“It’s a different feel,” Bachie said in a news conference Tuesday. “It’s a different way of preparing, because you know how much this game really means to everyone.”

Bachie, a Brook Park, Ohio native, along with quarterback Brian Lewerke and coach Mark Dantonio, didn’t know how much the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry meant before arriving in East Lansing.

Lewerke, a Phoenix native, said he first realized the meaning of the rivalry the week of practice leading up to the game in 2015-16.

“Once you get out there and play for the first time and experience it, you definitely get the feel of what that game means,” Lewerke said.

Dantonio first came to campus in 1995, where he was the secondary coach under Nick Saban. Just like Lewerke and Bachie, after he coached his first game for MSU in 1995, he understood what the rivalry meant. 

So when the Zanesville, Ohio, native came back to lead the Spartans, he knew the importance of the matchup with U-M. 

But with regards to prepping young players who aren’t from the state for the rivalry game, Dantonio said it’s something they learn once after the clock hits zero. A lot like when he played at South Carolina from 1975-79, when the Gamecocks faced Clemson. 

“Everybody talked about it, told you about it, but you really didn’t know what to expect, but when you played that football game for the first time, you understood after the fact. I think that’s the same thing here." said Dantonio, who’s 8-3 against U-M.

Safety Khari Willis said Dantonio is right, and his coach’s demeanor helps them “gear up" for the Wolverines. 

“He tell us what we need to do and how we need to prepare, and how we need to prepare ourselves for the challenges that lie ahead,” said Willis. “And I feel, not only him, but the rest of our coaching staff this week and our leaders — we’re going to put ourselves in the best position, so when bullets are flying, eventually, we’re going to try and come out with another one (win).”

And how Dantonio does it? He makes sure his team is ready not only when it plays U-M, “but every single weekend.”

“I think most of the time, getting ready for a football game is a long-lasting thing,” Dantonio said. “You've got to be ready and if you get ready on Friday night and you're not ready Saturday at noon, you know, that's not good, so you need to be ready at game time. I believe in that and we try and do our best to get there. You know when you see it."

But for younger players who aren’t from the state, they have to experience it, Dantonio said. That’s why Willis and other players came to MSU — especially those who grew up in Michigan. 

“It’s something you experience when step out on the field, and I feel like they’ll be ready for it,” Willis said. “They’ll embrace it, it's part of the reason why you come here.”