The Michigan Wolverines avoided near disaster against Northwestern on Wednesday, choking away the lead and almost losing at the buzzer. There are plenty of growing opportunities from that surprisingly close contest — though subpar refereeing certainly did not help — but the most important thing is Michigan has now won three straight and is on the upswing.
The same cannot be said for Saturday’s opponent. Since the postponement on January 7, the Wolverines have won three of four and might have pulled off an upset in Champaign with an actual roster. Meanwhile, Michigan State has gone just 2-2, losing to both Northwestern and Illinois squads who were missing their best player.