Why Michigan football doesn't need bulletin board material for Michigan State game

Michigan State football has long embraced having a "chip on its shoulder."

Former coach Mark Dantonio famously said "pride comes before the fall" after now-Michigan running back coach Mike Hart even more famously called MSU the "little brother" in 2007 following U-M's 28-24 comeback win in East Lansing his senior year.

Dantonio's diatribe continued: "It's not over, it will never be over."

That mentality has been maintained in East Lansing, with MSU (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) doing everything it can during "rivalry week" to get the team fired up. Mel Tucker said Tuesday he spent part of the week replaying clips and showing his team press clippings that could be seen as disrespectful.

"We really did not roll out the bulletin board material and all the video and that stuff until this morning, even though it's already out there," he said. "We rolled this stuff out there this morning from an educational standpoint — the players can get it from us and not the outside. And then we build from there.

"Like I told the players, it's something you have to embrace."

KEY FACTORS TO WATCH:Michigan football vs. Michigan State: Who must step up for both teams on Saturday night?

As for the fourth-ranked Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten), they say they're not checking what's going on in East Lansing ahead of Saturday's game — the second contest at night in the 115 meetings between the two teams.

They've discussed publicly how the Spartans need to be taken seriously, and added they won't be overconfident entering the game as 23½-point favorites. That said, according to Michigan's star running back Blake Corum, his team doesn't need bulletin board material in order to get fired up, he just wants to put the Paul Bunyan Trophy in Michigan's trophy case, which has yet to happen in his college career.

"I just want to win; that can be my bulletin board material," he told reporters Tuesday night. "I don’t need them to say anything to get me hyped up. I’m just ready to win."

SEIDEL:Why Donovan Edwards' tears revealed everything about this Michigan football running back

Still, the Spartans are staying tight-lipped as best they can. That goes all the way to the coaching staff, like when defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett spoke to reporters Tuesday and was asked why the rivalry is personal to him.

Before he answered the question, he stepped back from the lectern and took a deep breath.

“I said no billboard material," he responded with a smile. "I almost said something, too."

It's part of the nature of the rivalry. Questions will be asked both ways and players are often confident and express that outwardly. It can then get turned into headlines and shared around locker rooms, with coaches and staffers reinforcing whatever message was said to intentionally get under players' skins.

"You're not going to win the game off bulletin board material," Michigan receiver Cornelius Johnson said. "I know what you're saying off bulletin board material, like if you say something and they carry it or use it for motivation, but I just try to take that in the back of my mind.

"You already know what's at stake, you can't say really anything else that's bulletin board material."

That doesn't mean it's irrelevant. The so-called bulletin board material did seem to be on the mind of MSU players a season ago. Senior safety Xavier Henderson called out a number of former Michigan football players a season ago who spoke out about the game prior to kickoff last season.

JEFF SEIDEL:Jim Harbaugh's old khakis will explode if he loses to Michigan State's Mel Tucker again

"It sounded good before the game,” he said before reporters had even finished setting down their recorders. “Thanks, Mike Hart — Coach D (Dantonio) said it'll never be over; it's still not over. Thanks, (Chase) Winovich. Thanks, (Taylor) Lewan. Thanks, Braylon Edwards. I bet you know Chuck Brantley's name now, don't you?

"It sounded good, but I don't know what they're talking about now."

With those comments coming back around, Edwards spoke out on his show on Woodward Sports Network on Tuesday and doubled down.

"Since Xavier Henderson wanted to open up his mouth and say, 'I bet you know (Charles Brantley's) name now,' he had four tackles, you had four tackles, congratulations," Edwards said. "You still gave up 550 yards of total offense. You let Cade McNamara, who was a guy who hadn't thrown for more than 180 yards, throw for 384 yards. You let our running backs go for a buck-fifty again, you didn't get any sacks, you didn't get to the quarterback, you did exactly what I said you were going to — you were a bad defense and got bailed out by K9 (Kenneth Walker III).

"You got the W, so I'm going to leave it there and say congratulations. ... But what we said was your defense sucked, and here we 365 (days later) almost to the day, and your defense is actually even worse, so I would pipe down."

As for those putting on uniforms in Ann Arbor this weekend, the focus is on the game. Corum said Saturday can't get here soon enough. Defensive back Makari Paige said he desperately wants to get Paul Bunyan back in-house.

RAINER SABIN:After dominating Michigan State as a player, Jim Harbaugh simply wants to get even

Johnson ended by saying this game will be settled like every other one — between the white lines.

"We talked about it, that game's not going to be won on social media, it's not going to be won on whatever you guys say or whatever is tweeted out there or posted on Instagram," he said. "All the hype videos and stuff I feel like, that's not going to win the game, obviously.

"What's going to matter is what happens at 7:30 on Main Street, so that's really what we're focused on from the first play to the last."

Contact Tony Garcia at apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football doesn't need bulletin board material for MSU