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ESPN staff
This week’s slate of games will be the final opportunity teams have to make an impression on the College Football Playoff committee before the first set of rankings come out.
A number of teams are still in the hunt for those top four spots, but no game this weekend has bigger consequences than the Michigan-Michigan State game. With the Wolverines ranked No. 6 and the Spartans at No. 8, it’s only the fifth time these two teams will play with both teams ranked in the AP top 10 and the first since 1964.
The game itself is big enough for both programs, but adding in potential playoff implications magnifies the meaning of the result.
“It’s one of those, it’s elimination mindset, playoff mindset at this point,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “You win this game, it’ll help your chances.”
This is only the sixth Big Ten conference game in the poll era where both teams are 7-0, and the players and coaches aren’t pretending that this is just another game. It has meaning for the rivalry, as far as who gets to take home the Paul Bunyan trophy and bragging rights, but it also could be a catapult into rare air.
Michigan has never been to the Big Ten championship game under Jim Harbaugh and has never been to the playoff. The players know they need to up the intensity, focus and preparation without straying from what has gotten them to this point in the first place.
“When you change how you prepare during the season, that’s a problem,” Michigan linebacker Josh Ross said. “We’ve been preparing the right way every week, and this week it definitely is higher stakes and we’re going against an in-state rival, but just attack it the same way. Elevate it for sure, but at the end of the day, it’s about us having a great week of preparation and attacking it the right way like we have been doing every single week this season.”
Ross grew up in Michigan and has been part of this rivalry his whole life, so he understands what is at stake.
For Mel Tucker and the Spartans,…
Source : espn
