Magic Johnson Isn’t Happy with What’s Happening to MSU Football

The Michigan State legend says it's difficult to cheer for the team now.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Magic Johnson attends the 2024 NWSL Championship match at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Michigan State football is now 3-5 on the year and 0-5 against the Big Ten, with its latest result being a 31-20 loss to bitter rival Michigan.

Frustration and pessimism have spread quickly throughout the MSU fanbase during the five-game losing streak; plenty of speculation has gone around about whether head coach Jonathan Smith's days in East Lansing are numbered.

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith watches a play against Michigan during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 25, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some of that pessimism has made its way to some Spartan legends.

On Monday, 1979 NCAA Champion and Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson posted on X, saying that "it’s been hard for me to cheer" for Michigan State football this year.

Specific Statements

Nov 25, 2024; Lahaina, Hawaii, USA; Former professional basketball player and Michigan State alumni, Earving “Magic” Johnson, center, watches the Colorado Buffaloes take on the Michigan State Spartans in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

It wasn't just some general statement about the program struggling, either. Johnson also stated that "the offense is lacking imagination, and the team overall looks uninspired."

He's certainly not wrong.

MSU has not kept a single Big Ten game this year within 10 points. The offense has only scored 20.8 points per game on average during conference play and has fallen below that number in each of its last three contests.

The possibility of the Spartans ending the season without a Big Ten victory is very real. According to ESPN's College Football Power Index, MSU has a 27.6% chance of losing each of its last four games.

MSU has not gone winless during Big Ten play since 1958, when it went 0-5-1.

FPI also only gives Michigan State a 5.3% shot at finishing 3-1 or 4-0 and reaching a bowl game. If the Spartans fail to reach six wins, it will be the first time that MSU has had four straight seasons with a sub-.500 record since a five-year stretch from 1979-83.

The Jonathan Smith Era

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith walks the sideline during the fourth quarter in the game against UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now through 20 games as Michigan State's head coach, Smith is 8-12 overall, but that mark goes to a dreadful 3-11 against Big Ten teams.

MSU finished 5-7 last year, but there was some frustration in that the team missed real opportunities for wins against Boston College and Michigan. The season also ended on a really sour note: a 41-14 home loss to Rutgers with bowl eligibility on the line.

Now in Year 2, the team looks worse. It is a little tough to imagine the situation getting much better, as the program's latest transfer portal class hasn't been enough, and the 2026 recruiting class is currently ranked 13th in the Big Ten on Rivals.

May 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Magic Johnson attends a WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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