One Interesting Midseason Test for Michigan State Football

This MSU contest could be an underrated test for the Spartans.

Michigan State's Alessio Milivojevic looks to throw during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Spartans are entering a season full of tests for the offense, defense, and coaching staff after a rebuilding phase that started this offseason and might continue into next season, depending on how this year goes.

There is a chance for MSU to reach a bowl game, and it will be one of their biggest tests to get there, as well as a small chance, but still a chance, to beat their in-state rival, the Michigan Wolverines.

Oct 25, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Chrishon McCray (13) is tackled after the catch by Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jyaire Hill (20) during the first half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, there will also be games where MSU plays against former Spartan quarterbacks, such as Noah Kim and Katin Houser, but the third will be the most important to see whether MSU has improved or is behind where they need to be.

What This Game Holds

Nov 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last year, the Spartans were quarterbacked by Aidan Chiles until he got injured and had to stay off the field to recover, giving backup Alessio Milivojevic some time on the gridiron, which ended with him taking the starting role for the end of the year.

• With a new player ahead of him on the depth chart, Chiles ended up transferring to the Northwestern Wildcats, where he was likely to attain a starting job.

Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder (30) pressures Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 25, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• However, the Spartans are slated to play the Wildcats this season during the incredibly important middle stretch, and it will be a game of the recent past and the near future. What would normally be two rebuilding teams facing off is now a test.

• This will be a game for Milivojevic to prove himself, but also a game for the Spartans to prove whether they have grown as a team.

The Test the Team Will Face

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald calls out to players during football practice on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• Simply put, if the Spartans are unable to hold off Chiles to earn a victory, they will likely be a step behind where they need to be to find a bowl game, because they will have lost to another rebuilding team that would evidently be ahead of MSU in skill despite having similar leadership at the QB position.

• The team as a whole will need to rally to prove that the rebuild is heading in the right direction, and that Pat Fitzgerald is the guy that MSU has been looking for to coach the team to a championship.

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic looks on during football practice on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• It is not a must-win game for the Spartans, but it is one with some high stakes for both individual players and the team as a whole, and it will reveal a lot about where the team stands and what needs to change before the end of the season.