The Michigan State Spartans will have to overcome one of the most difficult obstacles in program history as collegiate football changes due to bigger conferences and postseason implications. Analysts are describing the 2025 season as a “never-before-seen gauntlet”—a schedule so demanding and unrelenting that it has already garnered national notice as one of the most difficult ever put together.
Michigan State is undergoing change under the direction of head coach Jonathan Smith, who is in his second year. The Spartans are looking for a comeback following a 2024 rebuilding campaign that had some encouraging moments. However, that path will be built via fire, so it won’t be simple.
The Spartans take on the Oregon Ducks, the reigning Pac-12 champions, in a fierce matchup to start the 2025 season at home in Spartan Stadium. Oregon will be a difficult challenge from the start, led by a powerful offense and potential NFL talent. Then, in a traditional Big Ten-ACC non-conference game that might have significant early-season playoff ranking ramifications, Michigan State travels to play Syracuse.
The gauntlet then starts in earnest. It reads like a who’s who of college football royalty on the Spartans’ Big Ten schedule. Including consecutive road trips to Los Angeles and Seattle, Michigan State will play all four of the new West Coast powerhouses: USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. These battles test the Spartans’ stamina and recuperation in addition to their physical and strategic limits.
The grueling midseason stretch comes next. Within a four-week period, Michigan State will host Penn State at home, play Ohio State in Columbus, and then travel to Iowa. Most preseason surveys rank the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions in the top five, and Kinnick Stadium is still one of the most difficult places to play college football.
The Michigan Wolverines, fresh off a run in the College Football Playoffs, will be the Spartans’ fierce in-state foe in November. If Michigan State can overcome the odds, that game, which is always marked on the calendar, may be crucial for bowl eligibility or possibly a surprising playoff push.
At Big Ten Media Days, coach Jonathan Smith expressed optimism by saying, “This schedule is the ultimate test.” However, huge difficulties create great teams. The grind is something we’re enjoying.
This 2025 schedule is so remarkable not just because of the top opponents but also because of the consistent challenge, week after week, without a break. No tune-ups are scheduled. No sloppiness. Excellence is expected every Saturday.
It will be one of the hardest-earned turnarounds in recent memory if the Spartans can make it through this ordeal and come out on top. What if they startle the country? They will define history rather than merely create it.