EAST LANSING, Mich. — Pat Fitzgerald sat for an hour Wednesday evening at One North Kitchen & Bar and did what he had to do — face the public.
It was his weekly coach’s show for the Spartan Radio Network, after all. At the same table where iconic Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo does his own show, Fitzgerald, the Spartans’ first-year football coach, looked ahead to Saturday’s initial run-in with Northwestern, the school where he starred as a linebacker and coached for over 20 years until his firing in 2023 amid a hazing investigation. He and Northwestern later settled a wrongful-termination lawsuit.
During the show, Fitzgerald, 51, made self-deprecating cracks about being off to a 2-4 start with his new team and bantered easily with his hosts and the 50 or so fans in attendance. He seemed every bit in his element.
No. 25 Northwestern (-7½) at Michigan State (11 a.m., Peacock, 720-AM) will make all of this — Fitzgerald’s name still inexorably tied to his alma mater, yet the Wildcats continuing to move on without him — seem oh, so real.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the game and the players,” he said. “It should be a heck of a football game. [The Wildcats] are playing very well.”
Indeed, the 4-1 Wildcats — ranked for the first time since the end of the 2020 season — are. Their success has been driven by a formidable offense, masterminded by high-profile coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterbacked by Michigan State transfer Aidan Chiles, who threw for 23 touchdowns in 21 games with the Green and White in 2024 and 2025. In the bigger picture, head coach David Braun — once a no-name emergency replacement — continues to achieve at a higher level than anyone would’ve reasonably predicted.
“David has done a terrific job,” Fitzgerald told reporters during the week. “I’m really happy for him. … He’s done just an absolutely terrific job leading the program, putting his stamp on it and doing it his way, which every great head coach does.”
Fitzgerald said he remains a “huge fan” of the Wildcats.
“But I’m a Spartan,” he said, “and I’m proud to be a Spartan and I’m honored to be here.”
Braun acknowledged he “wouldn’t be here today” had Fitzgerald not hired him as defensive coordinator heading into the 2023 season.
“This game is not about me,” Braun said. “This game is not about the fact that Coach Fitz is one of the most revered individuals to ever grace this program as a player and as a coach, and this isn’t about Aidan playing his former program. This is about this team preparing to be at our best on the road in a hostile environment and making sure we position ourselves [to] come back with a win in the Big Ten.”
Even after a 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois last weekend, the Spartans rank at the bottom of the Big Ten in offense. They’re also up against it with injuries, with as many as eight starters expected to be out. Fitz magic? If there is such a thing, it’ll be needed. Wildcats, 27-20, is the pick.
OTHER WEEK 7 PICKS
All games are Saturday.
No. 6 Alabama (-7½) at No. 14 Tennessee (2:30 p.m., ABC 7): The reflexive inclination is to side with the Volunteers at home in a rivalry game. The concern, though, is backup QB George MacIntyre, pressed into duty again, could become overwhelmed. Roll Tide, 23-17.
No. 9 Ole Miss (-5½) vs. No. 13 Missouri (2:30 p.m., ABC 7): Once upon a time, Mizzou QB Austin Simmons was the starter at Ole Miss, got dinged up for a bit, watched from the sideline as backup Trinidad Chambliss took over and — yada, yada — you remember how great Chambliss was in last season’s playoff. Now, Wally Pipp returns wearing different colors and, at least for the sake of my flimsy narrative, thirsty for revenge! Rebels, 34-24.
No. 2 Notre Dame (-10½) at No. 8 BYU (6:30 p.m., ABC 7): The Irish defense leads the nation with 214.2 yards allowed per game, but the Cougars are close behind (seventh, 254.4). The offensive numbers are relatively close, too, as are these unbeaten teams’ strengths of schedule. So why the double-digit spread in favor of the visitors? It seems a bit much. Irish, 24-20.
No. 20 Houston (-4½) vs. No. 18 Oklahoma State (6:30 p.m., Fox 32): If you enjoy a good QB matchup, this is your game; the Cougars’ Conner Weigman and the Cowboys’ Drew Mestemaker have been crushing it. Ask Kansas State how lights-out the Cougars can be. Ask big, bad Oregon what it was like to travel to Cowboys territory and take an “L.” These teams are legit. Houston, 34-31.
My favorite favorite: No. 22 LSU (-14) vs. No. 16 Mississippi State (11 a.m., ESPN): LSU has lost twice, but this remains one of the highest-ceiling teams out there. Tigers in a blowout.
My favorite underdog: No. 5 Indiana (+3½) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (11 a.m., Fox 32): The Hoosiers are 19-0 at home under coach Curt Cignetti, whose James Madison teams lost all of three home games (one by a single point, the other in overtime) in five years. Nobody (well, almost nobody) beats the Big Cig at his joint. Hoosiers beat the mighty Buckeyes again.
Last week: 6-2 straight-up, 4-4 against the spread.
Season to date: 33-11 straight-up, 22-22 against the spread.