Call it shocking, stunning, surprising, staggering, stupefying.
Just don't call it an upset because the actuality didn't fit the narrative.
Michigan State was clearly the better team Saturday while downing Michigan, 27-24.
The oddsmakers, with a three-touchdown spread, simply got it wrong. A lot of us did.
We overrated Michigan's win at Minnesota, and underrated the Spartans' first game jitters under new head coach Mel Tucker while losing to Rutgers.
Tucker schooled Jim Harbaugh during his debut in the rivalry. His squad was considerably better prepared on both sides of the ball, and played at a much sharper emotional pitch.
Michigan State offensive coordinator Jay Johnson's play-calling was a breath of fresh air compared the previous MSU coaching regime. The Spartans continually took shots downfield, subsequently opening the rest of the offense. He had enough guts to feed the ball to a true freshman, 4-star recruit Ricky White, who caught passes for 196 yards. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi's development is astonishing given how unrefined he was in the past.
It was classic exploitation of two things:
- Michigan's lack of cover corners.
- Wolverine defensive coordinator Don Brown's inability to make in-game adjustments.
This was a devastating defeat for Harbaugh. He had every advantage in regard to player personnel, being in his sixth-year compared to Tucker's first and the game taking place in Ann Arbor.
Harbaugh is just .500 against MSU - 3-3. The Wolverines have lost nine of the last 13 games in the rivalry. It is a severe a step back, especially when compounded with Ohio State owning Michigan during the same span.
Give Tucker, Johnson, Lombardi and the Spartans credit. There wasn't even spring practice to prepare for the first season after the coaching overhaul.
Yet, truthfully, it was as much an indictment of Michigan's program under Harbaugh.
Bo Schembechler was 17-4 vs. MSU.
Lloyd Carr had his foot on the Spartans' collective neck, as well.
At minimum, the expectation of Michigan's football coach is the Wolverines will defeat MSU consistently, especially when the Spartans are down.
But instead of kicking the Spartans, the Wolverines uplifted MSU's cause.
Given it's the sixth year of Harbaugh's seven-year contract, it's fair to wonder if this loss is the beginning of the end for him as UM's head coach.
Conversely, it was a great moment for Tucker, who proved to be anything but in over his head during the most important game on MSU's schedule.
