"I think that when you look at this football game," coach Mark Dantonio said. "You really sort of throw the record out a little bit, pretty much like Coach Harbaugh said yesterday. There's been times where they have been 4-0 and we've been 1-3 yet have been able to find a way to win."

Leaving out records and past performances, this matchup is quite good. Michigan has a young running back in sophomore Hassan Haskins, while Spartan Elijah Collins is a freshman who's had to step up as MSU's go-to scorer.

Haskins has 426 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season. Collins has collected 715 yards while scoring five touchdowns for Michigan State.

The Wolverines are also evenly matched in the quarterback department. Both teams have seasoned veterans in the pocket that have plenty of experience dealing with a rivalry game.

"Michigan has always had great players," Dantonio said. "I think they are doing a great job defensively, offensively and he's a good football coach. The guy is a Hall of Fame football coach, whether it's the NFL or whether it's in college so you can expect them to play well."

Quarterback Brian Lewerke is a senior captain with 2012 passing yards under his belt this season. Shea Patterson leads the Michigan offense with 1773 passing yards. Both QBs have thrown 12 touchdowns this season.

Michigan also brings in some heat to "The Big House" with its wide receiver Nico Collins. Collins has 22 receptions for 439 yards. The Spartans have lost nationally ranked Darrell Stewart Jr. to an injury, but the empty spot on the roster has been filled. Wide receiver Cody White has stepped up with 37 receptions for 527 yards this season. 

Lastly, defense will be key in this matchup. Both teams offer strong, powerful linebackers with experience on the line. Even though the Spartans lost a powerhouse in Joe Bachie's suspension, seniors like Mike Panasiuk and Raequan Williams are still ready to put up a fight against the Wolverine offense. 

In its season, Michigan is fifth in the Big Ten and 11th in the FBS in scoring defense, 17.1 ppg. 

"It's a tremendous, challenging environment down there," Dantonio said. "They are a very good football team and well-coached football game, so they are going to play aggressively, and we need to match that. When I say measure up, we need to match their aggression, their intensity, all of that, that's all a part of it."

The outcome of any rivalry game is up in the air. Throwing records out of the conversation, this face-off will be interesting as both teams seems to have key players to pose threats. 

The game will kick off at 12 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Will the Paul Bunyan Trophy have a new home?

"After this football game, we need to recollect ourselves and go to the next one and then to the next one and so that's what we'll do," Dantonio said.