Brad Crawford of 247Sports like the Spartans’ chances at returning to the postseason in 2023.
Crawford has released updated bowl projections for the 2023 season following the completion of spring practice earlier this month, and Michigan State was one of his many Big Ten teams listed. Crawford has 11 Big Ten teams reaching a bowl game this season, with two teams making the College Football Playoff.
Check out where the Spartans and every other Big Ten team lands in McMurphy’s early bowl projections:
Gasparilla Bowl
Matchup: Nebraska vs. Mississippi State
Date: TBA
Location: Tampa, Florida
My Thoughts: Nebraska hasn’t reached a bowl game since 2016 so I’m sure they’d be thrilled with any postseason bowl bid in the first year under new head coach Matt Rhule. This also would be a fun matchup against an SEC foe.
Quick Lane Bowl
Matchup: Purdue vs. Western Michigan
Date: TBA
Location: Detroit, Michigan
My Thoughts: I’m not particularly high on Purdue after all they lost off last year’s Big Ten West Division champion team. So I personally don’t see them reaching the postseason this year, but if they do, then the Quick Lane Bowl seems about right for the Boilermakers
Pinstripe Bowl
Matchup: Iowa vs. Duke
Date: TBA
Location: Bronx, New York
My Thoughts: If Iowa ends up in the Pinstripe Bowl then it will be a disappointing season for the Hawkeyes. It’s not that the Pinstripe Bowl game is a bad bowl but that it would mean Iowa fell short of their preseason expectations of contending for the Big Ten West Division title.
Duke's Mayo Bowl
Matchup: Illinois vs. Pittsburgh
Date: TBA
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
My Thoughts: Illinois is another team I’m not high on entering the 2023 season based on all that they lost from last year’s breakthrough team. I believe the Fighting Illini have a good chance at reaching a bowl game but I think it’ll be a little lower on the Big Ten’s bowl tiers.
Music City Bowl
Matchup: Maryland vs. Ole Miss
Date: TBA
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
My Thoughts: Like Illinois, I think this bowl projection is a little too high for Maryland. The Terps return one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Taulia Tagovailoa but I still have a lot of questions about their ability to reach seven or eight wins and earn the Music City Bowl bid.
ReliaQuest Bowl
Matchup: Minnesota vs. South Carolina
Date: TBA
Location: Tampa, Florida
My Thoughts: Minnesota is consistently above average under PJ Fleck so I don’t have a particular issue with this bowl projection for the Golden Gophers. But I will say that Minnesota has a brutal schedule and they’ll need to probably reach at least eight wins to end up here — so that’s what most concerns me about this projection.
Citrus Bowl
Matchup: Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Date: TBA
Location: Orlando, Florida
My Thoughts: This would be a great landing spot for the Badgers in year one under Luke Fickell. As of right now, I like Wisconsin to win the Big Ten West Division in 2023, so this is where they’d end up assuming they lose to whoever comes out of the East Division.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Matchup: Michigan State vs. Kansas State
Date: TBA
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
My Thoughts: This won’t be the sexiest bowl game, but I personally would be thrilled with the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. If the Spartans end up here, it would mean they most likely hit seven wins and would get the opportunity to play a solid team from the Big 12. Some fans would still complain about this result for the year, but I think this would be a step in the right direction for Mel Tucker and the Spartans.
Orange Bowl
Matchup: Penn State vs. Clemson
Date: Dec. 30, 2023
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
My Thoughts: Landing in the Orange Bowl is a great year for many programs but this probably would be classified as a disappointment for Penn State. The Nittany Lions are looking to break through in 2023 and reach their first-ever College Football Playoff — and they’d be falling short of that goal if they end up in the Orange Bowl.
Sugar Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
Matchup: Michigan vs. Georgia
Date: Jan. 1, 2024
Location: New Orleans, Louisana
My Thoughts: Michigan heading back to the College Football Playoff for a third straight year will come as no surprise. But landing as the No. 4 seed would suggest they didn’t beat Ohio State again and fell short of winning the Big Ten — so this is definitely not what the Wolverines faithful would want to see in 2023.
Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
Matchup: Ohio State vs. Texas
Date: Jan. 1, 2024
Location: Pasadena, California
My Thoughts: Ohio State would be thrilled if they landed as the No. 2 seed and got to play Texas in the Rose Bowl this year. That would mean Ryan Day has at least achieved two of the program’s three main goals — beat Michigan and win the Big Ten. And he’ll still have a chance at the final goal too…
CFP National Championship
Matchup: Ohio State vs. Georgia
Date: Jan. 8, 2023
Location: Houston, Texas
My Thoughts: Well, this would mean Ohio State beat Texas in the Rose Bowl and reached the National Championship game. It may not be a popular opinion right now with Michigan owning the rivalry in the past few seasons, but I will never bet against the Buckeyes reaching the title game. They were a missed field goal away from winning it all last year and will not be surprised if they make it there again this year.
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