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December 30, 2021 was one of the strangest days of my life.
On that particular day, I went on a date with a girl. In retrospect, it was really terrible. Seriously, who brings a girl to watch a movie about… Kurt Warner?
Anyway, I got home from that date and immediately rushed to my TV to put on the Peach Bowl. Pittsburgh and Michigan State were in a tight contest, which eventually saw the Spartans win it, 31-21.
Outside of their incredible 2015 season, this was one of my favorite MSU squads. Headlined by running back Kenneth Walker III, the Spartans finished the season 11-2 (7-2 Big Ten) and great things seemed to be ahead for them at the time. I still fully believe that Walker should have won the Heisman Trophy over Bryce Young.
However, since that Peach Bowl win, the Spartans have not been to a bowl game, nor have they had a winning season. 2022 to 2025 were essentially some of the darkest seasons the program has had to endure in awhile.
Within the past few years, so many things have gone wrong for MSU on and off the field. From former head coach Mel Tucker's off the field stuff, to their rivals Michigan winning the national championship, the Spartans have been living through hell.
In year two under Jonathan Smith, it was once again bad in East Lansing. Despite starting the season 3-0, the team lost eight in a row and they ended up finishing 4-8 (1-8 Big Ten) in 2025.
Right after the season concluded, Smith was fired. I initially liked the hiring of Smith, but he just wasn’t the right fit for the program.
With the program facing a streak of four consecutive losing seasons, MSU had to make a good hire at the HC position. Who they brought in might have shocked some, but the hiring made sense.
Former Northwestern HC, Pat Fitzgerald, was hired by MSU on December 1, 2025 and Spartan fans know him very well. Fitzgerald essentially took a bottom dweller in the Big Ten in Northwestern, and turned them into a respected and decent program. Under Fitzgerald, the Wildcats appeared in the Big Ten Championship Game a few times, won a couple of bowl games, and were ranked many times.
A former linebacker at Northwestern, Fitzgerald will forever be an important figure at the school. Unfortunately, his coaching tenure there ended awkwardly and it had a ton of controversy tied to it. Back in July 2023, Fitzgerald was fired by Northwestern amid allegations of hazing within the program.
Fast forward to July 2026, Fitzgerald is getting set for his first season back in college football. Things will not be easy for the new Michigan State man however.
According to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the Spartans are near the bottom in regards to returning production among Big Ten programs at 46%. Notably, this is a program who lost more than 40 players to the transfer portal this offseason. This includes star receiver Nick Marsh and RB Makhi Frazier, who transferred to Indiana and Ole Miss respectively.
Fitzgerald, however, went to work in the portal and brought in a few key players who could help MSU as they navigate through a rebuild. This includes the likes of former UConn players Cam Edwards and Ben Murawski, former Notre Dame WR KK Smith, the return of cornerback Charles Brantley and more.
In the case of Edwards, I have high hopes for the new RB. I greatly enjoyed using him in College Football 25 in my UConn dynasty and in real life, he was spectacular in 2025. Edwards rushed for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, earning him third-team All-Group of Five.
While he’s unlikely to replicate K9’s successful 2021 season, Edwards should be a focal point of the offense in 2026. Fitzgerald is a hard-nose coach who preaches toughness so establishing the run is a must for a program looking to gain relevance again. If Edwards can produce, the Spartans will be elated with his results.
This in turn can help starting quarterback, Alessio Milivojevic, who is looking for a breakout season in 2026. Milivojevic saw action in 2025, mainly due to some poor play from the team’s starter, Aidan Chiles, who is now at Northwestern funnily enough.
Milivojevic will need someone in the receiving room to step up, though, as the loss of Marsh to Indiana is a massive one. Besides Smith, Chrishon McCray and Fredrick Moore are expected to contribute and create opportunities for MSU on offense.
Defensively, the return of linebacker, Jordan Hall, is massive for the Spartans. His experience and leadership should help a defense that will hopefully improve in 2026.
One defensive issue Spartan fans have pointed to over the past few seasons is regarding the team’s pass rush. MSU has been near the bottom of the Big Ten in sacks the past two seasons as they finished 15th in that category in 2025. This must change in order for them to be better next season and beyond.
The return of Brantley from Miami (FL) is a blessing for MSU. Brantley was impressive in his last season with the Spartans in 2024 and his return will aid a secondary that lost a bit from last season.
While I remain optimistic that MSU will be better in 2026, the program is going through a whole culture change and there will be difficult moments to overcome. Most assume that this team will once again rot at the bottom of the conference which in this day and age of the sport, you can’t really predict. I think they’ll be middle of the conference good, but not Oregon, Indiana, Ohio State good.
With road games vs Notre Dame and Michigan and home games vs Nebraska and Oregon, the schedule will be challenging. Personally, an appearance in a bowl game will mark a great season, which is far below the expectations that former HC Mark Dantonio set during his time with MSU. Fitzgerald is willing to follow in the footsteps of Dantonio, which is smart considering the success he had.
For the Green and White, a return to relevancy would be nice. The sport is better when they are good and it’s time fans get some hope with this team as other athletic programs at the school are doing well.