Michigan State football 2026 game-by-game predictions: UCLA

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Michigan State football is right around the corner so it’s time to start predicting how the season will shake out for the Spartans.

Michigan State football is under new leadership this season, with Pat Fitzgerald set to take over as the next head coach. He will take over a program looking to get back on the winning side, with the Spartans in the midst of a four-year bowl drought. Can he get the job done and get the Spartans back to a bowl game this season? I have offered my thoughts on that in our game-by-game predictions segment on Spartans Wire.

We continue on with the next of my game-by-game predictions for each of the matchups on the Spartans’ 2026 schedule. Each morning a new prediction will be released following Michigan State’s schedule. Next up is a Big Ten matchup against UCLA…

Matchup Breakdown

Opponent: UCLA

Date: October 24, 2026

Location: Rose Bowl Stadium (Pasadena, Calif.)

Fun Fact About This Matchup

This will only mark the eighth meeting all-time between Michigan State and UCLA, with the Bruins winning the last four games after the Spartans won the first three. Michigan State last beat UCLA in 1965.

The most recent meeting came last year when UCLA throttled the Spartans during Homecoming weekend for an upset victory. That early October loss sparked the narrative of Michigan State needing to move on from former head coach Jonathan Smith, which eventually was the case after the season concluded.

Where Things Stand Entering Matchup

MSU predicted record: 5-2 (3-1 in Big Ten)

Michigan State is riding high coming into this game, with the Spartans ranked for the first time since 2022 following back-to-back home wins against Illinois and Northwestern to move to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play. The Spartans can clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2021 with a win over the Bruins in LA.

UCLA has became the darling bounce-back team for many across the country this offseason, but I personally envision them struggling out of the gate. I have the Bruins sitting at 2-4 overall (2-2 in Big Ten) with a notable win over the Wisconsin Badgers in the week prior to Michigan State visiting.

Prediction

Prediction: UCLA wins 31-17

Michigan State has struggled when they head out west and I believe that trend continues in this road matchup against the Bruins. On paper, this should be a toss-up but a few critical turnovers by the Spartans tilt this one in favor of the Bruins and kills any wild dreams of Michigan State contending for a Big Ten championship.

The Spartans will be on a bye next week before heading into their annual rivalry game with the Michigan Wolverines…

Next Up

Next on the game-by-game predictions list is a road Big Ten game vs. Michigan. That prediction will be released tomorrow.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State football 2026 game-by-game predictions: UCLA

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