Michigan State won’t be on the field this weekend, and for the Spartans, that means one thing: they can’t take another loss in Week 9.
Sitting at 2-6 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten, Michigan State is on its bye after a 28-10 loss to No. 7 UCLA.
The next chance to play comes Saturday, Nov. 7, when the Spartans head to Ann Arbor for a short trip to face rival Michigan. The kickoff time and TV information have not been determined.
The break comes at a useful moment for a roster that has been battered by injuries. Michigan State played last week without starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and running back Jaziun Patterson, both important pieces of the offense. The hope inside the program is that the bye week gives those players, and others dealing with injuries, a chance to recover before the matchup with the Wolverines.
There is still a path, however narrow, to bowl eligibility. With four regular-season games left, Michigan State can still reach the six wins needed to qualify for a bowl for the first time since the 2021 season. To get there, the Spartans would have to win all four of their remaining games, a tough ask for a team that has not beaten a Power Four opponent this season.
Michigan State’s remaining schedule picks back up with the trip to Michigan, followed by home games against Washington on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Oregon on Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
Michigan State’s 2026 schedule to this point has gone like this: a 30-20 win over Toledo, a 35-7 win over Eastern Michigan, then losses at Notre Dame, against Nebraska, at Wisconsin, in overtime against Illinois, against Northwestern, and at UCLA.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Handed Spartans Fans Fresh Rivalry Ammo
A close win over Rutgers was supposed to be about settling things on the field, but Kyle Whittingham managed to stir the pot afterward with a few words that will travel well beyond one Saturday night. The Michigan coach said he is very interested in being part of the Michigan State rivalry, calling it not the biggest one, but a big one, a framing that is sure to catch the attention of Spartans fans who already know how quickly this matchup can harden into talking points.
Whittinghams comments have already drawn comparisons to former Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith and his own controversial remarks about the rivalry, adding another layer to a season that has not gone smoothly for Michigan fans. With dissatisfaction growing around Whittinghams performance and the teams rocky start, the rivalry chatter is landing at a time when every word feels magnified, and it gives Spartans supporters fresh material to keep in their back pocket the next time these programs cross paths. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Gets Another Rivalry Night Test Fans Dread
Michigan States next shot at Michigan comes with the kind of late kickoff that has become its own subplot in this rivalry. The Wolverines and Spartans are set for a 7:30 p.m. ET night game next weekend in Ann Arbor, and this one will stream on Peacock instead of airing on NBC, adding another layer to a matchup that already tends to draw plenty of attention from both fan bases.
The setting only sharpens the stakes for a series that has long tilted toward Michigan, which owns the historical edge and has won the last four meetings, all under the lights. With both programs now working under new coaches, the rivalry is entering another reset point, and for Spartans fans, the timing and the venue make this one feel like a familiar test with a fresh wrinkle. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Gets A Chance To Rewrite A Painful Big Ten Ending
Michigan State will get an immediate shot at turning the page on a frustrating Big Ten finish after the conference released the bracket and schedule for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans landed the No. 4 seed in the new eight-team field and open in the quarterfinals against No. 5 seed Washington, with the tournament beginning Wednesday at Energizer Park in St. Louis.
The format adds a fresh wrinkle to the race, since the title game is set for Nov. 13 at the home site of the highest remaining seed. For Michigan State, that means the path back to the leagues biggest stage starts with a familiar kind of pressure, one that offers a chance to rewrite how this Big Ten ending looks if the Spartans can handle their opening test. [Read more 🡒]