Ranking MSU football's 2026 opponents from easiest to hardest matchup

Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Toledo Rockets helmet sits during a game against the Washington State Cougars in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Date: September 4

Toledo has been a traditional power in the MAC, but longterm successful coach Jason Candle left this offseason for UConn. So what does that mean for the Rockets this upcoming season? That's still a relative unknown and they certainly could be live for an upset in the season-opener. But the talent gap between Michigan State and Toledo still puts this as one of the easiest games on the slate.

10. Rutgers (away)

Nov 13, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano looks up at the scoreboard during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. The Scarlet Knights won 38-3. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Date: November 28

Could this game be a battle for a bowl game for both the Spartans and Scarlet Knights? That's certainly a possibility, which would make this more difficult than where I currently have it ranked. But I'm not particularly high on Rutgers entering the season and envision them being a team with not much to play for in this regular season finale, which makes this a much more winnable road game.

9. Northwestern (home)

Michigan State's Aidan Chiles smiles while warming up with teammates before the game against Youngstown State on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

Date: October 17

Despite this game falling on the "easier" side of these rankings, this game is going to be tricky tough for Michigan State and shows how difficult this schedule truly is for a middle of the road team like the Spartans. Aidan Chiles will return to Spartan Stadium with presumably revenge on his mind so I fully expect this to be a challenging game.

8. Nebraska (home)

Oct 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) is tackled by three Nebraska players during the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

Date: September 26

Nebraska is a hard team to assess given the offensive turnover we saw from last year, most notably the departure of two-year starting quarterback Dylan Raiola. I fully anticipate the Cornhuskers being a bowl eligible team, though, and while this game is ranked on the lower end, it'll still be a tough early season challenge for the Spartans. It'll be a telling game for Michigan State and what's to come for the rest of the season.

7. UCLA (away)

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Date: October 24

UCLA has a lot of positive momentum right now under new head coach Bob Chesney so I expect them to be much improved this upcoming season. That improvement combined with this being a cross country trip and I have this being a difficult matchup for the Spartans in late October.

6. Illinois (home)

Sep 10, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema on the sidelines of Saturday’s game with the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Date: October 10

Illinois has been a consistent upper-tier Big Ten team under Bret Bielema and I expect that to be the same this upcoming season. Sure, they do lose a lot of important pieces from last year's squad -- especially in the. trenches. But this is going to be a tough homecoming matchup for the Spartans and quite frankly would't argue too much against having this higher in these rankings.

5. Wisconsin (away)

Nov 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Thomas Heiberger (19) celebrates a missed field goal against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Date: October 3

This one is less about how good Wisconsin may be this year -- but, for the record, I do expect them to bounce back -- but more about where in the schedule this game lands. This game comes after back-to-back tilts at Notre Dame and home vs. Nebraska, which will be the Spartans first true tests of the year. So this could be a breaking point game for the entire season depending on how those two matchups play out.

4. Michigan (away)

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19), center, quarterback Jadyn Davis (2), left, and quarterback Mikey Keene (7) take the field for warm up at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Date: November 7

Is this too low for a road game against a preseason College Football Playoff contender? Maybe. But I have a reasoning for why this game falls here and that's because the Spartans have a scheduling advantage over the Wolverines in this year's matchup: a week prior bye. The Spartans will have an off week before they head to Ann Arbor, Mich., while Michigan will be playing a conference matchup. This slight scheduling quirk slots this game one spot lower in my rankings despite it being a tough rivalry road game.

3. Washington (home)

Nov 30, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) throws a pass during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Date: November 14

I just went into large part why the Michigan game ranks behind this home tilt against Washington in the previous writeup. Another factor for why this game ranks slightly higher than the Michigan game is because it simply directly follows that game. We all know the importance of beating the Wolverines for the Spartans so I wouldn't be shocked if we see a lackluster showing against another playoff contender in the Huskies the following week.

2. Oregon (home)

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore looks to pass as the Oregon Ducks host the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

Date: November 20

There's an argument to be made that this is the toughest game for the Spartans this season. But with it being at home, I have it slightly behind my top toughest game. Oregon is a juggernaut and is a true national championship contender this season. That level of talent combined with this being a short week turnaround and I have a hard time seeing Michigan State coming out victorious on senior day this year.

1. Notre Dame (away)

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr throws a pass in the second half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend.

Date: September 19

Just like Oregon, Notre Dame is a true national championship contender and most likely will be a two (maybe three) touchdown favorite over the Spartans in this early season non-conference matchup. Could Michigan State be better than expected and play the Fighting Irish tough in this one? I can see that happening. But I don't have an upset win over Notre Dame on my bingo card. Not in year one of the Fitzgerald rebuild, at least.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Ranking MSU football's 2026 opponents from easiest to hardest matchup