As far as Max Bullough is concerned, Michigan State has already faced its ultimate Big Ten Conference football rival.
"It's personal when you play a team like Michigan," the junior middle linebacker said before the season began. "There's no way around it. It's more intense than any other game we play."
But just because that assignment has now come and gone ? the Spartans endured a 12-10 loss last week at Michigan Stadium ? doesn't mean a sense of rivalry will be absent Saturday when they face the University of Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium.
"I would definitely look forward to playing Wisconsin with an extra edge more so than other (teams) just because of the nature of our last few games," senior linebacker Chris Norman said.
The last three meetings between the Badgers and Michigan State have been epic affairs that defined championship seasons for both programs.
In 2010, the Spartans gave UW its only league loss, a 3424 decision in East Lansing, Mich., and the teams ultimately shared the Big Ten regular-season title with 7-1 records. But thanks to Ohio State joining the mix as co-champions, it was the Badgers who drew the Rose Bowl assignment based on their higher status in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
In 2011, Michigan State prevailed at home 37-31 thanks to an unforgettable last-play Hail Mary pass that was declared a touchdown by replay review after officials initially ruled Keith Nichol was stopped shy of the goal line. But the Badgers got delicious payback when they rallied for a 42-39 victory in the inaugural Big Ten championship game and secured a second straight Rose Bowl berth.
The weight of those games, not to mention their high entertainment value, has helped cultivate a nice rivalry.
"It's not a rivalry like there is with Michigan because that's a different type of deal," Bullough said during the preseason Big Ten media days in Chicago. "I think it's a rivalry because of how intense the games were ? and what the games meant.
"When you think back to last year, you automatically think of the Big Ten Championship Game. You automatically think about the Hail Mary pass. And every time you think about those, you think about Wisconsin."
The rivalry has probably been germinating longer than that. Since Bret Bielema took over as UW coach in 2006 and Mark Dantonio became coach of the Spartans in 2007, drama has reigned in their six meetings.
All were one-score games in the fourth quarter. The Badgers have won three (2007, '09 and the Big Ten title game) and Michigan State has won three (2008, '10 and '11). The Spartans have a three-point edge (199-196) on the cumulative scoreboard.
"The games against Wisconsin have really been exciting," Norman said of the past two seasons. "They've always been close. They've always been physical.
"Naturally, I think, you're going to be inclined to have an extra edge toward Wisconsin. I don't think that was designed structurally. I just think that's something that happens and with good reason because we've been denied the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl."
In four of the six meetings, both clubs topped 30 points. This go-round looks like it will be lacking those offensive fireworks.
The Spartans have one of the elite defenses in the nation, ranking fifth by allowing 277.1 yards per game. By the same token, they rank 109th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring at 19.6 points per outing.
The drop-off in offensive production isn't all that shocking considering Michigan State has a new face at quarterback, Andrew Maxwell, and lost a lot of quality depth at wide receiver and tight end. The line, meanwhile, was supposed to be the strength of the unit, but injuries have led to shuffling at left guard, center and right tackle.
"There's no question we lost some great players to graduation," Dantonio said, referring to the likes of quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receivers B.J. Cunningham and Keyshawn Martin and tight end Brian Linthicum. "We're inexperienced at certain positions because of that and then we've been hit with some injuries.
"All those things result in maybe not playing up to expectations."
While Michigan State has limped to a 44 mark overall, 1-2 in the Big Ten, the Badgers (6-2, 3-1) have recovered from some major personnel losses and a slow start. Dantonio said on the Big Ten coaches' teleconference Tuesday they resemble the high-powered club he schemed against last season.
"They've been dominant," he said.
Norman said preparing for the Badgers starts with some psychological equipment.
"You have to bring your big-boy pads when you play them," he said.
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