CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Looking at the schedule back in August, Michigan State-Illinois was not a game many people would have guessed would pit a pair of 2-6 teams against each other.When the teams meet on Saturday, theyll bring identical records to the field, along with losing streaks and injury problems that might make them look a lot alike.Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio and Illinois leader Lovie Smith even sound a little alike in diagnosing their seasons so far.Obviously, were not where we thought we would be at the beginning of the season, Dantonio said. We are playing a lot of young players, going through some injuries, different things of that sort.Smith offered similar thoughts on his team this week: We want our team to play to the best of its ability every week. That hasnt happened. ... Weve won two games. Thats who we are right now.Michigan State (0-5 Big Ten) and Illinois (1-4) have some key differences, too. Here are some things to keep an eye on when they meet Saturday:AT QUARTERBACK?Neither team is settled at quarterback.Illinois starter Wes Lunt hasnt played in almost a month and second-stringer Chayce Crouch is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Smith doesnt discuss injuries ahead of a game, but there is a chance that redshirt freshman Jeff George Jr. will see his third straight start. He was 16 of 34 for 56 yards and a touchdown in last Saturdays loss to Minnesota, modest numbers but an improvement from his first start at Michigan.The Spartans lost Brian Lewerke to a broken leg against Michigan, leaving them with fifth-year senior Tyler OConnor and junior Damion Terry.While Michigan State has an edge here in experience, Dantonio doesnt sound so sure.The quarterback position is a little bit in flux there, I would say. When the quarterback situation is in flux whether due to injury or production, you know, theres going to be inconsistency, he said.RUN GAMESBoth Illinois and Michigan State rely on the run, and their production is remarkably similar -- the Illini average 163.1 yards a game, the Spartans 163 .But there are differences, and they favor MSU. The Spartans ran the ball for 217 yards last Saturday against Michigan, a defense thats giving up just over half that on average and is ranked second in the Big Ten. When Illinois went to Michigan two weeks ago, the Illini managed just 77 yards on the ground.MICHIGAN TESTOther aspects of their games against Michigan illustrate the differences between the two-win teams.The Illini, in Georges first start, lost 41-8. They trailed 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and were never in the game. The Spartans were down by 17 at halftime but pulled within a touchdown in the fourth quarter before falling 32-23.I think weve had an opportunity to win every single game weve played, Dantonio said.WHATS AT STAKEThe loser on Saturday will have no possibility for six wins, bowl eligibility and will finish with a losing season. For Illinois, it would the fifth losing season in a row. Michigan State hasnt had a losing season since 2009.LOVIES SITUATIONFormer NFL coach Smith is in his first season at Illinois, hired to rebuild the program. But he spent part of his week denying that there was any truth in an ESPN.com report based on anonymous sources that hes unhappy enough at Illinois to leave after a single season.Am I happy right now with where we are? No, no one on our football team is happy where we are right now, Smith said. My time in Champaign, its a little bit bigger that just where we are right now.---Follow David Mercer on Twitter: (at)davidmercerAP----More AP college football: www. collegefootball.ap.orgWholesale Air Max Plus Canada . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. Cheap Air Max Plus Canada . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. http://www.cheapairmaxpluscanada.com/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Air Max Plus Canada Sale . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. Air Max Plus Free Shipping . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No.HAMBURG, Germany -- Renzo Olivo saved two match points and went on to stun top-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber in the German Open quarterfinals on Friday.Olivo rallied to win 1-6, 6-0, 7-5, saving two match points in the ninth game of the final set as Kohlschreiber was serving for the match at 5-3.Third-seeded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (7), 6-1 in a repeat of the 2009 semifinal that was won by Mathieu. Cuevas fired 12 aces and won 79 percent of his service points to beat Mathiieu.ddddddddddddStephane Robert of France beat eighth-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3.His semifinal opponent will be seventh-seeded Martin Klizan of Slovakia, who beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 6-4, 6-3.In Olivos first career semifinal, he will have to stop the in-form Cuevas, who won consecutive titles in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in February. ' ' '