College Football: Michigan State Look to Trip Michigan’s Shoelace

The Spartans were unbreakable in 2010 when faced with the threat of Denard Robinson. Can Shoelace get his revenge and ignite his Heisman campaign in East Lansing? Al Dannity breaks down the biggest battle of the College Football weekend.

Wolverines have one option
There’s no question that this Michigan team is a lot stronger than the 2010 edition. The secondary has taken a giant step forward, albeit still far from where is should be. Indeed the defense as a whole looks substantially better than last year’s edition. Opening Big Ten play with a 2-0 start and managing to avoid Wisconsin on the schedule also helps. At the end of the however there remains one inalienable similarity to last season; everything goes through Shoelace.

Denard Robinson has continued his run as one of the premier entertainers in the game and College Football betting fans have had him to thank on more than one occasion this season. There remain the same concerns as last year. His passing, while at times game-breaking, is wildly inconsistent. As a runner he is a threat to go to the house at any time but with every scramble comes the fear of one too many big hits.

Spartans must hold the line
I raved about the Penn State defense in yesterday’s Power Rankings. They pale in comparison to the defensive juggernaut going un-noticed in East Lansing. Michigan State’s defense ranks #3 nationally in points allowed per game, #2 in passing yards allowed per game, #3 in rushing yards allowed per game, and #1 in total yards allowed per game. Unsurprisingly the Spartans lead the Big Ten in all of these categories. While Shoelace will intimidate most opponents, it was Michigan State who effectively ended his Heisman campaign in 2010.

These same Spartans are even better in 2011. Robinson averages 188.4 passing yards per game but on Saturday he faces a Michigan State team that has only allowed 173.4 total yards per game. The offense isn’t firing on all cylinders but it doesn’t need to be for the Spartans to come out on top.

The verdict
This isn’t the end of the line for the Wolverines but it is the game that will drag them back to reality. This is a Michigan team that is capable of playing well and keeping a game competitive when faced with elite competition. That’s more than can be said for the 2010 version. These Wolverines are not however prepared for the most frightening defense outside of the SEC.

The Spartans don’t have a Honey Badger or any other signature defensive star. Instead they have a group of warriors who are all skilled in sucking the life out of any offense. Michigan State hunt in packs and close off alleys. Denard Robinson will occasionally find some daylight but not enough to make a difference. The Spartans are going to announce their presence in the Big Ten title race with a low-scoring but convincing win this weekend.

Follow Sports Interaction on Twitter.