Jim Harbaugh of Michigan has no excuses against Spartans

The only way for Michigan to beat Michigan is if the Spartans regain health (miraculously) and if MSU coach Mark Dantonio outperforms Harbaugh.

Could this happen?

Of course, that can.

I'm not sure MSU can get healthy again – it may require some divine intervention – but Dantonio can certainly surpass Harbaugh.

It's as if Dantonio had endorsed Saturday's Penn State coach, James Franklin.

Just like Dantonio beat Harbaugh last year at Ann Arbor.

Nevertheless, everything is planned for Michigan to win this match, even if it is a rivalry match on the road (the Wolverines have lost 17 consecutive games against ranked teams).

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Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio presented his moves to his team in the first quarter against Michigan at Michigan Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor. (Photo: Mike Carter, USA TODAY Sports)

I know I know. This brings us to this old cliché: You can throw all the records when these two teams meet.

Amen.

So, let's go to the facts.

The Spartans have a ton of injuries and one of the worst attacks in the country, ranking 115 teams out of 130 with 123 yards per game. It's not a formula to win this game.

Meanwhile, Michigan has pretty much everything in place. It's a team brimming with confidence and momentum.

Harbaugh has a dynamic quarterback who can move the offensive, both with his arms and legs.

Harbaugh has an improved offensive line that looks and actually behaves like an offensive line.

He has a half-way to Karan Higdon, who has amassed 100 yards in all four conference games.

He has again an excellent defense under the orders of the defensive coordinator Don Brown.
And he has a team that learns to win games that she is supposed to win – see the game in Wisconsin.

But the only thing Michigan does not have is Dantonio.

Can Harbaugh beat Dantonio, not just during the match, but the week before the match?

I do not know if he can.

Because Dantonio has this wild ability to win games that his team should lose. There is no logical reason why MSU beat Penn State on Saturday. With the exception of Dantonio as Dantonio, Franklin as Franklin and MSU as lucky en route – oops, Penn State has just released a new interception.

Dantonio can pull something out of nowhere, at the right time. He can take a team that looks like a spiral and bring it to life.

Oh, and something even bigger: Dantonio owned Michigan.

That said, let's be clear: Harbaugh has done a fantastic job coaching the Wolverines since their defeat at Notre Dame in the first game, adding different facets to the offense.

The biggest change has been on the offensive line. This is a group that has improved considerably.

"All of them play their best football," said Harbaugh, a Michigan offensive lineman. "All five have progressed to a level winning this past game, the progression has been good for everyone of them individually.

But I doubt that Michigan can consistently run against MSU, and certainly not as it did against Wisconsin.

"They are very beefy up front," Harbaugh said of MSU. "I mean they have very good players who play very hard, their linebackers are some of the best in the league, they have a very good audio system, they do a great job … fit … very well trained, and they have a lot of variation to their diet. "

So this game will depend on Patterson.

Which brings us back to Harbaugh.

We are about to know how much Harbugh has prepared Patterson for this moment. Will Patterson be careless with the ball against MSU's defense? Will he start making choices? Will he bail out under pressure, not see the recipients open and get fired?

"His ball outfit is superb," ​​said Harbaugh. "He's doing a great job of making decisions, the team trusts him."

Patterson's game will be a reflection on how Harbaugh shaped it.

It's now

Harbaugh was hired to compete in championships. The only way to do this is to defeat Michigan State and Ohio State. But he is 1-5 against his rivals.

Remember the mess of last season in this game, at least from Michigan's point of view, a 14-10 loss that took place under a torrential downpour.

The Wolverines returned the ball five times with Michigan quarterback John O'Korn throwing three interceptions.

The Spartans were more aggressive and creative, such as a false reverse screen pass from Madre London that gave MSU a 14-3 lead.

And I hope we will see other plays like this one on Saturday. Or a false goal on the ground. Or a fake punt. Or what Dantonio dreams.

"Always on the alert in terms of figures," said Harbaugh.

But it's more than getting ready for trick games.

Michigan has to come out strong. Wolverines can not go lazy, as in the northwest.

And Harbaugh needs to find a way to score in the red zone against MSU's strong defensive front. Last year, Michigan opened the game with a player similar to a 16-machine and 64-yard machine. The training fizzled into the red zone when the Wolverines dropped out of the race and launched two incomplete passes in the end zone.

Harbaugh has to concoct a different plan near the goal line this time.

These plans must be made during the week, after studying the cinema, not during the match.

But overall, I can not imagine a better scenario for Michigan, which has to face the state of Michigan.

This Michigan team is way better than last year's loss to MSU.

If the No. 6 Michigan can not beat No. 24 MSU this year, if Harbaugh fails to convince the Wolverines to beat a road-ranked team in this situation, while the Spartans are injured, I do not know not sure it will ever be.