There are plenty of analogies for the 2026 Michigan State football team. Most recently, I compared the struggling Spartans to an ailing patient who appeared to be recovering from a temporary illness. I expected them to play well Saturday and beat the visiting Fighting Illini. Halfway through the second quarter, I was prepared to declare the patient deceased. The Spartans trailed Illinois 17-0. Their offense had run exactly six plays and possessed the ball for less than four minutes. Illinois had outgained Michigan State 216-8. Spartan Stadium felt like a funeral home. At best, the Spartans were still ill. Then, beginning with Michigan State's third drive, the momentum turned. From that point through the end of regulation, the Spartans outgained Illinois 279-190 and outscored the Fighting Illini 31-14. More important was the fight the Spartans showed. They scratched, clawed, and chipped away at the Illinois lead. When the Illini answered in the fourth quarter with a seven-pl...
It would not be a stretch to suggest that Michigan State football is feeling a bit under the weather. The Spartans felt good after beating a pair of MAC teams in early September. Then, the Green and White caught a case of the sniffles after staying out late on a Saturday night in South Bend. Their condition worsened over the next two weeks against Nebraska and Wisconsin. The symptoms include the dropsies, a rash (of injuries), an acute turnover deficiency, frequent pocket collapses, and sudden weakness on fourth-down attempts. This week, Michigan State returns home to face the Illinois Fighting Illini . The visitors are guests for the Spartans’ 2026 homecoming weekend, but they arrive with ill intentions. The question is whether Michigan State is on the road to recovery or whether the patient is about to take another turn for the worse. Fortunately, this particular doctor is in, and I have a feeling the Fighting Illini might offer a cure for what ails the Spartans. A homecoming win wou...