Rivalry weekend used to be easy for guys like Ronald Stanley. Back in the day, guys like Stanley could just relax and watch Michigan and MSU duke it out from the comfort of their own home - decked out in maize and blue.

"I had all of it - I had a Michigan jacket, Michigan posters on the wall," said Stanley, a Spartans junior linebacker.

Spartans such as Stanley know all about the history and tradition of the annual rivalry game and understand just how important bragging rights are in the mitten state. They grew up around the rivalry and were tangled up in other ones along the way.

Stanley, who is a co-captain, grew up a big Wolverines fan but claims to have crossed over from the blue side and claims to be unaware of the whereabouts of his U-M memorabilia.

"I enjoyed their basketball team down there," Stanley said. "So I was just a true Michigan fan.

"I didn't really pay attention to Michigan State. But now I bleed Michigan State blood, and it's 100-percent pure."

Regardless of who he was rooting for, Stanley acknowledged the physical and mental strain players go through - especially after last year's drubbing at the Big House - is much tougher than watching the game from home.

"I just remember having a sick feeling in my stomach," Stanley said, "and it took a while for it to go away.

"And it's still there, in the back of my mind. The only thing that's going to change it is a win," Stanley added.

Another co-captain who didn't root for the Spartans when he was younger was senior offensive lineman Paul Harker. However, the Dayton, Ohio native didn't care much for the Wolverines, either.

But when talking about the team from Ann Arbor, Harker bit his tongue.

"Watching the Buckeyes growing up