Michigan Football 2026 Opponent Preview: Can Michigan State end its slide in Pat Fitzgerald’s first year?

Michigan’s 2026 schedule will include Michigan State, a matchup that carries extra weight this offseason because of how quickly the Spartans have had to reset. In an opponent preview published by Yahoo Sports, the focus is on what to expect from Michigan State in Year 1 under Pat Fitzgerald, following a coaching change that left the program under unusual strain.

The context is stark. Yahoo Sports describes Jonathan Smith’s Michigan State tenure as ending abruptly after only two seasons, and it characterizes the team’s combined record in that span as four total wins, with the wins “between 2022 and 2024” reported as vacated. That kind of outcome does not just affect a season-by-season record. It also shapes how programs recruit, how staff decisions land, and how quickly players and coaches can build credibility when the statistical picture does not match normal expectations.

Yahoo Sports further frames Michigan State’s recent run as a longer stretch of trouble, noting the Spartans “have not had a winning season since 2021.” The preview also points to a specific rivalry problem for Michigan State in that same time frame, stating that the Spartans “have not beaten the Wolverines” during the years it references. In other words, this is not only about overall results, it is about failing to change outcomes in the game Michigan fans have come to treat as a measuring stick.

Against that backdrop, Fitzgerald’s arrival is presented as an attempt to stabilize a program that has been repeatedly disrupted. The preview’s phrasing suggests that Michigan State is entering 2026 with more questions than answers, and that it may be difficult for any coach to immediately replicate past eras of success, especially considering how many teams and fan bases now associate Michigan State’s strongest stretches with Mark Dantonio’s coaching era.

What does Michigan State actually have to do in Fitzgerald’s first year, at least according to the lens of the preview? The answer is straightforward but demanding: get back to respectability by producing consistent weekly performance and closing the gap in head-to-head matchups that have turned into discouraging history. Even without detailed roster specifics, this kind of “reset” season typically requires improvements in the fundamentals that can be evaluated quickly by opponents and by recruiting classes looking for momentum.

For Michigan, the strategic takeaway is that it can treat Michigan State as both a potential test and a potential opening. If the Spartans can establish any consistency under Fitzgerald early, Michigan’s preparation will need to account for a team with clearer identity and tighter execution. If Michigan State continues to struggle through the early part of the schedule, Michigan’s job becomes less about predicting a static level of competence and more about avoiding the trap of complacency against a rival that is trying to break a long pattern.

The 2026 matchup therefore sits at the intersection of rivalry history and program trajectory. Michigan State’s coaching reset, the preview’s emphasis on vacated wins in the recent past, and the Spartans’ lack of a winning season since 2021 all combine to make the first year under Fitzgerald a key benchmark. For viewers, the most telling indicators will be whether Michigan State’s performances start to trend in a single direction, whether the program can stop bleeding opportunities, and whether it can finally change the scoreboard story against Michigan.

As the season approaches, the most important follow-up will be confirmation of the broader details behind the preview’s record claims and how Michigan State’s rebuilt staff and scheme plans translate on the field. When the games begin, the question will not be whether Fitzgerald can fully restore Michigan State’s past reputation overnight. It will be whether he can produce enough stability to put the Spartans back on a path that ends the losing stretches and gives them a credible chance to change this rivalry in 2026.