The clash of undefeated rivals — Michigan vs. Michigan State — will be the hottest ticket in Ann Arbor Saturday as our town of 114,000 residents almost doubles in size to fit more than 109,901 football fans in Michigan Stadium.

For those of us who like to watch the Wolverines play but were too late to secure tickets for the game, AnnArbor.com presents a brief guide to game day for the fan without tickets.

Just because the game doesn’t kick off until 3:30 p.m. doesn’t mean you can’t get started early.

Ashley’s brewpub (338 S. State St.), off the corner of South State and East William, kicks off the morning with Kegs and Eggs Breakfast from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Kegs and Eggs is a regular staple of Big Ten home games, Ashley’s said. There are no other specials, but Ashley's serves up the most extensive draft beer collection in Ann Arbor, with dozens of brews ranging from local to imports on tap.

Ashley's will be open at 10 a.m. for Kegs and Eggs this Saturday and the morning of every Michigan Big Ten home game.

Bar Louie (401 E. Liberty) will be offering $3 Woodchuck beers. The bar will keep its regular hours, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., but given its central location and number of flatscreen televisions, the bar tends to get busy on game days. If comfort and ideal seating are an issue, plan to arrive a bit early.

Across the Diag, The Brown Jug is a staple of the football Saturday experience. The Jug is the only bar in town named in honor of a Michigan football rivalry, and its location at 1204 South University make it a hit among the university community, mainly students.

The Little Brown Jug, up for grabs whenever the Michigan Wolverines face the Minnesota Gophers, is the oldest trophy in college football history. The tradition started back in 1903 when Michigan left behind its water jug in Minneapolis. 

The tie game on Halloween 1903 was the first time a Fielding Yost-coached Michigan team failed to bring home a victory. Yost came to Michigan in 1901.

Yost tried asking for the jug back but got nowhere, and the rivals didn't face one another until years later. As John Woodford wrote in 2003 for the Michigan Today near the 100th anniversary of the Jug's importance: "In 1909, Minnesota challenged Michigan, 'We have your Little Brown Jug, come up and win it.' Michigan accepted, won 15-6 and returned with the jug, which it kept for the next 10 years."

Brown Jug owner Perry Porikos's Blue Leprechaun pub on South University has become a game day favorite.

While the jug itself won't be up for grabs until Oct. 1, 2011, when Michigan defends it in a home game against the Gophers, the eponymous bar's specials Saturday include $3 pints of Miller Lite, $3 “Go Blue” Kamikaze shots, and $3.75 “Johnny Vegas” shots.

Win or lose, the Jug and its up-the-street cousin, The Blue Leprechaun (1220 South University), are just as well-suited for watching the game and sharing tall tales about it afterward.

The Blue Lep looks to capture the all-day crowd, opening at 10 a.m. and offering $2 Long Island Ice Teas and Bloody Marys up until kickoff. The Irish-and-sports themed pub also features "Irish breakfast" for $5.95 in the morning, as well as $3 Coronas, Butter Crown shots, and Sex on the Beach cocktails throughout the day. The bar closes at 2 a.m., and with 24 HD flatscreens, there's really not a bad seat in the house.

James David Dickson can be reached at JamesDickson@AnnArbor.com.