Michigan State’s schedule has turned into a much tougher road than it looked like at the start, and the latest AP Poll only adds to that reality.
What once seemed like a manageable stretch after Notre Dame has gotten a lot less friendly. Northwestern has already shown it can hang around by giving Indiana a battle despite not being ranked. Wisconsin has also stepped forward after beating a ranked team and now looks like a far more dangerous opponent than expected.
But the biggest jolt came from UCLA.
The Bruins cracked the AP Poll top 25 for the first time in years, landing at No. 23 after a 54-3 rout of Maryland and a season filled with other strong results. That kind of leap changes how the rest of the schedule looks in a hurry.
Michigan State won’t see UCLA immediately. Wisconsin comes first, along with a few revenge games before the Spartans get to that matchup.
Still, the Bruins are no longer just another date on the calendar. A game that once looked even could now end up being one of MSU’s biggest tests.
That’s a sharp contrast from where both teams were a year ago. UCLA and Michigan State were near the bottom of the Big Ten, both went through coaching changes, and both were trying to build something new around a talented quarterback and a new lead rusher. The setups felt similar enough that the results were supposed to track the same way.
Instead, UCLA is 4-0 and rolling. The Bruins have been strong on both sides of the ball and have avoided major injury trouble. Michigan State sits at 2-2 and has already taken hits to key players such as Cam Edwards.
None of that closes the door on the Spartans. There is still plenty of season left, and MSU can absolutely get itself back on track and even end up with the more successful turnaround. But the path is getting steeper, and the UCLA game now stands out as one of the clearest measuring sticks for where Michigan State really is.
When that matchup finally arrives, it should say a lot about whether MSU can keep moving forward when the schedule starts to bite - and how it stacks up with the rest of the Big Ten.
In Other News...
Michigan State Fans Dragged Back Into Larry Nassar Outrage Again
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling on the states Sex Offender Registration Act has pulled Larry Nassars name back into the public conversation, even though his prison sentences remain unchanged. The court said amendments passed in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively to offenses committed before July 1, 2011, a decision that led to more than 20,000 names coming off the registry, including Nassars because his offenses predate that cutoff.
For Michigan State fans, it is another unwelcome reminder of a scandal that has shadowed the university for years. Prosecutors and victims advocates have raised concerns about public safety, but the ruling centers on how the law can be applied rather than on Nassars convictions, leaving his punishment in prison intact while reopening a painful and familiar debate around accountability and registration. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Fans Wont Like This New Larry Nassar Ruling
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling on the states Sex Offender Registration Act has created a new layer of frustration around the Larry Nassar case, even though it does not touch the prison sentences he is already serving. The court said amendments passed in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively to offenses committed before July 1, 2011, a decision that led to more than 20,000 names being removed from Michigans sex offender registry.
For Michigan State fans, the optics alone are hard to ignore because Nassars offenses fell before that cutoff date, despite his later convictions and the lasting damage tied to the case. State officials have raised concerns about the broader public-safety impact of the ruling, which leaves an uncomfortable result hanging over one of the most infamous scandals connected to the university. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Tough Wisconsin Test With Depth Suddenly Stressed
Michigan State heads into a difficult Big Ten matchup with Wisconsin already trying to absorb the kind of injury news that can change a game plan in a hurry. The Spartans have had to juggle multiple absences, and the depth chart is feeling the strain at a time when every snap against a physical opponent matters. Wisconsin comes in as the favorite, and the setup only gets trickier for a Michigan State team that needs its margin for error to hold.
The concern is not just the matchup itself, but how much the injuries limit what Michigan State can realistically ask of its lineup. Cam Edwards is out for the year, and Jordan Hall is expected to miss the Wisconsin game with a knee issue, leaving the Spartans with fewer answers against a Badgers team built to make opponents pay for thin depth. The analysis points to Wisconsin controlling this one, with the outcome projected as a 31-20 Badgers win. [Read more 🡒]