No. 13 Michigan opened its season with a dominant win over Minnesota, while Michigan State got rocked by Rutgers, a team that had not won a Big Ten game since 2017. So naturally, the Wolverines entered their rivalry matchup against the Spartans on Saturday as 23.5-point favorites. This game seemed like a blowout waiting to happen.
But when the two teams took the field at Michigan Stadium, almost nothing went as expected, and Michigan State upset Michigan with a 27-24 nail-biting victory.
The Spartans’ surprising passing game poked holes all over Michigan’s secondary, and, although quarterback Joe Milton threw for 300 yards, the Wolverines’ offense struggled to find a spark and consistency. Michigan State had a slight 14-10 lead at halftime and was up, 27-17, late in the fourth quarter after quarterback Rocky Lombardi connected with Connor Heyward for a 13-yard touchdown.
🚨 Upset alert 🚨@ConnorHeyward1 makes it a two-score @MSU_Football lead.
It's getting late in Ann Arbor. pic.twitter.com/VogeuCEbtG
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 31, 2020
Michigan got the ball with about five minutes left in the game, but it ate up too much of the clock before finding the end zone, allowing the Spartans to hold on for the win. And, with new coach Mel Tucker leading the way, it was the first win for a Michigan State head coach in his debut against the Wolverines since Nick Saban did it in 1995, FOX Sports’ broadcast noted.
Understandably — especially after such high expectations were established for this Michigan team after the Minnesota win — Wolverines fans were not happy.
And college football Twitter took plenty of shots at the program, particularly coach Jim Harbaugh, who’s now 1-6 at home against Michigan State and Ohio State. Some called for Harbaugh’s job, some called it his worst loss at Michigan and some just had jokes.
Michigan fans realizing they lost to a MSU team who got beat by Rutgers: https://t.co/4VFgih48eE pic.twitter.com/HldGu5rgTh
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) October 31, 2020
Michigan after watching Michigan State lose to Rutgers by 11 and after trailing MSU at half pic.twitter.com/1y3LWUqhlB
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 31, 2020
Jim Harbaugh doing what Jim Harbaugh does. The most overrated coach in America
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) October 31, 2020
This is Michigan's worst loss of the Jim Harbaugh era.
— Scott Bell (@sbell021) October 31, 2020
Jim Harbaugh is 3-3 against Michigan State and just lost to a first-year coach who got beat by Rutgers last week. You don't do that if you're a special coach.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 31, 2020
That will do it. There’s nothing #Michigan or Jim Harbaugh can do to get the fan base back.
It’s over.
— Brandon Brown (@BSB_Wolverine) October 31, 2020
Jim Harbaugh just Clay Helton with a Dockers endorsement deal
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 31, 2020
Jim Harbaugh is now 1-6 at home against Ohio State and Michigan State pic.twitter.com/NLCM8L3dr8
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) October 31, 2020
Michigan fans to Jim Harbaugh pic.twitter.com/KwiKtFLQJi
— Abdul Memon (@abdulamemon) October 31, 2020
Mel Tucker>Jim Harbaugh
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) October 31, 2020
Rutgers has a transitive win over Michigan.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 31, 2020
If Michigan loses this game Don Brown and Josh Gattis should get pink slips. Enough is enough with this shit. And Jim Harbaugh’s contract should not be extended unless he wins B10.
— Michael Spath (@MichaelSpathITH) October 31, 2020
It’s time for a new head coach. There isn’t 1 valid reason to keep Jim Harbaugh.
At the same time, Mel Tucker deserves a hell of a lot of credit. First year, ugly week 1 loss, but still got his team ready and beat Michigan.
Just a crazy game I don’t think anyone expected!
— Mike Sullivan (@MikeSullivan) October 31, 2020
Jim Harbaugh is 3-8 against Michigan State and Ohio State
— Aaron Goldhammer (@HammerNation19) October 31, 2020
Michigan losing as a 22-point favorite to Michigan State is the worst loss of the Jim Harbaugh era.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 31, 2020
Jim Harbaugh looking in the mirror pic.twitter.com/dv828FLh5n
— Karen Howell (@karenehowell) October 31, 2020
