The battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy is storied to say the least. Animosity between teams in the same state are pretty common, but for these two Michigan-based teams, it goes back farther than most.

This rivalry began all the way back in 1898, but the Paul Bunyan Trophy didn't exist until it was by Michigan governor Mennen Williams to commemorate Michigan State's first year of football in the Big Ten. The trophy has changed hands many times over the decades of play between the two teams, which became an annual occurrence in 1945. After each game, the winner engraves their victory on the trophy plaque and puts it on display.

Michigan football holds the lead in the rivalry with a total record of 74-38-5, and the Spartans have the longest losing streak of the two at 14 consecutive games lost. The first game they played against each other was on October 12th,1898, which ended in a 39-0 blowout win for Michigan, and the last game was played on October 26th, 2024, which ended in a 24-17 one-possession victory for the Wolverines.

The Spartans this year weren't really up to snuff this year, ending with a 3-6 record in their conference, and a 5-7 record overall. Michigan football, however, went 5-4 in their conference, 8-5 on the season, and shocked fans from all over with a 6-point upset win over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

It will be interesting to see how this long standing rivalry develops between these two schools. Teams change from year to year, with players graduating and new recruits coming in. The football world can only wait and see which team bests the other next year.