In Michigan, it was a sweep for the state in football this weekend. The Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, and Michigan State Spartans all won their contests. Each team had its own bright spots and low points in their early season matchups. However, this is the first weekend since November 2023 in which all three teams won.

For the Detroit Lions, optimism comes in the form of their offense. Jahmyr Gibbs had a career game with 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He excelled in his first career start without David Montgomery on the roster. The defense played a great first half, but began to fall apart after halftime. Tyler Shough passed for 410 yards against a secondary still lacking Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Kelvin Sheppard’s unit will need to play better if they are going to win on the road next week.

After a questionable win over Western Michigan, the Wolverines had a lot to prove on Sunday. They hosted #11 Oklahoma and showed they deserve to be back in the top 25. Michigan’s defense is one of the best in the country and showcased its elite run defense. However, quarterback Bryce Underwood underperformed again. He hasn’t shown consistency as a passer yet, and if Michigan wants to take the next steps, he will have to.

The Spartans hosted Eastern Michigan in what was the least eventful of the three games. They won 35-7 in a game where they dominated the line of scrimmage. Running back Cam Edwards is the real deal, and this offense will go as far as he can take them. On defense, Michigan State played a bend-don’t-break defense and held Eastern Michigan to one touchdown. However, their pass rush is not where it should be for a Big Ten program, and it could be a major issue going against one of the best offensive lines in college football next week.

Looking to next weekend, the Spartans face their toughest test yet as they head to play the #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame opened as a 29.5-point favorite in South Bend. On the other hand, Michigan has the easiest game with the University of Texas at El Paso. Michigan is a 35.5-point favorite over the Miners. Lastly, the Detroit Lions will be playing on a short week as they head to Buffalo to play the Bills for the debut of their new stadium. Buffalo’s offense exploded last week for 38 points, and the Lions will need improved secondary play if they want to stay in this game.