Michigan State Survives Oakland’s Challenge, Holds Firm in Top 10
Let’s be honest - Michigan State’s win over Oakland on Saturday afternoon won’t make anyone’s season highlight reel. But for Tom Izzo, it was another gritty victory in a rivalry that’s always more battle than blowout.
Every year, Izzo circles this matchup with Oakland on the calendar - not because it’s a marquee showdown, but because he knows exactly what’s coming: a hard-nosed, nothing-comes-easy kind of game against Greg Kampe’s Golden Grizzlies. These two coaches go way back, and Kampe’s teams never roll over.
That’s why Izzo reportedly still loses sleep the night before this one. And on Saturday in Detroit, that anxiety proved justified - at least early on.
Oakland came out swinging, knocking down threes and setting the tone with confidence. For a moment, it looked like they might be able to hang around longer than expected.
But Michigan State did what veteran teams do - they absorbed the early punches, regrouped, and started asserting control. Once the Spartans grabbed the lead, they didn’t give it back.
That doesn’t mean they coasted. Oakland kept things interesting, trimming the lead down to single digits multiple times in the final 10 minutes.
But every time the Grizzlies threatened to make it a one-possession game, Michigan State responded - extending the margin, controlling the tempo, and ultimately closing the door. A late foul with 20 seconds left made the final score a little tighter than it should’ve been, but the outcome was never really in doubt.
Now, if you were someone who took Michigan State -20.5, well… you probably haven’t watched many of these matchups. This is a series that rarely follows the script.
Oakland always shows up with a chip on its shoulder, and Kampe’s group plays like it has something to prove - because it does. That’s part of what makes this annual meeting so intriguing, even if it doesn’t always deliver aesthetically.
Poll Implications? Not Much to Worry About
Was it a pretty win? Not exactly.
Will it hurt Michigan State in the rankings? Probably not.
The Spartans came into the weekend ranked No. 9, and while the performance wasn’t dominant, voters who understand the context of this rivalry aren’t likely to penalize them too harshly. This game is always closer than it should be on paper. That’s just how it goes.
Looking at the teams just behind Michigan State, there’s not a clear-cut case for anyone to leapfrog the Spartans. BYU didn’t do enough to warrant a jump.
Vanderbilt handled Wake Forest, but that win doesn’t move the needle much. Texas Tech and North Carolina are in the conversation, but neither has a signature performance strong enough to push them past Izzo’s squad - at least not this week.
Duke, on the other hand, might slide a spot or two after its one-point loss to Texas Tech on a neutral floor. But Duke still holds a head-to-head win over Michigan State, which gives the Blue Devils a bit of cushion.
Bottom line: Michigan State should hold steady at No. 9.
The win wasn’t flashy, but it was another notch in the win column against a team that always plays them tough. And at this point in the season, surviving games like this is just part of the grind.
Izzo knows that better than anyone.