There aren’t very many interesting aspects of this game other than the fact that it’s a chance to see the best team in Michigan play the worst team in Michigan. Despite its loss to Oregon two weeks ago, Michigan State is still probably the best team in the Big Ten and a possible contender for the College Football Playoff if it wins out. Eastern Michigan is very, very bad.
How to watch EMU vs. Michigan State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
This game matches up the best Big Ten team with the worst FBS team. What could go wrong!?
Mike Carter-US PRESSWIRE
The Eagles escaped with a 31-28 win over FCS Morgan State in the first game of the season, then lost 65-0 to Florida and 17-3 to Old Dominion. If EMU could only put up three points against Old Dominion, imagine how the Eagles will do against the Spartans’ defense. They’re the worst team in the FBS, according to the Sagarin ratings, and they’re behind a lot of the FCS, too.
After a bye week, this will be a good game for Michigan State to get back into the swing of things before a tougher opponent (Wyoming) comes to town the next week.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: BTN
Radio: Spartan Sports Network, WEMU-FM, 89.1 (Eastern Michigan)
Online streaming: BTN2Go
The numbers
Rankings and records: Michigan State is 1-1 and ranked 11th in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. Eastern Michigan is 1-2 and unranked in both polls.
Vegas: MSU opened as a 45-point favorite. The over/under is between 51.5-52.5 points, depending on the bookmaker.
Weather forecast: 74 with a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
Michigan State can’t lose this game, but it probably won’t. A blowout would be a nice way to show fans the Spartans are over the Oregon game.
There’s really nothing at stake for Eastern Michigan in this one. A loss is another loss and a win would be a tremendous accomplishment.
One big matchup
There isn’t really any matchup of consequence in this one, so here’s a fun thing to watch: How badly will the Michigan State defense beat up the Eastern Michigan offense? As the Old Dominion result showed, this EMU offense is flat-out awful, while the MSU defense is among the best in the country. Can MSU keep EMU below 100 yards of offense? Can the Spartans hold the Eagles to negative rushing yards? That’s about the only thing worth watching in this game.
Further reading
Check out The Only Colors for more on Michigan State and Hustle Belt for more on Eastern Michigan and the rest of the MAC.
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