It's already a can't miss, circle-your-calendar game for most people in the state of Michigan.

Add a coach returning from a heart attack, a Heisman front-runner and two unblemished records, and “can't miss” suddenly becomes an understatement.

The 2010 installment of the Michigan-Michigan State game, which will take place in Ann Arbor on Saturday, features storylines that are among the most intriguing in college football.

Spartan coach Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack following Michigan State’s overtime win over Notre Dame on Sept. 19. He planned to coach the Spartans last week against Wisconsin from the press box, but a blood clot in his leg kept him sent him back to the hospital. The fourth-year coach says nothing will keep him from coaching from the press box at the Big House on Saturday, though.

“You can't keep me down Michigan week," Dantonio said to begin his weekly news conference on Tuesday. "It's good to be back — again."

He’ll be welcomed back to the field with the biggest challenge in the Big Ten — containing Michigan’s explosive sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson.

According to the nation’s top college football analysts, Robinson is the favorite to run away with the Heisman Trophy. In five games, he’s already accumulated 1,008 passing yards, and he leads the nation with 905 rushing yards.

“Denard is an outstanding player,” Dantonio said. “When you look at the film, (Indiana) had the right defense and he makes people miss.

“We have to swarm and get a lot of people to the point of attack. The one thing about playing them is if he makes a guy miss, he has the ability to go the distance.”

Robinson is a huge — if not the — reason the Wolverines are 5-0 and just a win away from bowl eligibility. On the other side of the field, the key to the Spartans’ 5-0 start hasn't been just one player. It’s been their run game in general, perhaps most notably the emergence of running back Le’Veon Bell. The true freshman has averaged 94.2 yards per game so far.

Michigan State’s upset of then-No. 11 Wisconsin propelled the Spartans ahead of the Wolverines in this week’s AP and coaches polls.

Michigan State has won the last two meetings between the teams, and that includes last season’s heartbreaking loss in overtime. Talk of “little brother” has simmered and turned into a running joke up in East Lansing.

“Trust me, we talk about (the game) quite a bit and not just because they won the last two years,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday. “It’s no less important to us as it is to them.”

Rodriguez joked that he doesn’t have a countdown clock to the annual game, like Dantonio implemented after he was hired by the Spartans. He said he counts down to each upcoming game just the same.

Still, if Rodriguez wins this game, it will be the biggest victory of his coaching career at Michigan.

“They are all big, but this one is bigger,” Rodriguez said. “The rivalry games are always bigger. I'm sure they will tell you the same thing. It's a huge thing for both teams every year. The more you win, there's more at stake, and there's more at stake this year because both teams are undefeated.”