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Michigan State takes page out of Michigan’s playbook to start rivalry week
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Nobody vandalized each other’s campus landmark yet, but Michigan and Michigan State kicked rivalry week off in subtle fashion.
Michigan State actually did something that Michigan does, much to the chagrin of some. Like the Wolverines, the Spartans also decided not to release a depth chart this week for the first time all season.
Given how many injuries and question marks MSU has, Michigan won’t get the benefit of knowing which players will be on the field Saturday:
There is no depth chart in Michigan State’s game notes this week. Michigan stopped releasing one this year
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) October 25, 2016
That might not sound like a big deal, but for MSU to start that this week of all weeks, it’s surely not a coincidence. Jim Harbaugh doesn’t release a weekly depth chart because he feels it’s unnecessary with current technology.
Michigan’s pregame tactic caused quite the stir when Colorado created a made-up depth chart for the Wolverines, full of fictional characters. Harbaugh wasn’t a fan.
But if anyone can understand not getting a depth chart from an opposing team, it’s Harbaugh.
There will undoubtedly be more back-and-forth between these two teams ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Mark Dantonio made the first move.
Though he’ll deny it.
Dantonio says no depth chart this week because so many positions are up in the air. Nothing to do with Michigan's policy there? "Not at all"
— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) October 25, 2016
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.