Michigan State football is right around the corner so it’s time to start predicting how the season will shake out for the Spartans.
Michigan State football is under new leadership this season, with Pat Fitzgerald set to take over as the next head coach. He will take over a program looking to get back on the winning side, with the Spartans in the midst of a four-year bowl drought. Can he get the job done and get the Spartans back to a bowl game this season? I have offered my thoughts on that in our game-by-game predictions segment on Spartans Wire.
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With my predictions for this season leading to Michigan State reaching six wins, let’s take a look at where I believe the Spartans will be bowling this holiday season…
Where is Michigan State bowling?
Dec 26, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; The Cactus Bowl trophies are displayed on the sideline as the Kansas State Wildcats play the UCLA Bruins in the 2017 Cactus Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Bowl Game: Cactus Bowl
Date: December 26, 2026
Location: Mountain American Stadium (Tempe, Ariz.)
Projected Opponent: Arizona State
There’s a pool of potential bowls that Michigan State could land in if they go 6-6 this season as I’m projecting. That includes the Cactus Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl so it’s hard to peg which exactly they’d fall in. But Michigan State more recently played in the Pinstripe Bowl than these other games, and it feels like the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl typically go to teams with at least seven wins. So that leaves me with the Cactus Bowl as my projection.
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Arizona State is the projected opponent on the other side of this Cactus Bowl matchup based on CBS Sports’ recently released bowl projections. This would make for a fun matchup as both programs historically have strong fanbase followings and with this game taking place in the Sun Devils’ backyard, it would certainly be a pretty packed stadium.
Where Things Stand Entering Matchup
Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald calls out to players during football practice on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in East Lansing.
MSU predicted record: 6-6 (4-5 in Big Ten)
Michigan State finished the year with back-to-back losses, both of which I predict coming due to the lack of solid depth late in the season. Still, Michigan State entered this season with a goal of reaching the postseason and that was achieved so they’ll be highly motivated to play at a high-level in their first bowl game in five years.
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Prediction
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham walks the field prior to a game against Arizona at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, on Nov. 28, 2025.
Prediction: Michigan State wins 37-34
The Spartans are playing in their first bowl game in five years so obviously I’m going to expect them to come out with a win. In all honesty, this would be a fun matchup between the Spartans and Sun Devils, and it could go either way if these two end up getting paired together for a bowl game in December. I’ll lean towards the Spartans here to finish the season with a winning record of 7-6 overall.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State football 2026 game-by-game predictions: Bowl Game
