5 most heartbreaking Michigan State football, basketball losses in past 2 years

Much like Swifties, I am dissecting every piece of media that both Michigan State football and Michigan State basketball put out.

I'm watching football to get any kind of idea of how good or bad they will be this upcoming season, and basketball to see if Tom Izzo and Co. are active in the portal. And much like a Taylor Swift song, I am left crying at the end, heartbroken that the man I love (Jonathan Smith/Tom Izzo) didn't live up to the unreal expectation I had built up in my head thanks to other people's successes.

It has been a rough few years for Spartan fans to say the least with a lack of success at home and having to watch Michigan cheat (get away with) their way to a national title.

Here are the five most heartbreaking losses in the last two seasons.

5. Round of 32 vs. Duke (2022)

Losing to Duke in the NCAA Tournament is nothing new, but the Spartans were up five with five minutes to go in what looked like another Pros vs. Joes takedown similar to 2019.

Down eight with 12 minutes to go, Tyson Walker scored six straight for the Spartans. With eight minutes to go and the Spartans only down four, they rattled off nine straight points to take that 5-point lead with five minutes to go with all the momentum on their side.

But that momentum was short-lived, as the Spartans were outscored 20-6 from that point on and had no answer for Duke's three first-round draft picks, including first-overall pick Paulo Banchero who finished with 19 points. It was a warning for what we would be seeing far too often in the coming years, a team unable to close out games.

Izzo said after the game that the program is in a good spot, and while keeping up with Duke made it seem like that, it was clear that a college basketball team needs stars and NBA talent to win, something Michigan State has severely lacked.