Michigan doesn't lose, if you haven't heard. This isn't hyperbole, it's an objective and widely-known fact. They might get jobbed by the refs (after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Columbus), or be struck by an act of God (after not going max protect on a high-leverage punt), but they don't straight-up get beaten.

This doesn't just apply to their recent success in the Big Ten. Even when Michigan is vanquished on the field, like it was on October 30th of 2021 in East Lansing, they don't actually lose. Instead, their head coach states as fact that the Big Ten apologized for an on-field call (before Michigan built the 16-point lead that they allowed to evaporate), a line that is echoed by the local and national media, until the loss is completely devalued, and one of his players winds up in New York.

Michigan, critically, doesn't lose outside the lines of the field either. Few heard anything about Michigan (allegedly, and corroborated by a then-trustee) trashing the visitors' locker room at Spartan Stadium in 2018, damaging sinks and smearing feces on the wall. However, everyone heard about how Michigan State was fined $10,000 after Devin Bush cleaned his cleats on the Spartan logo at midfield.

About this time a month ago, every national and local media outlet could discuss little other than the incident that occurred in Michigan's tunnel on Halloween weekend. While the behavior by some of Michigan State's players was reprehensible and inexcusable, there was a distinct lack of questions asked regarding why exactly there wasn't a protocol for separating teams in the tunnel after the game (as there was at halftime) considering the previous festivities at the same location.