The Michigan football team kicked off its Big Ten slate last weekend with a 42-35 win over Indiana in Bloomington. This week, the Wolverines come back to Michigan Stadium to take on their in-state rivals from just up I-94.

Though Michigan emerged from Bloomington with the victory, the game only accentuated the Wolverines' struggles on defense. The Michigan secondary allowed Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell to throw for 480 yards and three touchdowns, and Michigan only squeaked out a win because of a sensational last-minute drive orchestrated by sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson.

This weekend's game against Michigan State will be Michigan's first true test of the season.

Michigan run offense vs. Michigan State run defense

Michigan will go into this game down at least one running back, possibly two. Fitzgerald Toussaint is still out with the shoulder injury he sustained against Bowling Green, and Mike Shaw is listed as probable with his knee still bothering him. Even with those two out, the Wolverines' run game should be tough to stop. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has been talking about spreading around the playing time, so expect to catch some glimpses of some younger ballcarriers. And of course, there's No. 16. The nation's leading rusher will surely carry the ball at least a few times on Saturday.

But even with all of those weapons, the Spartans still have a chance of containing the run game. Their linebackers are very, very good, especially senior Greg Jones, who was voted the preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year.

The jury is still out on whether it's even possible to gameplan around Robinson, but if Michigan State is able to do it, you can bet Jones will play a big role.

Edge: Michigan

Michigan pass offense vs. Michigan State pass defense

The Michigan pass offense came alive last weekend in Bloomington as the Wolverines racked up 277 yards through the air. Redshirt junior wideout Junior Hemingway joined redshirt sophomore Roy Roundtree and junior Darryl Stonum as a legitimate downfield threat, grabbing three catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.

Robinson has been great throwing the ball this season and he should be able to continue that against Michigan State. The Spartans rank third to last in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed (Michigan is last). The weak spot on the Spartan defense is undoubtedly its secondary, and the Wolverines should be able to take advantage of it during the game on Saturday.

Edge: Michigan

Michigan State run offense vs. Michigan run defense

Michigan State ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rushing and sports a talented backfield, led by sophomore Edwin Baker and spectacular freshman Le'Veon Bell. Bell rushed for 114 yards in the Spartans' overtime victory over Notre Dame, and he ran for 75 yards against Wisconsin.

The Wolverines have suffered from inconsistent play at the linebacker spot this season. Seniors Jonas Mouton and Obi Ezeh have had their strong showings but have also had very weak games, such as the narrow win over Massachusetts in which the Minutemen running backs gained 217 yards on the ground.

Edge: Michigan State

Michigan State pass offense vs. Michigan pass defense

Michigan's secondary has been nearly non-existent this season, and the stats back it up. The Wolverines have allowed 1,539 yards of passing this year, good for dead last in the conference by almost 300 yards. Many Michigan fans have resigned themselves to the fact that the Wolverines will have to outscore opponents to win, and this looks to be true against Michigan State.

The Spartans boast a premier passer in junior Kirk Cousins. The quarterback has completed almost 68 percent of his passes for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Cousins has plenty of weapons around him, the most prominent being senior Mark Dell. Dell leads the team in receiving yards with 263 and is a proven deep threat.

The young Michigan secondary will certainly have its hands full with an experienced quarterback and solid playmakers for the Spartans.

Edge: Michigan State

Special Teams

Michigan and Michigan State appear to be on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to special teams play this year.

Michigan still doesn't know what will happen when it needs to kick a field goal.