The Spartan Stadium parking lot was abuzz Saturday during the tailgate-- and the conversation wasn't all about football. Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos and senate hopeful Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard were gearing talk towards the November elections-- and both men have jobs on the brain.

"Priority number one has got to be getting rid of the job-killing single business tax," DeVos said. "It's driving business out of Michigan, and it's punishing job creation."

"Kids that are graduating from [Michigan State] will have to go to another state to get a job, and that's unacceptable," Bouchard said of the Michigan unemployment rate.

The candidates, including Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Ruth Johnson, were taking part in the hoopla surrounding the big game. But the real hoopla may have come from an announcement DeVos made Saturday morning.

"I don't need a salary to do this job," he said. "We need to do this job for the people of Michigan."

DeVos pledges he won't take any of the $177,000 governor's salary if he's elected. He hopes this measure makes a statement to Michigan residents about how serious he is. He also downplayed the recent news that he wants to include intelligent design in public schools.

"The school districts should be deciding what goes on in their schools and what they teach," DeVos said. He avoided using "intelligent design" in his responses but implied he was more interested in allowing individual school to choose.

Both Governor Jennifer Granholm and Senator Debbie Stabenow were campaigning elsewhere Saturday. The Republicans took the chance to infiltrate the East Lansing game-goers.

Bouchard and DeVos were looking forward to the Michigan State/Notre Dame game-- but both are looking even more ahead to the matchups in November.