Saturday’s football game will go down in the record books as the 94th meeting between MSU and the University of Michigan. Something that won’t go down in history that is just as important is the off-field rivalry that surrounds the game - maybe the best part of the weekend.

When you’re a Spartan, bashing the Wolverines comes naturally. When you’re a Wolverine - being bashed by Spartans is part of life.

The rivalry is intense on the field, but more so off the field the week leading up to the game.

Reports in The Michigan Daily, U-M’s student newspaper, claimed Sparty was doused with blue paint Wednesday. MSU police have no reports of such an incident, and band members at the sculpture - believed to be the world’s largest free-standing clay statue - deny any paint touched Sparty.

But the newspaper was able to confirm - and proudly display photographs on its Web site - its rock and a nearby trash can were covered in green and white paint.

We can only expect the Diag, with its sizable yet quite lame bronze “M” imbedded in concrete, will become the next target.

Saturday we’ll all come together though, paint clinging to our hands, to celebrate this rivalry with our intrastate friends.

It’s Friday, and things are heating up - just the way it should be for a MSU vs. U-M game.