Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday night with possible bowl bid at stake for 1st-year coaches

By The Associated Press The Associated Press

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore puts his head down in a news conference after his team's 21-7 loss to Illinois in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Charles Rex Arbogast]

Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday night with possible bowl bid at stake for first-year coaches Sherrone Moore and Jonathan Smith. If the defending champion Wolverines lose, they will likely have to pull off an upset in one of three games against top-ranked Oregon, No. 13 Indiana and No. 4 Ohio State to be eligible for postseason play and beat Northwestern at home. If the Spartans win, they will be in a favorable position to pick up a sixth win perhaps against Purdue or Rutgers. Michigan State wide Nick Marsh and Michigan running back Kalel Mullings may be pivotal players.