Michigan and Michigan State first met in 1898 and have played 118 times; Michigan leads the series 75–38–5. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Michigan 7–3, and Michigan has won the last 4. The winner takes home the Paul Bunyan Trophy, played for since 1953. Michigan has held it since the 2022 game. Share
Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since 1953 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Michigan’s side (Yost 3–0–1 against Brewer). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.
Both programs through the years
Michigan Michigan StateTicks under the axis: each meeting, in the winner’s color
Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.
1916 · Bismarck daily tribune, Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.], Oct 22, 1916
1926 · Evening star, District of Columbia, Oct 10, 1926
Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.
On television
ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from this game four times: 2021, 2015, 1999, 1997.
College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of its locations (CC BY-SA). Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.
Photos
1913 American football game between Michigan Agricultural College (now Mighigan State University) and the University of MichiganPhoto: Michigan State University Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Old College Field Historical MarkerPhoto: Heathens87, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Spartan Stadium in 2014 vs. MichiganPhoto: Lekcots11, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Michigan Football against Iowa in Iowa City on October 1, 2022. (Zoey Holmstrom)Photo: Maize & Blue Nation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe 2022 game
Michigan Football against Iowa in Iowa City on October 1, 2022. (Zoey Holmstrom)Photo: Maize & Blue Nation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe 2022 game
Michigan Football against Iowa in Iowa City on October 1, 2022. (Zoey Holmstrom)Photo: Maize & Blue Nation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe 2022 game
From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).
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