How to watch No. 2 Michigan vs. Michigan State: Time, TV/live stream, key storylines for Week 8 matchup
The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines travel to face the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, October 21 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Live coverage will be part of NBC Sports' B1G Saturday Night, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Keep reading for how to watch and key storylines for the game.
Michigan
The Wolverines are an overwhelming favorite against their in-state rival, with the real story this week being the latest NCAA investigation into the program. News broke Thursday that Michigan has been notified by the NCAA that its football program is being investigated for allegedly stealing signs. Head coach Jim Harbaugh – who served a school-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the season for a separate NCAA infractions investigation – said he has no knowledge of the alleged sign-stealing, and Michigan said it will cooperate with the investigation. Read more about the situation here.
On the field, and despite potential distractions, Michigan is rolling. The team has won every game this season by more than 20 points and is coming off consecutive 40+ point wins, as they look for their third-straight College Football Playoff berth and first national title since the 1997 season.
Nothing is guaranteed though, especially in a rivalry, and the Wolverines are heading to the site of their last Big Ten and regular-season loss (37-33 in October 2021).
Michigan State
The Spartans are hoping to stop the bleeding with an upset win after posting four-straight losses. The losses have come under interim head coach Harlan Barnett, who replaced Mel Tucker after Tucker was fired for cause on September 27 following sexual harassment allegations.
Michigan State is coming off a tough loss against Rutgers, which mounted an incredible comeback last week, erasing an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to shock the Spartans. The bright spot was an offensive spark in new starting quarterback Katin Houser.
To add to the negative attention on this Michigan State team, onlookers will be watching the Spartans' sideline behavior closely following a post-game altercation in the tunnel of Michigan Stadium at last year's matchup. The altercation – in which videos showed several Michigan State players assaulting a Michigan player as well as a Michigan State player swinging his helmet at another Michigan player – would lead to eight Spartans being suspended and seven being criminally charged.
How to watch the Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans
When: Saturday, October 21
Where: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC, Peacock
How can I watch Big Ten on Peacock?
The Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans game will broadcast on NBC and stream on Peacock. Sign up for Peacock here.
What devices support Peacock?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices.
View the full list of supported devices here.
