The latest edition of Inside the Fort, an abbreviated edition heading into the Michigan State game. We’ll have a full ITF Monday on The Fort at TheWolverine.com, including a ton of basketball information and some portal potential …
For now, though, we concentrate on the Spartans. The preparation has been off the charts this week for this game — to say they’re hungry is an understatement — and, of course, that doesn’t guarantee victory or even that the Wolverines will play well. They do feel prepared, however, and several we have spoken with like Michigan in this game.
That includes a former D-1 coach we spoke with earlier this week who has seen a lot of both Michigan and Michigan State this year as part of his job. His southern roots haven’t always had him so tuned in on Big Ten football, but he’s made it a point this year to see these two teams and loves what he’s seen from U-M.
“That’s a really good football team,” he said. “They are fundamentally sound, extremely physical up front — I think this team is going to be in it right until that last game.”
He stopped short of predicting a win over Ohio State, but he feels the Wolverines will be right there with the Buckeyes.
Others we’ve spoken with have said Michigan State is a ‘nice team,’ but Michigan is better overall. Again, better Michigan State teams have lost to worse MSU squads, but there’s a lot more of a Michigan vibe in this one than we expected.
We do believe the guards, Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, will play after missing a few weeks due to injury. They’ve had time to heal, and Zinter (for one) dressed last week. There’s not a lot of drop off between Keegan and Karsen Barnhart, so if the latter had to go, he’d be ready.
Both quarterbacks will play — yes, Cade McNamara will start — and to say the practice competition between the two is getting heated would be another understatement. Both McNamara and freshman J.J. McCarthy are extremely competitive, each wants to play (a lot) and they’ve stepped up their play in the last few weeks.
The coaches love how it’s going. They believe they have two players who can help them win, and McCarthy is getting just enough time each week to help him grow (that’s the belief). Don’t expect any significant changes in the rotation barring a complete collapse Saturday.
Finally, for those who missed it, Michigan will wear maize pants Saturday in East Lansing, as voted on by the team. U-M has only worn them one other time on the road in the Jim Harbaugh era, but that’s what they chose.
Behind enemy lines …
Michigan will take on a Michigan State team that looks quite a bit different than it did a year ago, thanks to college football free agency. Between transfers and their freshman class, the Spartans have over 30 new faces on the squad.
However it happened, they’re also much improved, after finishing dead last in the Big Ten in 2020 and then starting this season with seven-straight wins.
We asked MSU insider Paul Konyndyk of SpartanMag.com what the biggest difference is between last year’s team and this one, and if it goes beyond just the influx of talent from the portal.
“There is no doubt that the Jimmies and the Joes are better for Michigan State than they were a year ago,” Konyndyk said. “Portal additions are a big part of that. The Spartans added 20 transfers in the off-season and several of those guys have broken into the starting line-up, including Jarret Horst (left tackle), Kenneth Walker III (running back), Quavaris Crouch (Will Linebacker), Ronald Williams Jr. (corner), Chester Kimbrough (corner), and Drew Jordan (defensive end).
“As important as those portal additions have been, I don’t think you can discount having a relatively normal off-season. COVID-19 hurt every program in college football, but some worse than others, and Michigan State was certainly in that later group with a first-year coaching staff.”
While the Spartans are ranked No. 8 and have survived a couple close calls, they’ve struggled to remain consistent offensively in their two games against the top two defenses they’ve faced.
Konyndyk says it starts up front offensively.
“Michigan State has not played a defense as good as Michigan’s to this point in the season,” he said. “On offense, I think Michigan State has an advantage with its talent at skill positions. I think Payton Thorne is a better quarterback than Cade McNamara. I think the Spartans have a high-round draft pick at tailback in Kenneth Walker III and Michigan State has two impact receivers in Speedy Nailor and Jayden Reed.
“Even if that is true, it doesn’t amount to much if the Spartan O-line isn’t able to effectively run and pass block. The Spartan offensive line is much better than it was last year and far more physical. Coming off a bye week, I expect these guys to be fresh and focused. The Spartan offensive line and tight ends have to be at their best for Michigan State to move the ball on offense and finish in the red zone against a good Michigan defense.”
