How Michigan football is shifting focus to restoring balance to MSU rivalry

Michigan football achieved nearly all its goals during the 2021 season. A 12-2 campaign was headlined by a win over Ohio State, Big Ten Championship and trip to the College Football Playoff. And yet, there was more to unlock.

Michigan blew a 16-point third quarter lead in East Lansing and fell to 0-2 against the Michigan State Spartans and Mel Tucker. There were very few blemishes to last season, but this one sticks out like a sore thumb.

And the whole program knows it.

“Our goals would be to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same year, win the Big Ten Championship, and win the National Championship. Those are our four goals,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis.

Senior quarterback Cade McNamara helmed Michigan’s offense during its run last season, but the loss to MSU stung badly. While all games are important, the Wolverines are placing a heavy emphasis on two. There is no reaching of all goals without handling their business in the rivalry games.

“[The loss to MSU] stunk. We lost two games last year, and that was one of them. The way we lost sucked, and I think we’re going to definitely circle Michigan State this season. It’s upsetting that we lost that game, and that fuels a lot of dudes who didn’t beat them the year before that as well. We’re going to worry about everyone on our schedule, but obviously, our goals are to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same season, win the Big Ten title and win the national championship.

Michigan knows the drill

Michigan football’s 2021 offseason saw the program put much of its work in behind the scenes. During that transformation time, they honed in on the Buckeyes with a “Beat Ohio” drill. Senior tight end Erick All says a drill for the Spartans might be in the works.

“We’ve got to beat those guys,” he said on Tuesday. “We have to get after them this year. Us focusing more on Ohio State last year… I just don’t want us to be more worried about Ohio State than we are about Michigan State. We have not beaten them in two years. We need to get right and get dialed in with them too. And we will. We’ll have a Michigan State drill soon I’m pretty sure.

“It’s obvious. We have to beat both rivals to get to the Big Ten and then get to the [national title]. He doesn’t need to vocalize that to the team. We already know and are ready to get back out there and work for it.”

McNamara is, as he would describe it, a “Big Ten Championship quarterback,” but the MSU loss has stuck with him for close to a year. The Oct. 29 bout in Ann Arbor is one that is circled within the Michigan locker room.

“We’re going to want to win that game,” McNamara said. “There are some games that you think about maybe that week or whatever it is, but there are some teams that you think about all year when you’re working out and conditioning. Michigan State is one of those teams, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we don’t lose that game.”