Michigan opens the 2026 college football season with games against Western Michigan, Oklahoma, and UTEP in the non-conference portion of their schedule. In week nine they host the in-state rival Michigan State Spartans under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The offensive line needs to get a lot better if MSU hopes to have a better offensive season in 2026. On defense, Michigan State returns leading tackler Jordan Hall at linebacker. The defensive line was very bad last year for Michigan State, as they had just 22 sacks all season.