Michigan State Spartans
Big Ten program. One of the steepest post-CFP falls of any program in the era (comparable to Florida State). Pat Fitzgerald hired for 2026 year 1. OC Nick Sheridan. 2026 schedule: home vs. Toledo, Eastern Michigan, at Notre Dame, home vs. Nebraska, at Wisconsin, home vs. Illinois, home vs. Northwestern, at UCLA, at Michigan (Nov. 7), home vs. Washington, home vs. Oregon, at Rutgers. The entire season may hinge on the Nov. 7 game at Michigan.
Notable portal addition: Cam Edwards (RB, from UConn).
Current Show Posture
As of 2026-09-22:
Michigan State appears in the show’s dark-horse discussion as a team that could outrun its early standing. The label is provisional until a stronger schedule supplies repeatable evidence.
Running Takes
- 2026-08-17: 2026-08-17 Pat Fitzgerald Was Logical Hire But Bad Fit for Michigan State — stabilization logic versus fit
- 2026-06-25: 2026-06-25 Fallica Fades Michigan State Florida State And Arkansas — Fallica went under 4.5 because Pat Fitzgerald returns to a changed sport and a difficult schedule
- 2026-05-07: 2026-05-07 Pat Fitzgerald to Michigan State Is a Stupid Hire — show's verdict on the 2026 hire
- 2026-05-07: 2026-05-07 Modern Hires Reward Risk Not Safety — the framework the hire was evaluated against
- 2026-03-26: 2026-03-26 Michigan State Can't Seem to Fix Defensive Line — DL recruiting is the long-running gap
- 2026-09-22: 2026-09-22 Michigan State belongs among the possible dark horses — The show treats Michigan State as a team that could exceed its initial place in the hierarchy, while keeping the claim provisional.
Episode Appearances
- 2026-08-17 Zagriculture - Preseason Narratives to Challenge — Pat Fitzgerald hire zag
- 2026-03-26 Missing Pieces - What Your College Football Team Can't Seem To Fix
- 2026-04-16 Typotheticals - Season Scenario Vibe Checks
- 2026-05-07 May Q&A Part 2 — show's full critique of the Pat Fitzgerald hire
- 2026-06-25 Chris Fallica on College Football Bets, Portal Chaos and World Cup Fever — Fallica fade board
- 2026-09-22 Steptember - Warm Steppers and the Week 4 Poll — The show treats Michigan State as a team that could exceed its initial place in the hierarchy, while keeping the claim provisional.
2026 Big Ten Preview Cycle
- 2026-08-06: 2026-08-06 Northwestern and Michigan State Need Coherent New Offenses — Fitzgerald’s offense and the roster’s lack of depth make coherent execution the immediate bar.
- 2026-08-02 Big Ten Preview Part 1 - Contender Tiers, The Big Three, Sweet Lady Schedule
- 2026-08-06 Big Ten Preview Part 3 - USC, Michigan, Penn State and Dubious Beef