Mel Tucker explains how Michigan State prepares for Michigan rivalry

In just his second season as Michigan State’s head coach — and his third season as a head coach in any capacity — Mel Tucker is faced with a once-in-a-half-century matchup with Michigan this weekend, as the No. 6 Wolverines and the No. 8 Spartans face off as AP top-10 teams for the first time since 1964.

The top-10 matchup has only happened five times in the history of the storied rivalry, and this one holds tremendous postseason implications. Should either Michigan State or Michigan hope to be considered for the College Football Playoff, they would have to both win this game and beat Ohio State, winning the Big Ten to emerge as serious contenders. All the while, Tucker will be looking for his second consecutive win over Michigan, and his first in East Lansing, as the Spartans won 27-24 in Ann Arbor last year.

Rest assured, Tucker knows exactly what’s at stake — not just this season, but in terms of bragging rights in the state of Michigan.

“Since the day I’ve been here — February 12, 2020 — there hasn’t been a day has gone that someone hasn’t mentioned to me something about this game,” Tucker said, via the Associated Press. “People talk about it daily.”

As Tucker gets his team prepared for the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry, he’s reminded his players time and time again that this game, like any other rivalry contest, is what fans remember; it’s a chance for the players to solidify their legacies long past their time on campus.

“I told the players when you have rivalry games like this, ultimately your legacy and your reputation, a lot of it is formed by how you play and coach in these games,” Tucker said. “That’s the reality of the situation. And, that’s a good thing because not everyone has these opportunities to coach and play in these games.”

Tucker, Michigan State host Michigan — and College GameDay

Michigan State-Michigan is the hottest ticket in town this Saturday, as the Spartans host not just the Wolverines, but also ESPN’s flagship college football show, College GameDay.

In fact, the in-state rivalry will host both College Gameday and FOX Noon Kickoff this weekend, and for good reason — the matchup has provided some iconic moments in college football history, from the “Trouble with the Snap” play in 2015 to Charles Woodson reeling in another pick to solidify his Heisman Trophy-worthy application. Michigan and Michigan State have rarely met as top-ranked opponents in recent years; the Spartans claimed a win in the series in 2020, 27-24, to break a two-year losing streak to Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines.

Saturday marks the first time College GameDay has traveled to East Lansing since Sept. 12, 2015, when then-No. 5 Michigan State topped No. 7 Oregon, 31-28.