The Taunting Between Michigan State And U of M Fans Has Begun

In the words of fabled U of M historian John Bacon: "The only thing more annoying than a week of juvenile taunting between Michigan and Michigan State fans? Two weeks of it."

MSU's Weird Tweet Opened Round One Of The Annual 'Taunt Bowl'

The Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry is a long and historic one, and now that the football teams are both on a two-week break before their showdown on October 29, it's given supporters of both teams a lot of time to taunt each other. And that's probably not a good thing.

This year's shenanigans started immediately after Saturday's wins by both teams when the Michigan State Athletic Department tried to troll University of Michigan fans by making the block 'M' upside down on a tweet about the game time being announced as 7:30 pm.

It left Michigan fans not only baffled by what it meant but claiming MSU had given up already by giving U of M the 'W'. State's tweeters immediately deleted it.

Don't expect the quality of the trolling to get any better.

The pranks between the two schools have always been sophomoric at best.

The Game Will Be A Night Game, Kicking Off At 7:30pm To Accommodate ABC-TV

The annual showdown for the Paul Bunyan Trophy will be held at night for the first time since 2018 and will be broadcast nationally on ABC-TV. Kickoff from The Big House will be at 7:30 pm.

Internet Trolling Replaces The Paint And Statue Defamation From Days Gone By

Trolling each other on Twitter and other social media sources is relatively new to the time-honored rivalry. In the days before Tim Berners' magic carpet made of digital bytes, the schools would play pranks involving paint and the statue of Sparty in East Lansing or the Wolverine outside of Michigan Stadium.

And even in the modern era, paint pranks are still in play.

In 2013, State students awoke to find the Spartan statue in the middle of campus painted maize and blue. State fans retaliated in 2014 by painting the block 'M' in the Diag on campus a bright shade of green.

Ever since some fraternities at U of M will set up a perimeter to "Defend The Diag", and the beloved block 'M'. Meanwhile, the State Marching Band has taken to keeping an eye on big old 'Sparty'.

Jokes And Triggering Old Wounds Will Abound For The Next Two Weeks

If you really want to trigger a Michigan fan, it takes only a few words, "there's trouble with the snap!!" This references the bungled kick that cost the Wolverines a win in 2015.

Courtesy of CBS Detroit, here are the top ten Michigan-Michigan State jokes:

10. What does a State grad call a U-M grad? The boss
9. Why did the U-M grad cross the road? Because they thought someone on the other side didn't know where they went to school.
8. What's the difference between a State grad and a large pizza? The pizza can feed a family of four.
7. Why was the field at the Big House changed to cardboard? Because Michigan looks better on paper.
6. How do you get a State grad off your porch? Pay for the takeout.
5. Why did Mrs. Arbor refuse to name her daughter Ann? Because everyone knows Ann Arbor is a little bitch.
4. How do you keep a Spartan out of your yard? Put up a goal post.
3. What's the difference between Frosted Flakes and U-M? Frosted Flakes belong in a bowl.
2. Why did the State grad keep his diploma on the dashboard? So he could park in a handicapped space.
1. What's the difference between a dollar bill and U-M? The bill is good for four quarters.