For the first time since 2012, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is back in Ann Arbor.
The trophy, which dates back to 1953, is awarded to the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State football game. This weekend, the Wolverines defeated the Spartans in East Lansing 32-23.
The victory resulted in this tweet from Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh:
Paul and Senior RT Eric Magnuson riding shotgun, enjoying a happy bus trip back to Ann Arbor. Looks like Paul has a smile on his face! pic.twitter.com/9SqPHRzvnP
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) October 29, 2016
It was a competitive game despite the fact that the two teams are going in opposite directions this season.
The Wolverines are currently ranked No. 2 in the country, while the Spartans, who have been a Top 10 team the last few years, are having one of their worst seasons in decades, dropping to 2-6 on the campaign.
Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Stateside for his weekly roundup. He thought MSU would play Michigan tough in the first half and then fade in the second. However, the game was the opposite as U-M jumped out to the early lead and the Spartans rallied to make it a competitive game in the second half.
Listen to the full interview above to hear more about the big game, Jabrill Peppers' chances of winning the Heisman Trophy (the trophy given out to the nation's best college football player), and why undefeated Western Michigan is the second-best college football team in the state.
(Subscribe to the Stateside podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or with this RSS link)
You can watch the highlights of Michigan's win over Michigan State below:
