The Spartans got pulled back to road reality by the raucous crowd at Jersey Mike's Arena and a Rutgers defense that fed off it. And almost every time No. 8 MSU clawed its way back from an eventual 12-point deficit, the Scarlet Knights drained a momentum-stopping shot.

Tom Izzo ripped into Michigan State’s performance after the Rutgers win, warning the Spartans must improve despite surviving a road test.

The Spartans are continuing to rise in the projected brackets.

No. 7 Michigan State hosts No. 3 Michigan Friday in a Big Ten showdown featuring contrasting team-building approaches and championship aspirations.

Other than MSU's escape at Rutgers, there’s nothing among their common opponents that really separates them. You get at least three points for being home, per the Vegas line. Michigan beat Nebraska by three at home. MSU lost to Nebraska by two on the road. It’s essentially the same result.

Michigan State men’s basketball removed any concern Maryland might have had about traveling home before an impending snowstorm. The Terps were outscored 18-0 during a five-minute stretch early in the first half and could not make up the difference en route to a 91-48 loss to the No.

Jeremy Fears scored 27 of his career-high 29 points in the second half and overtime, and No. 7 Michigan State outlasted Rutgers 88-79 on Tuesday night. Fears also had nine assists, including a pass to Divine Ugochukwu for the tying 3-pointer from the corner with 11 seconds left in regulation.

No. 7 Michigan State was discombobulated nearly all Tuesday night, but still found a way to take down Rutgers in overtime, 88-79. Jeremy Fears Jr. led the way with a career-high 29 points and nine assists,