Gruen's Big Ten Glance: Michigan State Has Become What Michigan Wants To Be (Again)

By Seth Gruen--

(CBS) It has been a while since Michigan has been relevant. I mean, really relevant -- not the kind of feign at relevancy that an appearance in a BCS bowl may have given the Wolverines. I'm talking about the kind of relevancy that entrenches them in the national championship hunt. And yes, the kind that makes them a viable threat to beat Ohio State in their last game of the season.

So long has it been that when Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh to be its football coach this past winter, the country decided to just pretend that all of a sudden the Wolverines were back on top again -- just because they wrote Harbaugh a check, and a very large one at that. Yes, college football is better when a traditional power like Michigan is relevant, but in the jubilation of the Harbaugh hire, I was miffed for Michigan State and coach Mark Dantonio.

While Michigan's program sputtered under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodgriguez, Dantonio quietly built the Spartans program into a perennial national championship contender. The Spartans are eying their third straight double-digit win season and sixth in the last seven seasons. Dantonio did it with defense. He did it with a stable of solid running backs. Heck, he did it the Michigan way.

Under Dantonio, Michigan State became exactly what Michigan wants to be (again). When Harbaugh was hired, it was assumed to be a done deal. Harbaugh would bring Michigan back to prominence. The talk was all about Urban Meyer and Harbaugh, egregiously leaving Dantonio out of the conversation.

No offense to Harbaugh, but he hasn't done anything yet. Not in Ann Arbor.

None of this is to say Harbaugh won't have success at Michigan. I bet he will. The guy has won everywhere he has been. But let's wait until he actually wins to ordain him the reincarnation of Bo Schembechler. A 3-1 start and No. 22 ranking doesn't justify the euphoria surrounding this Michigan program, not yet. If the state of Michigan is to bring home a national championship, that trophy will reside in East Lansing.

For now, the dueling Big Ten coaches are Meyer and Dantonio. Harbaugh will have to watch.

Let Harbaugh's seasons do the talking as opposed to a single, though impressive, win over a ranked BYU team. Michigan's program wasn't born on third. After rounding the bases more than once, it's back at the plate. Don't give Harbaugh the credit Dantonio should be getting.

Unlike Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, Nick Saban at Alabama or Meyer at Ohio State, Dantonio took over a Michigan State program with little history. He's still in the process of writing it. The Spartans, I believe, are a team that will be selected into the College Football Playoff. They play Ohio State at home on Nov. 21 in a game that's sure to be as anticipated as any regular-season game in recent memory. And even with a loss, I think the Spartans are one of the four.

For years, Michigan laughed at Michigan State's athletic program as the Wolverines competed for championships in both basketball and football. Michigan's relying on tradition to grab headlines this season. Michigan State's doing that on the field.

Michigan may well return to the championship-contending program it was under Schembechler and Lloyd Carr. Harbaugh's success might eclipse that of his predecessors. But to do that, he'll have to win seasons, not games.

Until he does that, Michigan will remain the Michigan State's little brother.

Big Ten power rankings

1. Michigan State (4-0, 0-0) -- Flip a coin for the top spot, I guess.

2. Ohio State (4-0, 0-0) -- Relax, the Buckeyes-Spartans debate will all be settled on Nov. 21.

3. Wisconsin (3-1, 0-0) -- Can't see anyone touching the Badgers in the West.

4. Northwestern (4-0, 0-0) -- The litmus test begins.

5. Michigan (3-1, 0-0) -- Certainly ahead of schedule.

6. Minnesota (3-1, 0-0) -- Jerry Kill is among the most underrated coaches in the country.

7. Iowa (4-0, 0-0) -- We'll see what the Hawkeyes can do at Wisconsin this weekend.

8. Penn State (3-1,, 1-0) -- Quarterback Christian Hackenberg finally had a game worthy of the hype.

9. Indiana (4-0, 0-0) -- Sorry, the Hoosiers haven't played anyone.

10. Illinois (3-1, 0-0) -- The Illini barely escaped Middle Tennessee

11. Nebraska (2-2, 0-0) -- If he doesn't beat Illinois on Saturday, coach Mike Riley should be fired Sunday.

12. Maryland (2-2, 0-0) -- A home game against Michigan is a huge opportunity.

13. Rutgers (2-2, 0-1) -- Who cares?

14. Purdue (1-3, 0-0) -- A lost cause.

Seth Gruen is columnist for CBSChicago.com, focusing on college sports. You can follow him on Twitter @SethGruen.