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SEASON-CHANGER: MSU football's MUST-WIN game isn't the usual; Why Spartans MUST DELIVER a statement

By Spartans IllustratedAugust 9, 2026

Michigan State Spartans football faces a pivotal season—could momentum swing on early must-win games? Nebraska, not Michigan, takes center stage as the key matchup that may define Pat Fitzgerald’s first year at the helm, with fan sentiment and locker room morale hanging in the balance. The showdown against Big Ten rival Nebraska, along with crucial battles versus Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Rutgers, raises the stakes for a Spartans team eyeing bowl eligibility and redemption after recent struggles.

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