Rivalry leaderboard
Michigan-Michigan State Greatest Games
The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 70/100
- Overtime
- 2
Series context
- Completed meetings
- 118
- Series record
- Michigan 75-38-5 Michigan State
- Tracked years
- 1898-2025
- Trophy
- Paul Bunyan Trophy
Series ranking
The rivalry's top 25 games
25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.
- 1999Week 7
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 31, Michigan State 34
Winner: Michigan State
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 11 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
70
Game score
- 2021Week 9
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 33, Michigan State 37
Winner: Michigan State
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 8 Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
69
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Michigan State vs. Michigan (Regular Season Full Game)
- 1956Week 4
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 9, Michigan 0
Winner: Michigan State
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Michigan · 9-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
- 1958Week 4
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 12, Michigan 12
Result: Tie
No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 14 Michigan · 0-point margin
Ranking 29/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
- 1948Week 3
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 13, Michigan State 7
Winner: Michigan
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 19 Michigan State · 6-point margin
Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
61
Game score
- 2003Week 11
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 27, Michigan State 20
Winner: Michigan
No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 9 Michigan State · 7-point margin
Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
60
Game score
- 1989Week 7
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 10, Michigan State 7
Winner: Michigan
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 21 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 26/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
58
Game score
- 1949Week 3
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 3, Michigan 7
Winner: Michigan
No. 15 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Michigan · 4-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
56
Game score
- 1975Week 6
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 16, Michigan State 6
Winner: Michigan
No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 15 Michigan State · 10-point margin
Ranking 29/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
54
Game score
- 2001Week 11
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 24, Michigan State 26
Winner: Michigan State
No. 6 Michigan vs. Unranked Michigan State · 2-point margin
Ranking 20/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
53
Game score
- 1955Week 3
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 7, Michigan 14
Winner: Michigan
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 2 Michigan · 7-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1990Week 8
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 28, Michigan 27
Winner: Michigan State
No. 24 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Michigan · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1997Week 10
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 23, Michigan State 7
Winner: Michigan
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 15 Michigan State · 16-point margin
Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 19/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
- 1940Week 4
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 14, Michigan 21
Winner: Michigan
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 3 Michigan · 7-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
- 1995Week 11
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 25, Michigan State 28
Winner: Michigan State
No. 7 Michigan vs. Unranked Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
- 1977Week 6
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 24, Michigan State 14
Winner: Michigan
No. 1 Michigan vs. Unranked Michigan State · 10-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
50
Game score
- 1953Week 9
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 6, Michigan State 14
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan vs. No. 3 Michigan State · 8-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
50
Game score
- 2017Week 6
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 14, Michigan 10
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 7 Michigan · 4-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
50
Game score
Highlight · 2017 Michigan vs. Michigan State (Regular Season Full Game)
- 2004Week 101OT
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 37, Michigan 45
Winner: Michigan
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 12 Michigan · 8-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 9/15
50
Game score
- 1971Week 5
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 24, Michigan State 13
Winner: Michigan
No. 2 Michigan vs. Unranked Michigan State · 11-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15
48
Game score
- 1966Week 5
Michigan at Michigan State
Michigan 7, Michigan State 20
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 13-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 22/35 · Overtime 0/15
47
Game score
- 1941Week 2
Michigan State at Michigan
Michigan State 7, Michigan 19
Winner: Michigan
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 3 Michigan · 12-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 23/35 · Overtime 0/15
46
Game score
Methodology
How each game earns up to 100 points
AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.
Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.
Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.
Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.