Mark Dantonio thinks win over Michigan could be 'defining moment' for MSU

Eager to get his stagnant team back on track in the Big Ten race, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio informed the Lansing State Journal's Brian Calloway on Tuesday that he believes beating Michigan on Saturday could be a "defining moment" for his 2012 campaign.

The Spartans will enter Saturday's rivalry game with three losses in their last five games, with the most recent two coming by a total of four points. Even though Dantonio's team will face a stout test playing on the road in Ann Arbor, Michigan State has not dropped a game to the Wolverines since 2007 and clearly has the edge in the rivalry at the moment.

With no ranked schools currently remaining on Michigan State's schedule, Dantonio knows that this weekend is likely a make-or-break situation if he hopes to take his team back to a coveted Big Ten Championship game. A win over the Wolverines at The Big House could definitely vault Dantonio's team right back into both the national and Big Ten pictures, especially with a manageable slate of games remaining the rest of the way.

Dantonio on what a win in this year's U-M game would mean: "I think it can be a defining moment for us. I think it can be a rallying point."

— Brian Calloway (@brian_calloway) October 16, 2012