If there was a moment on Tuesday that was telling of the meaning of Michigan State's upcoming showdown with Ohio State, it was one that nearly never came to fruition.
After all, it wasn't until the final question of Mark Dantonio's weekly press conference that the Spartans head coach was asked to compare his program's recent history with the Buckeyes to the storied Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
And when it was suggested that Michigan State's contention with the Buckeyes didn't measure up to the Wolverines', Dantonio jumped at the opportunity to interject.
"We're so conditioned in this region to think Michigan and Ohio State, Michigan and Ohio State and for good reason," the reporter began.
"Not really," Dantonio deadpanned while interrupting.
If the ninth-year Spartans head coach was offended by the premise that his program wasn't worthy of the attention afforded to the Buckeyes and Wolverines, it was with good reason. While Michigan floundered for the better part of the past decade under the direction of Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke after him, it was Michigan State that's most recently served as the most important game on Ohio State's schedule, with the Spartans beating the Buckeyes in the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game before losing a defacto Big Ten East title game in East Lansing to Urban Meyer's team last November.
Over the course of the past three seasons, Michigan State and Ohio State have combined for a 69-7 record, with four major bowl wins and a national championship between the two programs. Michigan, meanwhile, compiled a 12-13 record from 2013-14, before getting off to an 8-2 start under Jim Harbaugh this season.
But to the reporter's point, the Spartans' days as Ohio State's—or Michigan's, for that matter—chief rival, may be numbered.
Because while Michigan State has enjoyed remarkable consistency under Dantonio, the Spartans seem to be at a crossroads of sorts with the re-emergence of the Wolverines under Harbaugh threatening their status as the Buckeyes' biggest obstacle in the Big Ten. Michigan State may have knocked off Michigan on Oct. 17 thanks to Jalen Watts-Jackson's improbable blocked punt return, but all signs point to a bright future in Ann Arbor—much of which could come at the expense of the Spartans.
Especially on the recruiting trail, where Michigan State has recently seen a somewhat alarming number of recruits de-commit from their previous pledges to spend their college careers playing for the Spartans. At least two of those players—2016 4-star defensive tackle Naquan Jones and 2016 3-star running back Abdul Adams—are weighing offers from Michigan, which has also shown interest in 2016 3-star linebacker Jonah Morris, who told the Detroit Free Press that despite still being committed to the Spartans, he plans to continue to look around in his recruitment.
With fewer than three months to go until national signing day, Michigan State currently lays claim to the nation's 15th-ranked 2016 class, the fourth best in the Big Ten at the moment. Michigan, on the other hand, currently possesses the country's No. 9 class, a standing that could improve as Harbaugh's first full year on the recruiting trail for the Wolverines comes to a close.
As far as the Big Ten East is concerned, it's also worth noting that Ohio State is on track to land the nation's second-ranked class in 2016.
But it's not just Michigan State's momentum—or lack thereof—on the recruiting trail that has created a sense of urgency for the Spartans, but the current makeup of the MSU roster that's a cause for concern. Senior quarterback Connor Cook, defensive end Shilique Calhoun, wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, center Jack Allen and potentially junior left tackle Jack Conklin are each in the midst of playing the final few games of their college careers, creating a cloud of uncertainty over the Spartans for 2016.
Michigan, meanwhile, is expected to return six starters on each side of the ball next season, including star defensive backs Jourdan Lewis and Jabrill Peppers, and emerging wide receivers Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh. And while Ohio State is expected to see a mass exodus of talent head for the NFL draft, star quarterback J.T. Barrett will only be a junior, and Meyer has proven to reload rather than rebuild.
That's not to say that Dantonio won't be able to do the same, as Michigan State has actually recruited higher ranked classes in recent years than the ones that put it in position for its recent run of success in the first place. The Spartans also possess one of the best player development programs in all of the country, having routinely turned 3-star prospects into first-round picks.
What's more is that despite having already lost a game this season and sitting at ninth in the most recent College Football Playoff standings, Michigan State still controls its own destiny in this year's race for the Big Ten East—and perhaps beyond. With a win over the Buckeyes, the Spartans would be a regular-season finale victory over Penn State away from landing in Indianapolis for the conference title game, which could serve as a play-in game for the playoff should Michigan State be meeting an undefeated Iowa team, currently ranked fifth in the CFP standings.
"The bottom line is we're a 9-1 football team and we've found a way to win nine times," Dantonio said. "And while we're not perfect, because we didn't find a way [to win] the one week, we are in a position to move ourselves forward. I'm very, very proud of our football team, and our expectations remain extremely high."
But if the Buckeyes beat the Spartans this weekend and the Wolverines win their games against the Nittany Lions, it would set up an Ohio State-Michigan regular-season finale with a trip to the Big Ten title game—and potentially, much more—on the line for both teams.
With the way the Big Ten East is trending, it could be the first of many meaningful battles between the Buckeyes and Wolverines in the coming years, with the Spartans once again being on the outside looking in.
Just don't try telling Dantonio that.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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