Is Iowa a ‘must-win’ game for Michigan State?

College football season is flying by, as we are a third of the way through the year already. A handful of teams are starting to find an identity and separate themselves from the pack. Other teams are heading back to the drawing board to figure out how to get back on track, one of those teams being Michigan State.

After a 2-0 start, the Spartans looked like they had fixed some gaping holes on their team. Two weeks later, MSU is 2-2 and back where it started, with recurring issues from 2022. Not to mention, head coach Mel Tucker is now gone, with safeties coach Harlon Barnett serving as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

The Spartans next game has them going to one of the toughest road environments in college football, traveling to Iowa for a night game at Kinnick Stadium. A loss would give MSU a losing record heading into its ‘bye’ week. A win would end the losing streak and make them 1-1 in the Big Ten.

While this game isn’t a rivalry or have playoff implications for either team, is this still a ‘must-win’ game for Michigan State?

Why it is a ‘Must-Win’

Like I mentioned earlier, after this game the Spartans have a week off before playing Rutgers, and the ‘bye’ may give some players time to think about their futures in the program. A win could buy Harlon Barnett more time to keep players bought in and play the remainder of the season without sitting out or transferring. Losing may convince some guys the season is lost and lead to players shutting it down or planning to leave.

Stylistically, Iowa is a team that MSU matches up well against compared to other opponents. The Spartans continue to have issues with the pass defense but Iowa’s passing offense is still struggling. The Hawkeyes were shutout last game, albeit against a top-10 opponent in Penn State. The Spartan’s defense will still have their work cut out, but shouldn’t have a tougher time than against Washington or even Maryland.

One of MSU’s goals is to make it back to a bowl game this season. Even if the Spartans lose they still have a path to six wins and making a bowl, but that leaves no margin for error with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State still on the schedule. A win would put Michigan State in a comfortable spot at 3-2, when even a loss to one of Rutgers, Minnesota, Nebraska or Indiana would still give the Spartans a shot at a bowl game.

Why it is NOT a ‘Must-Win’

Iowa is a tough team, and while the Hawkeyes’ offense is questionable, their defense is still very good. The Spartans are not favored to win this game, and a loss would drop them to 2-3. Michigan State’s remaining seven games are tougher than the first five, but having a ‘bye’ week could allow them to hit the reset button and fix problems schematically. With a rotating number of injured players, it also gives them another week of rest to get some key players healthy and playing again.

While there’s concern that players could check out and enter the transfer portal after Iowa, Barnett has said that no one has approached him about leaving. Veteran center Nick Samac echoed that after the Maryland loss, saying everyone is still bought in and even the younger players who could enter the portal have stepped up.

Nebraska and Michigan are the only remaining home games for MSU. The Cornhuskers provide a winnable game, and we know the Spartans will put everything into trying to upset the rival Wolverines. Indiana and Minnesota have struggled this season, and Rutgers is a team with less talent than Michigan State. If the Spartans lose this week they still have seven more chances to win four more games.

For more coverage of Michigan State Athletics:

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @SpartanNationPodcast
• Follow us on Facebook: @SpartanNation
• Follow us on Twitter: @mlounsberry_SI | @a3danm