Breaking Down Michigan State's Bleak Path to Bowl Game

After six straight losses, MSU will have to win out to reach a bowl game.

Michigan State’s Chrishon McCray, right, celebrates his touchdown with Jaziun Patterson against Northwestern during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Spartans have officially dropped their sixth loss of the season, and sixth loss in a row on the year, to the UCLA Bruins, who were a formidable ranked opponent that would have needed a disaster to get upset by the injury-battered Spartans.

Because of this, the hopes for a bowl game, which are incredibly slim and pretty unrealistic, to be clear, with focus quickly turning to next season, already relied on the final four games of the season; however, something still could have happened against UCLA that could have made the road easier.

Since nothing magical happened against the Bruins, the Spartans are going to need to win out the rest of the season to reach a bowl game, and while it is highly unlikely, it is worth at least entertaining the idea while it is still possible.

The Spartans' Unlikely Path to Bowl Game

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald waits for the team to leave the field after MSU’s loss to Northwestern the game on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• The first game is easily the most important of the season, as it is MSU's rivalry game against the Michigan Wolverines. The player with experience against them, Alessio Milivojevic, missed this past weekend's game, and his absence would hurt MSU's chances of winning. However, the games have been close for years, and anything could happen.

• After them are the Washington Huskies, who cannot seem to decide whether or not they want to be consistent against their opponents. Some weeks they blow teams out, some weeks they have a close game, and some weeks they get blown out, all the while the power level of the team they are facing hasn't seemed to matter.

• If the Spartans get the Huskies squad on a rough day, then a win is very much possible, and even if a bowl game is not reached, the Huskies game will be a match to watch for a plausible first Big Ten win of the season.

Is Hope Alive?

• Then come the Oregon Ducks, who are in a similar situation to the Huskies, though they overall have a better squad. If they come to East Lansing and play like the team that had seven turnovers, MSU will have a chance. Otherwise, a win will be hard to find.

• Finally, there are the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who will be a sneaky test for MSU's battered defense, as they have been finding an offense to work with when facing lighter defenses. Their defense is lackluster, though, so MSU will be in a shootout that they could have a real shot at winning if the QB plays to the best of his ability and stays off the ground.