Overall, Michigan and Michigan State are having stellar seasons.
The rivals are ranked among the top 11 teams in the country in the most recent Associated Press Top 25, they're tied atop the rough-and-tumble Big Ten, they've each already hit the 20-win mark, and have just eight losses between them.
But, it's been more of a struggle recently. No. 6 Michigan (22-3), which opened its season with 17 straight victories, has split its last four games, including a loss in the last one to Big Ten cellar dweller Penn State.
No. 11 Michigan State, meanwhile, is coming off a big win at No.