Michigan State’s season is only two games old, but the bowl chatter is already starting to build around the Spartans.
ESPN’s latest post-Week 2 projections have Michigan State headed to the Frisco Bowl to face Louisiana. Kyle Bonagura’s forecast is enough to get attention on its own, especially with the Ragin’ Cajuns coming off a 49-30 loss to USC. Even in defeat, Louisiana put up enough points against one of the best teams in the Big Ten to reinforce its standing as a solid Group of Five program.
The wrinkle, though, is that the Big Ten has never had a team in the Frisco Bowl since the game was added in 2017. That doesn’t stop ESPN from slotting the Spartans there anyway. For a fan base that hasn’t seen Michigan State in a postseason game since 2021, that kind of projection is something to hold onto.
Bonagura’s bracket isn’t the only sign of optimism. ESPN’s FPI also sees Michigan State reaching bowl eligibility, projecting the Spartans as favorites in four of their remaining 10 games. Do the math, and that points to six regular-season wins.
Before the season, Michigan State was favored in only 3-4 games. Now the numbers look a lot more encouraging. ESPN’s FPI win chances list Toledo and Eastern Michigan as wins, with Illinois at 53.9%, Northwestern at 58.9%, Washington at 54.3% and Rutgers at 76.3%.
That adds up to six games the Spartans are expected to win. And the projections don’t stop there. Michigan State is also getting a real look in matchups with Nebraska, Wisconsin, UCLA, Michigan and even Oregon after the Ducks were upset by Oklahoma State.
The biggest shift after two weeks is that the schedule no longer feels packed with dead ends. Northwestern and Rutgers now look like the most secure wins.
Illinois has turned into more of a toss-up, and Washington could be without its star receiver for a few months. Even the tougher names on the slate - UCLA, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan and Oregon - are showing up as beatable in the numbers.
The one game that still stands out for a lot of Spartan fans is Notre Dame, which comes up this weekend. If Michigan State can keep that one close and make Marcus Freeman and Co. sweat it out, the conversation around this team gets even louder.
Big weekend ahead for the green and white.
In Other News...
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Now there is real momentum to monitor with Pemberton, the No. 23 overall prospect in the 2027 class. A report from Joe Tipton suggests Michigan State has emerged as the favorite for the top-25 recruit, a sign that the Spartans may have moved ahead in a recruitment that still has room to evolve. For a program that has long sold player development and trust, landing in front this early is the kind of progress Izzo wants to see. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Pretzlaff Just Took On A Bigger Michigan State Role
Michigan State is off to a 2-0 start in its first season under Pat Fitzgerald, and the latest win came with a familiar test for a defense trying to establish its identity early. In a 35-7 victory over Eastern Michigan at Spartan Stadium, the Spartans got another strong team showing, but the day also created room for a different voice to emerge when the defense needed one.
With Jordan Hall unavailable, redshirt sophomore Brady Pretzlaff handled a larger responsibility and spoke afterward about stepping into the moment, the standards Michigan State expects on defense and how much it means just to be back on the field. For a program still settling in under a new coach, that kind of growth matters almost as much as the scoreboard, especially when the next stretch will ask even more from the players now carrying the load. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Is Counting On Anton Bonke To Silence One Doubt
Michigan States interior picture is taking shape around Anton Bonke, the 7-foot-2 transfer from Charlotte who is expected to step in as the starting center after Carson Cooper. Tom Izzo has shown plenty of confidence in Bonke, and the Spartans are banking on the blend of size, development and continuity that has long been part of the programs identity. Bonke is also expected to help ease the transition for incoming freshman Ethan Taylor, which adds another layer to why his role matters so much early.
Still, there is a bit of outside skepticism attached to the assignment. College Basketball Report left Bonke off its Top 30 centers in college basketball, even as several Big Ten big men earned spots on the list, underscoring how much Michigan State is asking him to prove right away. For a program that tends to trust its own developmental track, Bonkes season will be about more than simply filling minutes in the middle. [Read more 🡒]