Michigan State Football
Michigan State is an NCAA Division I FBS football program in the Big Ten, based in East Lansing, MI. The 2026 record stands at 2-6. The Cooper Predictor rates Michigan State at +1.1, No. 68 of 138 FBS teams and No. 16 of 18 in the Big Ten. The model projects a 3-9 finish, with CFP Odds of 0.2%. The model's pre-game picks are 7-1 in Michigan State games this season. Most recent result: lost to UCLA 10-28 on Oct 24. Next up: at Michigan on Nov 7 — the model projects Michigan 27-17, giving Michigan State a 28% chance to win.
Open Michigan State in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FBS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4 | vs Toledo | L 24-27 48% ✗ | W 30-20 |
| Sep 12 | vs Eastern Michigan | W 35-20 83% ✓ | W 35-7 |
| Sep 19 | @ Notre Dame | L 14-42 7% ✓ | L 10-27 |
| Sep 26 | vs Nebraska | L 24-27 41% ✓ | L 13-31 |
| Oct 3 | @ Wisconsin | L 20-27 35% ✓ | L 3-31 |
| Oct 10 | vs Illinois | L 24-27 48% ✓ | L 37-38 |
| Oct 17 | vs Northwestern | L 20-28 31% ✓ | L 21-24 |
| Oct 24 | @ UCLA | L 17-31 20% ✓ | L 10-28 |
| Nov 7 | @ Michigan | L 17-27 28% | — |
| Nov 13 | vs Washington | L 24-27 40% | — |
| Nov 20 | vs Oregon | L 17-31 20% | — |
| Nov 27 | @ Rutgers | W 31-28 57% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Michigan State's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
Big Ten by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ohio State | 6-2 | +23.5 |
| 2 |  Indiana | 8-1 | +21.1 |
| 3 |  Oregon | 5-3 | +17.3 |
| 4 |  Iowa | 6-2 | +14.5 |
| 5 |  USC | 7-2 | +12.6 |
| 6 |  Nebraska | 5-3 | +12.1 |
| 7 |  UCLA | 8-0 | +12 |
| 8 |  Northwestern | 6-2 | +11.5 |
| 9 |  Penn State | 4-4 | +11.2 |
| 10 |  Washington | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 11 |  Wisconsin | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 12 |  Michigan | 5-3 | +7.5 |
| 13 |  Illinois | 5-3 | +6.8 |
| 14 |  Minnesota | 5-3 | +3 |
| 15 |  Purdue | 3-5 | +1.1 |
| 16 | Michigan State | 2-6 | +1.1 |
| 17 |  Maryland | 2-6 | -2.4 |
| 18 |  Rutgers | 2-6 | -3.8 |
High schools on the Michigan State roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
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