Michigan State Enters a Massive Sports Weekend

Men's Basketball

After surviving an overtime upset bid from Rutgers on Tuesday, the Spartans return home for a top-10 matchup against Michigan. The Spartans have swept the Wolverines each of the last two seasons and have won five of the last six overall. But this weekend, the rivalry returns with high stakes.

No. 7 MSU and No. 3 Michigan enter the weekend as part of a four-team tie with No. 5 Nebraska and No. 9 Illinois. That means the winner will briefly sit atop the Big Ten by itself, with one more regular-season meeting remaining. Friday's game won't decide the Big Ten title, but the winner is in a much better place.

Plus, a home game on Tom Izzo's birthday should add to the chaos between two good basketball teams.

Hockey

Michigan State really helped itself with a road sweep of No. 8 Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago, and continued by sweeping Minnesota last weekend. The Spartans have now re-emerged as the No. 2 team in the country, but as life in the Big Ten goes, there won't be any breaks.

MSU enters the weekend trailing No. 1 Michigan and No. 5 Penn State by one point in the Big Ten standings. The Spartans already have two wins over the Nittany Lions this season but have to visit State College for a pair of games this weekend. Another road sweep would be great, and Michigan State has been excellent on the road this season, but a split should still at least keep the big goals on the table, should it come to that.

As if that wasn't enough, the Spartans also have two games against the Wolverines next weekend. The teams split their previous two meetings, with the Spartans winning Game 2. These teams always seem to meet with high stakes (2024 Big Ten Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament), but the next series will mean much more if MSU takes care of business this weekend.

Women's Basketball

The Michigan State women's basketball team is suddenly right in the thick of the Big Ten race at 19-2 overall and 8-2 in conference play. The No. 13-ranked Spartans have plenty of work to do to catch No.2 UCLA and No. 8 Iowa, but they can take a big step against No. 9 Michigan on Sunday.

Michigan State has won 12 straight games since Dec. 7 and snapped a three-game losing streak to the Wolverines last February. This time, like the men's game, both programs enter with a Big Ten title shot in sight, adding even more fuel to the rivalry.

Spartan fans have had plenty to enjoy with these athletic programs this winter, but now it's getting to the most crucial points of the season, and we're about to find out if they're ready to step into contention. Some of them have proven it in the past, but there will be clear answers from all of the above this weekend.

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• MSU Must Overcome This Tendency in Rivalry Clash With Wolverines