Michigan State’s projected win total for 2026 is flat-out disrespectful

We may be in the middle of March Madness, but Michigan State football is right around the corner with spring practice kicking off on March 17.

Basketball may be on the mind, but Vegas is already looking ahead to football season and FanDuel released its win totals for every single Big Ten team for 2026.

And the total for Michigan State is wildly disrespectful.

Basically, Vegas believes that a four-win season would be somewhat surprising for Michigan State in the first year of Pat Fitzgerald. The Spartans haven’t had a three-win season in a decade, and even these past few really bad seasons have produced no fewer than four wins.

Fitzgerald is at least the best coach that Michigan State has had since Mark Dantonio, just based on track record alone, and he’s very familiar with the Big Ten.

Projecting him to get either three or four wins in his first season as head coach is actually so disrespectful both to the program and the veteran coach.

When you look at the Spartans’ 2026 schedule, it feels like four wins should be a lock.

Four wins are there for Michigan State in 2026

The schedule sets up nicely for Michigan State to smash Vegas’ over.

The Spartans will open up with Toledo and Eastern Michigan at home in the first two weeks of the season. That should be two quick wins right there. They’ll then go to Notre Dame for what is likely to be their first loss of the season before heading back home to face a Nebraska team that no longer features Dylan Raiola. I feel like that should also be a win.

Michigan State should sit at 3-1 going into another road battle against Wisconsin to begin October. The Badgers have been bad lately, but they’ll be playing with a sense of urgency with Luke Fickell on the hot seat. Illinois and Northwestern come to town, and assuming Michigan State loses against Wisconsin, I can see the Spartans picking up win No. 4 in one of those two matchups in East Lansing.

Remaining games against UCLA, Michigan, Washington, and Rutgers are all winnable while the Oregon game might not be in that same category.

Even if Michigan State goes 1-3 against those teams mentioned above, it’ll reach that four-win mark with relative ease, in my opinion.

This Vegas win total is just more anti-Michigan State propaganda.