All-time ranking

Top 25 games in the database

Wins receive a small preference, but exceptional losses and ties remain eligible. Select any game for its available box score and statistics.

1966Week 11Away
T 10-10 vs. Notre Dame
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Michigan State · 0-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
79
Game score
1955PostseasonNeutral site
W 17-14 vs. UCLA
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 2 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
78
Game score
1965Week 7Away
W 14-10 vs. Purdue
No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
76
Game score
2015Week 14Neutral site
W 16-13 vs. Iowa
No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 5 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
75
Game score
Full Game · 2015 Iowa vs. Michigan State (Big Ten Championship Game Full Game)
2014GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSICNeutral site
W 42-41 vs. Baylor
No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 7 Michigan State · 1-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
75
Game score
Full Game · 2014 Baylor vs. Michigan State (Cotton Bowl Full Game)
1965PostseasonNeutral site
L 12-14 vs. UCLA
No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 2-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
74
Game score
2013ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIONeutral site
W 24-20 vs. Stanford
No. 4 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Stanford · 4-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
74
Game score
Full Game · 2013 Michigan State vs. Stanford (Bowl Full Game)
2015Week 12Away
W 17-14 vs. Ohio State
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
73
Game score
Full Game · 2015 Ohio State vs. Michigan State (Regular Season Full Game)
2015Week 2Home
W 31-28 vs. Oregon
No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Oregon · 3-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
72
Game score
Full Game · 2015 Michigan State vs. Oregon (Regular Season Full Game)
1965Week 11Away
W 12-3 vs. Notre Dame
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 9-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
71
Game score
1953PostseasonNeutral site
W 28-20 vs. UCLA
No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 3 Michigan State · 8-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 22/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
71
Game score
1999Week 7Home
W 34-31 vs. Michigan
No. 11 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Michigan · 3-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
70
Game score
1952Week 8Away
W 14-7 vs. Purdue
No. 10 Purdue vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 7-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
69
Game score
2021Week 9Home
W 37-33 vs. Michigan
No. 8 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Michigan · 4-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
69
Game score
Highlight · 2021 Michigan State vs. Michigan (Regular Season Full Game)
1961Week 6Home
W 17-7 vs. Notre Dame
No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Notre Dame · 10-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 20/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
68
Game score
2011OUTBACK BOWLNeutral site3OT
W 33-30 vs. Georgia
No. 18 Georgia vs. No. 12 Michigan State · 3-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 13/15 · Win 5/5
67
Game score
2013Week 15Neutral site
W 34-24 vs. Ohio State
No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Ohio State · 10-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 20/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
65
Game score
1961Week 9Away
L 6-7 vs. Purdue
No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 9 Michigan State · 1-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
65
Game score
1951Week 2Home
W 6-0 vs. Oregon State
No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Oregon State · 6-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
65
Game score
1999PostseasonNeutral site
W 37-34 vs. Florida
No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Florida · 3-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
65
Game score
Full Game · 1999 Michigan State vs. Florida (Bowl Full Game)
1956Week 4Away
W 9-0 vs. Michigan
No. 12 Michigan vs. No. 2 Michigan State · 9-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
64
Game score
1956Week 10Away
L 13-14 vs. Minnesota
No. 7 Minnesota vs. No. 10 Michigan State · 1-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
64
Game score
1948Week 7Home
T 14-14 vs. Penn State
No. 12 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Penn State · 0-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
64
Game score
2015Week 7Away
W 27-23 vs. Michigan
No. 12 Michigan vs. No. 7 Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
64
Game score
1959Week 10Home
W 15-10 vs. Northwestern
No. 11 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Northwestern · 5-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 25/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
63
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-week AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero ranking points.

Closeness, 30 points: the score margin is subtracted from 30, with margins of 30 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Result, 5 points: a featured-team win receives five points; losses and ties receive zero.

Regular-season rankings are matched to the AP Top 25 for the game's recorded week. Postseason games use the final regular-season AP poll published before bowl and playoff results. Overtime uses period scoring when available, then explicit overtime notes as a fallback. Older games and smaller programs may have less complete poll or period data.

Michigan State Top 25 Games

Top 25 games in the database

How each game earns up to 100 points

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