How Expectations for MSU/Michigan Bout Potentially Shifting

The Spartans have had many tough breaks recently, but one opponent is no longer ranked.

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald listens to a referee as Nebraska’s touchdown catch is being reviewed during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is no secret that the Spartans have been put through the wringer recently, and their season, while far from over, may be tougher than expected. This has only grown as their opponents have found their rhythm early in the season, and MSU has found some of its own as well.

There is a new leader at running back now that Cam Edwards is out for the season; some opponents will be tougher tests than expected, and with the newest AP Poll, one team might end up as one of the hardest games of the season.

Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic takes the field before the football game against Nebraska on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Yet even with all of the bad breaks, one of the most important games of the year for MSU, no matter how well the team is doing overall, is going to be easier than anticipated. That game is the rivalry match between MSU and the Michigan Wolverines.

What Happened to MSU's Rival

Sep 26, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald protests a call that favored the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Going into the season, the Wolverines were generally expected to be a contender for the College Football Playoff, and they started off on the wrong foot with a controversial first game against the Western Michigan Broncos, in which they won because of a call that added one second to the clock at the very end of the game. The Wolverines won on a Hail Mary touchdown.

• After a bad game against a team they were supposed to vastly outplay, Michigan did not start the year the way they wanted, but they pulled it together to beat the then-ranked Oklahoma Sooners and blow out UTEP. Their winning streak ended there when they lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes, causing them to lose their ranked status.

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald, center, talks with Jaziun Patterson, left, and Marvis Parrish before the football game against Nebraska on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

How Expectations Are Shifting

• Throughout the season, it has been as though the Wolverines play at the level of their opponent, no matter what their opponent's level truly is. They played at the Broncos' level, then at Oklahoma's level, then just below Iowa's level.

• So, once MSU's time to play Michigan comes around, they will not only face a team that is no longer ranked, but they will likely have an even better shot at victory despite all of their injuries, since Michigan could play at the level of their opponent.

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald, center, walks the end zone with the team before the football game against Nebraska on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• In a season that has featured its early bumps in the road, it might be worth considering that some games can still be won, and one of those games is rivalry week against Michigan. MSU has a long way to go, but expectations for this game might be shifting.