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Michigan football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2017 season

By Matt Snyder

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 22: Head coach Jim Harbaugh leads the team onto the field while playing the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 22, 2016 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 41-8. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 22: Head coach Jim Harbaugh leads the team onto the field while playing the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 22, 2016 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 41-8. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 29: Wilton Speight /

Game 5 vs. Michigan State Spartans

Michigan will have a bye week following the Purdue game so they’ll have plenty of time to prepare for the in-state rival Michigan State Spartans. That’s a big advantage as Michigan State will be coming off of Notre Dame and Iowa in back-to-back weeks.

It’s sort of hard to fathom, but Michigan has only one home win against Michigan State since 2006 (2012’s ugly defensive game that ended in a 12-10 win). The Spartans had dominated the series for the better part of a decade, but the tides look like they may have turned. Michigan State suffered their first losing season since 2009 a year ago after an impressive run that saw them win a Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and reach the College Football Playoff.

Redshirt sophomore Brian Lewerke has locked down the starting quarterback job and could begin to provide the team with the consistency they lacked in that position in 2016. He’s probably not Conor Cook or Kirk Cousins, but the Spartans were at their best when he was under center last year. They’ll be in trouble if he misses an extended period of time with injury, however.

Michigan State will always be a threat to Michigan in these rivalry games, and the Wolverines still have more to prove if they’re going to re-assert themselves as the top dog in the state. In order to do that they’re going to need to build their own winning streak against “little brother”.

My guess is that Jim Harbaugh will have his team supremely prepared. Expect Michigan to win rather convincingly in front of the home fans.

Prediction: Win (5-0)

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