Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE
The on-field rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan St. Spartans is one that in recent years has experienced a massive shift. In times before, the rivalry was ruled by games featuring one or both of the teams inside the top-15 or even fighting for a potential national title opportunity. Not so much in recent years, where the most excitement that this game produces is the game itself and not the consequences or repercussions of the game. This year may be no different, but either way, a win this weekend could make a big difference down the line as this season begins to get going.
Almost yearly, football fans expect an instant classic or a really close and competitive game out of these teams. This year likely will be more of the same. The reason a win here is such a big deal is that neither of these team’s schedules do them any favors after this weekend.
In two weeks, the Spartans open conference play with the Ohio St. Buckeyes, and will then encounter a stretch near the end of October stretching into November that sees them play the Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan Wolverines (on the road), Wisconsin Badgers (on the road), and Nebraska Cornhuskers in straight weeks. No matter how good or bad the Spartans are doing come mid-October, this is the stretch that will define their season.
The Fighting Irish went old-school somewhat this year with regards to their schedule: they scheduled hard. In recent history, the Irish seem to have taken advantage of their Independent status to schedule lightly outside of their many rivalry games. Not this year. With their at-large status in bowl games tightened a bit in the off-season, the Fighting Irish aren’t leaving strength of schedule up in the air.
This year’s appears to be the Fighting Irish’s hardest schedule in recent memory. After the Spartans comes the Michigan Wolverines in a long line of teams whose formidability is still up in the air. This line of teams includes the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes, Stanford Cardinal, and BYU Cougars. All of this leads up to their October 27 meeting with the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. The schedule then settles down in November up until the Thanksgiving weekend road trip to The Coliseum to meet the USC Trojans.
The Spartans have a slight edge coming into this game. They have the edge that goes along with being a home team in a rivalry game. They also have what appears to be the more physical running game, lead by Le’Veon Bell, and providing them with what appears to be the better means to wear down the Irish and win the time of possession battle. However, both defenses have appeared impressive, albeit against lesser offensive foes. And both are going through a transitional period at quarterback, adding importance on which defense can create more big plays or force turnovers late in the game.
Again, it appears the Spartans have a slight edge, but in a rivalry that has featured many close games in recent meetings, that may not mean a lot once play begins.
As a final historical bit of information to add into all of this: the Spartans have won the last two in the rivalry to take place in East Lansing, Michigan, and are likely still stinging from last year’s 31-13 defeat in South Bend.
