Here's a healthy dose of analysis you probably already knew.
Yes, even you, die-hard Spartans fans.
Michigan was ranked as the top college football team in the state of Michigan in 2017, in a rundown of all 50 states by CBS Sports.
"Tougher choice than you might think with Michigan State coming off a 3-9 season," writes Ben Kercheval. "Spartans coach Mark Dantonio has done a lot for that program, and he's dominated his rival for the past decade.
"Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh still has a little something to prove. You can only finish third in your division so many times, no matter how deep that division is.