RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Michigan State football is right around the corner so it’s time to start predicting how the season will shake out for the Spartans .
Michigan State football is under new leadership this season, with Pat Fitzgerald set to take over as the next head coach. He will take over a program looking to get back on the winning side, with the Spartans in the midst of a four-year bowl drought. Can he get the job done and get the Spartans back to a bowl game this season? I have offered my thoughts on that in our game-by-game predictions segment on Spartans Wire.
We continue on with the next of my game-by-game predictions for each of the matchups on the Spartans’ 2026 schedule. Each morning a new prediction will be released following Michigan State’s schedule. Next up is a Big Ten rivalry matchup against Michigan…
Matchup Breakdown
Opponent: Michigan
Date: November 7, 2026
Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Fun Fact About This Matchup
This will be the second time in the last three seasons that both Michigan and Michigan State will have first year head coaches facing off in the annual Mitten State rivalry game.
Two years ago, Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines got the best of Jonathan Smith’s Spartans in their first Michigan-Michigan State game as head coaches. Now, Pat Fitzgerald and Kyle Whittingham will matchup against each other for the first time in this heated rivalry game.
Where Things Stand Entering Matchup
MSU predicted record: 5-3 (3-2 in Big Ten)
Michigan State is looking to bounce back after a tough road loss at UCLA two weeks ago. The Spartans had a bye week in between that defeat and this matchup with the Wolverines.
Michigan is one of the most intriguing teams in the country because of the wide gap between their ceiling and floor. I’m predicting they’ll be somewhere in the middle of those two and come into this game with a record of 6-2 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play. I couldn’t possibly see the Wolverines be worse than 5-3, though, and if everything is running at full cylinders then they could be a perfect 8-0.
Prediction
Prediction: Michigan wins 27-24
The bye week ahead of this rivalry game gives the Spartans a leg up here and helps them keep things competitive against the more-talented Wolverines. Additionally, I fully expect Fitzgerald to understand the nature of this rivalry and will have Michigan State playing at its ceiling in this matchup. Ultimately, though, Michigan makes a few more winning plays late and gets the job done in Ann Arbor.
This one will have the feel of 2006 when Mark Dantonio coached his first time against the Wolverines. Hopefully, Fitzgerald can then follow suit of Dantonio in this rivalry…
Next Up
Next on the game-by-game predictions list is a home Big Ten game vs. Washington. That prediction will be released tomorrow.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State football 2026 game-by-game predictions: Michigan
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