The 5 Best Michigan-Michigan State Games [Video]

For the first time in years, the Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry has national implications when the 12th ranked Wolverines host the 7th ranked Spartans in the Big House Saturday with both the Big Ten East Division lead and the Paul Bunyan Trophy at stake.

Here's a look back at some of the big upsets and tight games in the 108 year history of the rivalry.

5. The Game Nobody Wanted To Win (2005) -- In the second consecutive game in the rivalry to go into overtime, the kickers for both teams missed critical field goal attempts in the fourth quarter to force the extra stanza. Spartan kicker John Goss than upped the ante by missing his attempt to give the Spartans the lead in overtime. Michigan kicker Garrett Rivas sealed the Wolverine win with a 35 yard field goal minutes later, knocking the Spartans from the Top 25.

4. Triple Overtime or 'The Braylon Edwards Show' (2004) -- Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton was knocked out of the game with an injury in the first half, leaving the Spartan fortunes in the hands of backup Damon Dowdell. Dowdell did his best, staking Spartans out to a 27-10 lead in Ann Arbor. Led by All American wide receiver Braylon Edwards, the Wolverines rallied in the fourth quarter to tie it 27-27. Spartan kicker Dave Rayner had a chance to win it in regulation, but his 50 yard kick was literally knocked down by stiff winds that were gusting at over 30 mph that afternoon. The teams then exchanged touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second overtime before the Wolverines won it in the third OT with a touchdown and a two point conversion. The 45-37 Wolverine victory was the first overtime game in the series. Edwards had over 180 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns for the Wolverines, including the game winner.

3. 'Little Brother' (2007) -- Trailing 24-14 in East Lansing, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne went to work, tossing two touchdown passes, including the game winner to Mario Manningham with 2:28 remaining to rally the Wolverines to a 28-24 win. After the game, Michigan running back Mike Hart downplayed the importance of the game, referring to the Spartans as the Wolverines 'little brother'. “I thought it was funny," Hart told reporters, "They got excited. Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you’re playing basketball, and you let him get the lead, and then you come back and take it back."

The comment burned at the heart of the State players and their faithful, and Michigan State went on to win the next six games in the series.

2. The Eddie Brown Bump (1990) -- Top ranked and undefeated Michigan was a huge favorite heading into the 1990 game in Ann Arbor, but the Spartans were leading with six seconds left when Michigan quarterback Elvis Grbac connected with wide receiver Derrick Alexander to cut the State lead to 28-27. Rather than kick the extra point to tie, Michigan coach Gary Moeller elected to go for the two point conversion and the win. Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard got tangled up with Michigan State defensive back Eddie Brown on the two point attempt, and the ball fell harmlessly to the turf. Michigan fans screamed for an interference call, but the Spartans walked out of town with the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

1. The Questionable Clock (2001) -- Once again, the Wolverines came into the game undefeated and highly ranked, and they held the lead 24-20, when the Spartans took over at midfield with less than three minutes left. The Wolverines caught a break when the officials inadvertently charged the Spartans with their last time out following a Michigan penalty. After Spartan quarterback Jeff Smoker was stopped at the one yard line, the only way State could stop the clock was to hustle to the line of scrimmage and spike the ball. Smoker spiked the ball with one second left, and then tossed the game winning pass to T.J. Duckett one play later. Even though videotape footage showed that Smoker downed the ball in time, Michigan fans felt that the clock keeper at Spartan Stadium was a little too quick in stopping the clock with one second remaining. Michigan announcer Frank Beckman was beside himself with the call and never let it go, and for years would bad mouth the clock keeper.