Michigan State head football coach Jonathan Smith came over from Oregon State this offseason, bringing promising transfers like quarterback Aidan Chiles with him to East Lansing. On Monday, Smith made an admission about the Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry that emphasized the importance of the game to the Spartans faithful.

The day Jonathan Smith was introduced as Michigan State’s new coach, he was asked about the rivalry with Michigan. Nearly 11 months later, he’s finally getting a taste of it. Smith will take his Spartans to Ann Arbor on Saturday night to face the Wolverines in the annual battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

EAST LANSING — Jonathan Smith’s career revolves around college football Saturdays, yet coaches remain hyperfocused inside their own tightly structured bubbles each week. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise Michigan State football’s head coach is ...