Michigan State currently leads the Big Ten's Legends Division. The Spartans are the only Legends Division team with one conference loss, and they control their own destiny. If Michigan State beats Indiana on Saturday and Northwestern next week, it will represent the Legends Division in the first ever Big Ten title game.
Even if the Spartans drop one of their final two games, they could still make it to the Big Ten title game. The only two-loss teams in the Legends Division right now are Michigan and Nebraska. MSU holds the head-to-head tiebreaker against Michigan, but not against Nebraska. If both the Spartans and Cornhuskers finish with two conference losses, for example, Nebraska would get the nod.
What is working in MSU's favor is that Nebraska faces a tough final two games: at Michigan on Saturday and vs. Iowa next week. The Cornhuskers could certainly win out, but many think they will lose to Michigan in Ann Arbor this weekend. If that were to happen, Michigan State would actually wrap up the Legends Division with a win over Indiana. If this scenario plays out, MSU could have no more than two conference losses and Nebraska would already be at three, meaning one spot in Indy would already be determined.
Although Michigan State can clinch the division on Saturday if it gets some help from Michigan, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio unsurprisingly has no interest in rooting for the Wolverines.
"No, sorry, I can’t," Dantonio said. "We just have to do it our own way. You know, we’d let too many people down if we did. We’re in control of our own destiny.
Because MSU does control its own destiny, it's not necessary for the Spartans to root for Michigan unless they don't want to wait a week. Unlike the situation in recent years where a Michigan win was necessary for MSU to have a shot at a Big Ten title or a trip to the Rose Bowl, everything is in Michigan State's hands right now.