3 bold predictions for Michigan-Michigan State

Well guys, today is the day.

Today is the day the Michigan Wolverines have yet another shot at defeating a top-25 team on the road. Oh, just in case you didn’t know, Michigan hasn’t done that since 2006.

Will it happen today? Who knows? I’m not usually one to make scoring predictions, so I decided to make some bold ass predictions instead.

Let’s dive in, folks.

Rashan Gary suits up and has monster day

Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary has missed the last two games due to a shoulder injury, but I expect him to be out on the field today because of the high stakes of this game.

He won’t just be on the field, however. He will be dominating.

If you watched the All or Nothing series over the summer, you have seen how emotional Gary was in the Big House after losing to MSU last year. He truly cares about this rivalry, his teammates, his coaches, everything to do with Michigan.

He will be out there today*, and he is out for blood.

Stats prediction: Seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery.

*I have no inside sources as to whether he will play or not. This is simply a prediction.

The game will be tied at halftime

This one may not seem bold to you because of how Michigan has opened games this season, but this one is bold in a good way.

Michigan was down 17-0 at Northwestern and 21-3 at Notre Dame. Being tied at halftime with a ranked team on the road would be improvement.

I think MSU brings its A-game in the first half, pulls some trickery, gets a touchdown early and leaves the rest up to the defense.

Michigan will more than likely do the same, but with less tricks up its sleeve. I’d imagine Harbaugh wants to get the ground game working early, since it didn’t last week against Wisconsin. It was 13-7 with Michigan ahead at halftime — somehow — even with Karan Higdon only having 11 (!) yards at halftime.

I see this being in the ballpark of 10-10 at the break. Buttttttt.....

Michigan wins by double digits...if the weather holds up

That’s right! The Wolverines beat a ranked team on the road by DOUBLE DIGITS! They get the W before the bye week, whoop their rival, cover the spread. They do everything Michigan fans have been dreaming of.

Much like we saw last weekend, Michigan should get stuff going in the second half. The offensive line, led by Ed Warinner, has been a much greater second-half team than a first-half team. The adjustments made are key, and I think Warinner will be able to identify what they need to do to get Higdon and company moving on the ground.

That would then set up play-action passes for Shea Patterson, and we all know how bad the Spartans’ secondary is at this point.

I won’t give a score prediction, but the good guys will win by 10 or more.

At the end of the day, none of these will probably happen and you guys will come back to this article and rip on me for how wrong I was.

Don’t worry, I’m the first to know these will be wrong.

Have fun today, guys.