The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/201975
Head coach Brady Hoke is looking to lead the Wolverines to a first-ever berth in the Big Ten Championship Game, which will be held Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Photo by Per Kjeldsen "The game they absolutely can't lose is Michigan State because now you've got two losses, they're undefeated and hold the tiebreaker over Michigan. They would need to lose three games and Michigan would have to go 4-0 after that," said Detroit Free Press beat writer Mark Snyder. "It's a one-game season for Michigan to stay alive. They have to beat State or it's over with." The Spartans, 4-0 in conference play, appear, at the moment to be the favorite because they are the only Legends team that avoided all three Leaders Division heavyweights — Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State — this season. Those three have a combined 17-5 record this fall through Oct. 28 while MSU opponents Indiana, Illinois and Purdue are 7-14. "With the way their schedule has set up, and the way their defense has played — Michigan State has the one unit of any team in this league where you know what you're going to get. They're the team to beat in that division," Baumgardner said. "The defense has been so consistent and so elite, and the schedule plays into their favor better than any-