The Big Ten title race is heating up-and this year, it might come down to who can survive the gauntlet with just two or three losses. That’s not a typo.
With how deep and competitive the top of the conference has been, it’s looking like the eventual champion won’t be undefeated or even close. And right now, Michigan State is sitting in a strong position to make a serious push for back-to-back conference crowns.
The Spartans are 9-1 in Big Ten play with 10 games left on the schedule. That’s not just a good spot-it’s a golden opportunity.
They won last year’s title by three games in arguably the deepest Big Ten we’ve seen in years. Now, they’re once again navigating a brutal second-half schedule, but they’ve already gotten some help from around the league.
Let’s start with the obvious: Michigan State’s next test comes Friday night against No. 3 Michigan.
The Wolverines are rolling after a big win over No. 5 Nebraska, and they’ll bring that momentum into East Lansing.
Meanwhile, Michigan State just survived a scare against a team they were expected to beat comfortably-a reminder that there are no easy nights in this conference.
But here’s where things get interesting. Michigan’s win over Nebraska didn’t just boost their own stock-it also helped Michigan State.
Nebraska was the only team to beat the Spartans in conference play so far, and they were sitting alone atop the standings. Now?
It’s a three-way tie for first between the Spartans, Wolverines, and Cornhuskers.
Sure, Michigan State doesn’t hold the tiebreaker over Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers still have a tough road ahead. They’ll face Illinois and Purdue in the coming weeks-two teams with the kind of firepower to hand them another loss.
And they haven’t even hit the dreaded West Coast swing yet. A February trip to Iowa could be another trap waiting to spring.
Speaking of Purdue, the Boilermakers might have just played themselves out of the title conversation. Tuesday night’s loss to Indiana was their third straight, coming on the heels of defeats to UCLA and Illinois.
That drops them to 7-3 in the conference, two games back with a brutal stretch still ahead: Nebraska, at Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, and at Ohio State. To stay in the race, they’d need to run the table-and that’s a tall order.
Indiana’s upset over Purdue was another quiet win for Michigan State. That’s a game many assumed Purdue would take care of, but the Hoosiers had other plans. The ripple effect is clear: every unexpected loss from a contender tightens the race and gives the Spartans more room to maneuver.
So here we are. Michigan State, battle-tested and well-positioned, is entering the home stretch with everything to play for.
Friday’s showdown against Michigan is huge-both for the standings and for momentum. If the Spartans can hold serve at home, Tom Izzo and company will be in the driver’s seat with the finish line in sight.
In a season where three losses might still win you the Big Ten, every game matters. But right now, Michigan State’s path to a repeat is very real-and it’s starting to clear up just enough for them to see it.