Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday with the Paul Bunyan Trophy and in-state bragging rights on the line in one of college football’s most heated rivalries.
Neither team has lived up to expectations this season, making this annual showdown an opportunity to salvage some pride and deliver a much-needed highlight for their fans.
The Wolverines have a chance to reinforce their recent dominance in the series, while the Spartans can change the tone of their season with a win over their biggest rival.
FULL STORY: Michigan vs. Michigan State: Battle for Paul Bunyan, statewide bragging rights
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Here’s a quick primer on the rivalry, with Michigan looking to extend its winning streak in the series to five and Michigan State seeking its first victory against the Wolverines since 2021:
- Game details: Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, with Peacock carrying the broadcast. Michigan enters at 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play; Michigan State is 2-6 and still looking for its first conference win (0-5). The Spartans haven’t won at the Big House since 2020.
- Series history: The programs first met in 1898, and Michigan holds a commanding 75-38-5 advantage in the all-time series. Since 1953, the winner has taken home the Paul Bunyan Trophy, a 4-foot wooden statue depicting the legendary lumberjack standing over a map of Michigan.
- Recent dominance: Michigan takes a four-game winning streak in the series into Saturday’s matchup, including a 31-20 victory at Spartan Stadium in October 2025. The Wolverines also delivered a 49-0 shutout in 2023, a season that ended with the program’s first national championship since 1997.
- Unforgettable finish: Perhaps no moment in the rivalry’s history is more memorable than Michigan State’s stunning 2015 victory. With time expiring, Michigan punter Blake O’Neill mishandled a snap, allowing Jalen Watts-Jackson to scoop up the loose ball and race 38 yards for a game-winning touchdown in a 27-23 Spartans victory.
- A one-man show: Kenneth Walker III delivered one of the greatest individual performances in rivalry history in 2021, rushing for 197 yards and five touchdowns. His dominant afternoon powered eighth-ranked Michigan State to a thrilling 37-33 upset of No. 6 Michigan in a Top 10 showdown in East Lansing.
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.