Defensively, Konyndyk pointed out that the Spartans, who, like Michigan, primarily stay in nickel personnel (five defensive backs), may be outnumbered and outsized at the line of scrimmage against a run game that has been dominant through seven games.
“Michigan State is at a disadvantage in its scheme, playing a 4-2-5 defense against a throwback rushing attack with multiple tight ends, a very good tailback tandem with complementary skills, and physical O-line,” Konyndyk said. “The Spartans have been good against the run to this point in the season, but this rushing offense will be a serious challenge for Michigan State.”
And that’s the biggest concern from an MSU perspective. Will the Spartans be consistent enough to play four quarters and not get worn down by a Michigan offensive line that can wear on a defensive front as the game goes on, while also being able to move the ball enough to keep itself out of tough spots defensively?
“Michigan’s ground-and-pound run game is most effective when it's working in tandem with a Wolverine defense that is forcing three-and-outs and winning the field position battle,” the insider said. “If Michigan State struggles to move the ball and fails to get first downs, there will inevitably be a breaking point. At some point, Michigan will take advantage of a short field or a misfit by a linebacker and produce the kind of momentum-building play that will force Michigan State to try and do too much with disastrous results.
“This is really a game where Michigan State needs to play winning football on offense, defense, and special teams. If the Spartans fail to do so in any of those three phases, Michigan will reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy.”
At the same time, those in East Lansing see what a lot of Michigan fans have been talking about for weeks, with the noise having heightened following the Northwestern game — redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara and the lack of a consistent and effective downfield passing attack.
“The Spartans are able to limit Michigan’s ground game and force Cade McNamara to throw the football to beat them,” Konyndyk said when asked what it’ll take for MSU to win. “That’s a big, if in my opinion, for many of the reasons that I’ve mentioned previously.
“To make Michigan one dimensional on offense, the Spartans will need a plus performance from the defensive line and linebackers. Defensive backs need to get off blocks, and that won’t be easy when they are being blocked by tight ends.”
For now, though, we concentrate on the Spartans. The preparation has been off the charts this week for this game — to say they’re hungry is an understatement — and, of course, that doesn’t guarantee victory or even that the Wolverines will play well. They do feel prepared, however, and several we have spoken with like Michigan in this game.
That includes a former D-1 coach we spoke with earlier this week who has seen a lot of both Michigan and Michigan State this year as part of his job. His southern roots haven’t always had him so tuned in on Big Ten football, but he’s made it a point this year to see these two teams and loves what he’s seen from U-M.
“That’s a really good football team,” he said. “They are fundamentally sound, extremely physical up front — I think this team is going to be in it right until that last game.”
He stopped short of predicting a win over Ohio State, but he feels the Wolverines will be right there with the Buckeyes.
Others we’ve spoken with have said Michigan State is a ‘nice team,’ but Michigan is better overall. Again, better Michigan State teams have lost to worse MSU squads, but there’s a lot more of a Michigan vibe in this one than we expected.
We do believe the guards, Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, will play after missing a few weeks due to injury. They’ve had time to heal, and Zinter (for one) dressed last week. There’s not a lot of drop off between Keegan and Karsen Barnhart, so if the latter had to go, he’d be ready.
Both quarterbacks will play — yes, Cade McNamara will start — and to say the practice competition between the two is getting heated would be another understatement. Both McNamara and freshman J.J. McCarthy are extremely competitive, each wants to play (a lot) and they’ve stepped up their play in the last few weeks.
The coaches love how it’s going. They believe they have two players who can help them win, and McCarthy is getting just enough time each week to help him grow (that’s the belief). Don’t expect any significant changes in the rotation barring a complete collapse Saturday.
Finally, for those who missed it, Michigan will wear maize pants Saturday in East Lansing, as voted on by the team. U-M has only worn them one other time on the road in the Jim Harbaugh era, but that’s what they chose.
