The Michigan Wolverines' tough season is not getting any easier this Saturday when they host their bitter in-state rivals and the favorite to win the Big Ten, the Michigan State Spartans (8).

The only blemish on Michigan State's record thus far is a week two loss to Oregon, otherwise they would be a top-four team and prevalent in the College Football Playoff conversation. These next two games will be key for the Spartans as they host Michigan and Ohio State before playing two road games in three weeks.

CLICK HERE to watch the game live via WatchESPN. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in East Lansing, Mich.

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Michigan's struggles have been on both sides of the ball. They may have been able to hold opponents to an average of 21.4 points per game, but they are just scoring 0.3 points more on offense. The Wolverines have also had trouble moving the ball, averaging 176 passing yards and 164 rushing yards per game.

Led by quarterback Connor Cook and a host of talented tailbacks, Michigan State's offense has been averaging 47 points per game, the third-best total in the nation. But even still, the gravity of the rivalry is not lost on Cook.

"We could be 0-5 going into the game, they could be No. 1 in the country and it's going to be a tight game. You have that with rivalry games," he told reporters ahead of the game, according to the Associated Press. "I don't think we overlook them at all, and I don't think they overlook us."

Their matchup with Ohio State may be the most important one the Spartans play this season, but they will have to beat Michigan first.

"That still is a game that we have to point to and say, 'Hey, this goes beyond our schedule, this goes beyond the future," Dantonio said of the Michigan game. "This is beyond what we're doing right now."