If you listen to the offensive coordinator of Michigan State discuss the rivalry game against Michigan, you'd never know what his history was. Of course, Nick Sheridan's current allegiances lie with the Spartans, given that he's coaching there. But when he was asked this week about understanding the importance of the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, you'd be hard-pressed to know where Sheridan came up.

Or that he was a former walk-on and starting quarterback at the University of Michigan.

He noted more so that he has family on both sides of the rivalry, and that his dad once coached in East Lansing.

"Certainly, I understand the importance of this game," Sheridan said. "My entire family is from this state, both sides, mom and dad. You guys know the background with my dad coaching here when I was a young person. And so I'm very well aware. I didn't need to be educated on it. I understand the importance and the significance of it. And it's incredibly humbling to be a part of, particularly with, like I said, I'm from here. I'm from this state. Both of my parents are from this state. And so I'm very familiar with it, understand the significance of it. Didn't need to be educated on the importance of it. And like I said, yeah, it's an honor to be a part of.

"Yeah, so I'm very thankful and grateful to be a part of a rivalry game like this."

Of course, Sheridan has much stronger ties to Ann Arbor, given that he was with the Wolverines for four seasons as a player, under both Lloyd Carr and Rich Rodriguez. His father, Bill, did coach at MSU, serving as the linebackers coach there from 1998-2000, but he was also a graduate assistant under Bo Schembechler at Michigan in 1985-86, before returning and being Lloyd Carr's linebackers coach from 2002-04. Currently, his father is a senior defensive assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Sheridan was further pressed into his memories of the rivalry. His recollection was exclusively Spartan highlights, of course, like Plaxico Burress making plays. And though Sheridan didn't win as a starter in 2008, and the team lost in 2009 under Rich Rodriguez, his first two years in the rivalry, as a Wolverine, were wins.

He continued, noting that he understands the rivalry, but never mentioned where he's had his exclusive experience in it.

"Yeah, and again, just being from this state, I was very well aware of it prior to," Sheridan said. "And my dad coaching here, I knew about this since I was, you know, we didn't live here until I was 10 years old. You know, we lived in other parts of the country, but my family's from here, so probably my experience just growing up is different than probably a lot of kids that maybe don't understand it. But I've known about this game and the importance of it for a very long time, so I couldn't speak. My experience is probably different than a lot of people that first get to a program in a rivalry game. I'm very well aware of the importance of this game."

It will be interesting to see Sheridan's return to The Big House in green and white. He does have plenty of experience going up against his alma mater as a coach, considering he was at Indiana from 2017-21, was the tight ends coach at Washington in 2023 when Michigan beat the Huskies in the national championship, and he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama when the Wolverines beat the Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl in 2024. His overall record against his alma mater is 1-6, with the sole win coming as Indiana's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2020, when Michigan lost to Michael Penix Jr. in the third week of the COVID-shortened season. As a player, Sheridan was 2-2 against his newfound school, MSU.

This will be his first time, however, serving as an actual rival coach to his alma mater.