shocked Michigan last year in Ann Arbor, winning a 27-24 game that was later dubbed one of Harbaugh’s worst losses at Michigan.
Much has changed since then, on both sides, making next Saturday’s game an important one. Not only will the winner improve to 8-0 and claim bragging rights for the next year, but they will be better positioned in the Big Ten East Division race — and, potentially, a shot at the College Football Playoff.
“We don’t really dwell on the past,” safety Daxton Hill said. “We’re just focused on what we control right now, and that’s Michigan State next week.”
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October 24, 2021 at 04:34AM
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‘All focus is there.’ Michigan turns its attention to rival Michigan State - MLive.com
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