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Michigan State uses beloved Michigan slogan to troll Wolverines (Photo)

(AP Photo/Tony Ding)
(AP Photo/Tony Ding)

The phrase “Those who stay will become champions” goes back a long way at the University of Michigan, but that didn’t stop in-state rival Michigan State from using it for some well-orchestrated trolling.

Curtis Blackwell, Michigan State’s recruiting director, tweeted a photo of a group of Spartans from the Detroit area with the phrase “Those who have stayed are already champions.” Included are banners from MSU’s Big Ten championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015 and another fact: “Since Mark Dantonio’s arrival in 2007, every Spartan that has stayed at MSU for four years has won a Big Ten Championship.”

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It’s an obvious shot at Michigan and MSU’s recent success against the Wolverines. In addition to its three conference titles this decade, MSU has won seven of the last eight games against UM, including three in a row.

The next matchup comes Oct. 29 in East Lansing.

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And for reference, “Those who stay will become champions” goes back to 1969, when the late Bo Schembechler took over as Michigan’s head coach. Schembechler implemented a culture change in the program, prompting many players to leave. The slogan became a rallying cry of sorts for UM, which went on to win the Big Ten that year and play in the 1970 Rose Bowl.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!