No matter the outcome of the game on Saturday, remember that as part of the student body at MSU you represent a populace of more than 50,000 students. There will always be students from the school down the road with distasteful, crude comments meant to evoke a reaction, with some Spartans doing the same.

Don’t be that guy.

College football is a very emotional game, and with a rivalry as heated as MSU and University of Michigan's, the line is often blurred between the quality of the schools’ academia and the corresponding football team.

It’s senseless to say something hateful out of spite, and even more insensible to act foolishly and start an altercation, whether it be in person or through social media. It’s also pointless to respond to a Wolverine fan, because it’s more than likely they can’t be reasoned with.

Don’t cause a public disturbance — MSU police will be busy enough, and you don’t need to add to the chaos.

With last year’s win over U-M ending in an unforgettable botched, last second fumbled punt snap in Michigan Stadium, where the Spartans were able to return the fumble for a touchdown with no time remaining, MSU simultaneously earned a win that helped push them into the College Football Playoff and stunned a crowd of more than 100,000 fans. It’s a win that stuck with MSU and U-M fans alike, not to mention Mark Dantonio and his football team. Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines definitely remember it, too.

Saturday is the first time the Wolverines will be reunited with the Spartans since that play, and rest assured U-M won’t let MSU forget the outcome.

Hope for the best if you’re a Spartan fan, but expect the worst.

All season long, U-M has been running up the score on its opponents, and MSU is the next target. The Wolverines are desperately hungry for a win over MSU, and a thrashing on their home field is just a start. The No. 2 U-M team will come into the game with the mentality focused to make the Spartans pay for nearly a decade of torture.

The score might not look good, but as a Spartan fan, it’s important to stay entrenched in Spartan Stadium and hold off the Wolverine fans who want to overrun your home turf.

But do it with class.

Making an ass of yourself only adds fuel to the proverbial U-M fire, and making a regrettable decision has its consequences.

Don’t be that guy.

The easiest way to uphold your Spartan pride is to conduct yourself with true sportsmanship. Leave the expletive chants in the student section and don’t leave Spartan Stadium until the clock hits 0:00, because history has proven that anything can, and will, happen.

Should the Spartans win, celebrate with your friends because it will be one of the biggest upsets in the rivalry’s history, and one of the biggest upsets in all of college football this season. Celebrate respectfully, though, because there have been many instances when MSU has been knocked off a pedestal with a huge, unexpected upset.

Should the Spartans lose, however, hold yourself and your fellow Spartans up with dignity. Every “Can’t read! Can’t write!” chant should be met with silence, or better yet a “Go Green! Go White!” chant, because if you don’t stoop down to their level, you’re the true winner.

At the end of the day, it is only a football game and nothing more. A loss for the MSU football team means nothing for your personal life. The loss to U-M might hurt, but it’s a sport — move on with your life. You still attend one of the top-ranked universities in the world, and that is something to be thankful for. There’s always next year — and don’t forget there is a basketball season, too.

The State News Editorial Board is made up of the Editor-in-chief Jake Allen, Managing Editor Cameron Macko, Campus Editor Rachel Fradette, City Editor Josh Bender, Sports Editor Casey Harrison, Features Editor Connor Clark, Copy Chief Casey Holland, Diversity Representative Alexea Hankin and Staff Representative Stephen Olschanski.