Behind enemy lines …
Michigan will take on a Michigan State team that looks quite a bit different than it did a year ago, thanks to college football free agency. Between transfers and their freshman class, the Spartans have over 30 new faces on the squad.
However it happened, they’re also much improved, after finishing dead last in the Big Ten in 2020 and then starting this season with seven-straight wins.
We asked MSU insider Paul Konyndyk of SpartanMag.com what the biggest difference is between last year’s team and this one, and if it goes beyond just the influx of talent from the portal.
“There is no doubt that the Jimmies and the Joes are better for Michigan State than they were a year ago,” Konyndyk said. “Portal additions are a big part of that. The Spartans added 20 transfers in the off-season and several of those guys have broken into the starting line-up, including Jarret Horst (left tackle), Kenneth Walker III (running back), Quavaris Crouch (Will Linebacker), Ronald Williams Jr. (corner), Chester Kimbrough (corner), and Drew Jordan (defensive end).
“As important as those portal additions have been, I don’t think you can discount having a relatively normal off-season. COVID-19 hurt every program in college football, but some worse than others, and Michigan State was certainly in that later group with a first-year coaching staff.”
While the Spartans are ranked No. 8 and have survived a couple close calls, they’ve struggled to remain consistent offensively in their two games against the top two defenses they’ve faced.
Konyndyk says it starts up front offensively.
“Michigan State has not played a defense as good as Michigan’s to this point in the season,” he said. “On offense, I think Michigan State has an advantage with its talent at skill positions. I think Payton Thorne is a better quarterback than Cade McNamara. I think the Spartans have a high-round draft pick at tailback in Kenneth Walker III and Michigan State has two impact receivers in Speedy Nailor and Jayden Reed.
“Even if that is true, it doesn’t amount to much if the Spartan O-line isn’t able to effectively run and pass block. The Spartan offensive line is much better than it was last year and far more physical. Coming off a bye week, I expect these guys to be fresh and focused. The Spartan offensive line and tight ends have to be at their best for Michigan State to move the ball on offense and finish in the red zone against a good Michigan defense.”
Defensively, Konyndyk pointed out that the Spartans, who, like Michigan, primarily stay in nickel personnel (five defensive backs), may be outnumbered and outsized at the line of scrimmage against a run game that has been dominant through seven games.
“Michigan State is at a disadvantage in its scheme, playing a 4-2-5 defense against a throwback rushing attack with multiple tight ends, a very good tailback tandem with complementary skills, and physical O-line,” Konyndyk said. “The Spartans have been good against the run to this point in the season, but this rushing offense will be a serious challenge for Michigan State.”
And that’s the biggest concern from an MSU perspective. Will the Spartans be consistent enough to play four quarters and not get worn down by a Michigan offensive line that can wear on a defensive front as the game goes on, while also being able to move the ball enough to keep itself out of tough spots defensively?
“Michigan’s ground-and-pound run game is most effective when it's working in tandem with a Wolverine defense that is forcing three-and-outs and winning the field position battle,” the insider said. “If Michigan State struggles to move the ball and fails to get first downs, there will inevitably be a breaking point. At some point, Michigan will take advantage of a short field or a misfit by a linebacker and produce the kind of momentum-building play that will force Michigan State to try and do too much with disastrous results.
“This is really a game where Michigan State needs to play winning football on offense, defense, and special teams. If the Spartans fail to do so in any of those three phases, Michigan will reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy.”
At the same time, those in East Lansing see what a lot of Michigan fans have been talking about for weeks, with the noise having heightened following the Northwestern game — redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara and the lack of a consistent and effective downfield passing attack.
“The Spartans are able to limit Michigan’s ground game and force Cade McNamara to throw the football to beat them,” Konyndyk said when asked what it’ll take for MSU to win. “That’s a big, if in my opinion, for many of the reasons that I’ve mentioned previously.
“To make Michigan one dimensional on offense, the Spartans will need a plus performance from the defensive line and linebackers. Defensive backs need to get off blocks, and that won’t be easy when they are being blocked by tight ends.”
