Great Lakes Divide

Ryan and Tom reflect upon Saturday’s action, which saw Michigan grab an important win (69-63) at Madison Square Garden over #25 Rutgers - while #14 Michigan State struggled through another slow start on the road in a 64-63 loss to Wisconsin at the Kohl Center in Madison. Brandon Johns is emerging as a go-to player for the Wolverines in the absence of Isaiah Livers, but it was a tough day for a struggling Xavier Tillman and the Spartans that was hard to explain. Tom also reveals his Super Bowl game day rituals and traditions, which may surprise you - as Ryan compares him to another famous Michigan alum… Ted Kaczynski.

Ryan and Tom reflect upon Michigan’s short-handed win at Nebraska, without the injured Isaiah Livers - and the suspended Zavier Simpson. Brandon Johns steps up with what might have been his best all-around game of the season (16 points, 7 rebounds), and Eli Brooks gets back on track as well (20 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast) for the Wolverines in a 79-68 victory over the Huskers. Meanwhile, Michigan State laid down the law with Northwestern en route to a breezy 79-50 decision that vaulted the Spartans back atop the Big Ten standings by themselves. Also, Coack K goes off on the Cameron Crazies for mocking one of their own (Jeff Capel) in a harmless chant.

Ryan and Tom remember the life and legacy of Kobe Bryant (1978-2020), one of nine people killed tragically in a helicopter accident on Sunday morning in Calabasas, California - along with his 13 year-old daughter Gianna (GiGi), on their way to a basketball event with her and two teammates and their parents. While there might not be a single ‘must-win’ in January, the losses for Michigan are piling up after suffering their fourth straight defeat - 64-62 to Illinois at Crisler Center. Meanwhile, Michigan State corrected course with an impressive 70-52 victory at Minnesota on Sunday. Can a starting lineup shuffle ignite the Spartans down the stretch run of the Big Ten season?

Ryan and Tom analyze basketball losses for Michigan at home against Penn State (72-63) and for Michigan State on the road against Indiana (67-63), as well as the current state of the Big Ten race. The Wolverines struggled again from 3-point range, hitting just 5-of-28 shots from beyond the arc, and continue to miss the presence of Isaiah Livers - his long-distance shooting, transition defense, and strength in the post against opposing big men. The Spartans again sputtered to a slow start in the state of Indiana - falling behind 18-4 against the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall, after trailing 19-4 in their last trip to Purdue. Both games ended in losses, as Tom Izzo looks for answers after a rare instance where MSU was outrebounded (31-29).

Ryan and Tom recap Friday’s action, with a 67-55 win for Michigan State at home against Wisconsin - and a 90-83 loss for Michigan at Iowa. Cassius Winston became the Big Ten’s all-time assist leader, passing his predecessor Mateen Cleaves with #817 on a high feed for a Xavier Tillman dunk. Rocket Watts is taking off, finally rounding into form after an early-season injury that slowed him down, notching 11 points including three impressive 3-pointers that helped seal the game for the Spartans. The Wolverines continue to struggle down low against opposing big men, as Luka Garza registered 33 points for the Hawkeyes. Michigan struggled with foul trouble throughout, despite a career-high 25 from Eli Brooks. The guys also discuss Tony Paul’s recent article in the Detroit News, outlining the timeline of events that led to a downward spiral for Michigan State football, following Mark Dantonio’s deposition in Curtis Blackwell’s lawsuit against MSU.

Ryan and Tom take a look back at Sunday’s action, with disappointing road losses for Michigan State at Purdue (71-42) and Michigan at Minnesota (75-67) - proving just how daunting the Big Ten gauntlet is this season, away from the comforts of home. Ryan opines that the team with the best road record in the Big Ten is likely to win the conference regular season title, while Tom laments the fact that Juwan Howard refuses to double down on opposing big men who have dominated the Wolverines - including Luka Garza (Iowa), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Xavier Tillman (Michigan State), Trevion Williams (Purdue)… and, on Sunday, Daniel Oturu for the Golden Gophers. Ryan asks Tom which stat might bother Tom Izzo the most from MSU’s Sunday box score: turnovers, assists, 3-point percentage, or the final score itself?

Ryan and Tom sum up Big Ten basketball wins for #19 Michigan over Purdue and #8 Michigan State against Minnesota, examine some poorly-chosen words for John Beilein with his Cleveland Cavaliers players, and reflect upon the life and times of former Michigan State football head coach George Perles (1934-2020). Zavier Simpson’s 22 points and 9 assists led the Wolverines to an 84-78 double overtime triumph over the Boilermakers, but Michigan continues to struggle against strong post players - as Trevion Williams posted 36 points and 20 rebounds for Purdue. Xavier Tillman continued his strong play (19 pts, 16 reb) in a 74-58 Spartans victory against the Golden Gophers, as MSU claimed its eighth straight win and remained a perfect 5-0 in conference play to start the season.

Ryan and Tom reflect upon Michigan State’s dominant 87-69 win over Michigan at Breslin Student Events Center on Sunday, led by a virtuoso performance from Cassius Winston (32 points, 9 assists). The Wolverines try to figure out a path forward without Isaiah Livers for the time being, and Tom offers his thoughts as to what the team misses and lacks in his absence. Juwan Howard pushes back on a reporter’s question about his level of ‘hate’ in the rivalry against MSU as a head coach, and the guys take to Twitter for a couple of jabs thrown by Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke and former Michigan center Jordan Morgan. Can this rivalry be fun without getting nasty?

Ryan and Tom ring in 2020 with an episode bursting at the seams - full recaps of Michigan State’s 27-21 New Era Pinstripe Bowl win over Wake Forest and Michigan’s 35-16 loss to Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, along with a breakdown of MSU Basketball’s impressive 76-56 victory over Illinois at Breslin Student Events Center on Thursday night. It all leads to the Spartans’ showdown at home this Sunday against Juwan Howard’s Wolverines, who will be playing without Isaiah Livers - due to a serious groin injury. What went right for Michigan State in their bowl triumph over the Demon Deacons, and what still needs to change going forward for Spartan football to be better than break-even in the win-loss column? Why can’t Jim Harbaugh recruit and develop his own ‘four-year program guy’ at quarterback, and where did Shea Patterson fall short against the Crimson Tide? Xavier Tillman breaks through with a monster performance against the Illini, is there more in store against Michigan this weekend? Can Marcus Bingham be the Dennis Rodman/John Salley type player who does all the little things like Kenny Goins did for MSU?

Highlights from the year that was 2019, in conversations - as Ryan and Tom go in-depth on all things Big Ten, Michigan State, and Michigan with authors John U. Bacon (Overtime) and Ed Sherman (This Is B1G). Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press takes us behind the scenes into one of the most difficult and important pieces he has ever written, the timeline and impact of Cassius Winston losing his brother Zachary to suicide at the dawn of this basketball season. Riveting interviews, in case you missed them, that you won’t want to miss again - and are definitely worth revisiting, if you haven’t heard them in a while. Happy New Year!