Michigan State got a massive upset victory on Saturday afternoon and it should go a long way in helping the Spartans reach a bowl game.
With the win over Illinois, Michigan State moved to 4-5 on the season and now is two wins shy of bowl eligibility with three games left on the schedule. Those games are against Rutgers, Indiana and Penn State — so do you think they will get the job done?
See what my thoughts are on the final three games and whether or not I have the Spartans finishing strong enough to reach a bowl game this holiday season:
Rutgers (home)
Chances Michigan State wins: 75 percent
Prediction: Michigan State win
The Scarlet Knights need this game just as badly as the Spartans in their pursuit to reach a bowl game. But I don’t think they have enough juice on the offense to pull the upset. Michigan State takes care of business to move one game closer to reaching bowl eligibility.
Indiana (home)
Chances Michigan State wins: 80 percent
Prediction: Michigan State win
Indiana will mos certainly be out of bowl game contention by the time they come to East Lansing, Mich. with the Hoosiers heading to Ohio State this week. A loss in that game would give Indiana seven losses on the year and should kill any motivation to pull the upset of Michigan State. I feel good about the Spartans chances of winning this game and reaching bowl eligibility with one game to go on the year.
Penn State (away)
Chances Michigan State wins: 25 percent
Prediction: Penn State win
If things go as planned, Michigan State won’t need a win in Happy Valley to reach bowl eligibility but a victory would certainly bump them up to a better bowl. There’s also a very good chance Penn State will be playing for a New Year’s Six bowl game bid in this season-finale — just like Michigan State last year. So there will be plenty of motivation for the Nittany Lions to win this game and thus it’ll be an up-hill-battle for the Spartans to pull the upset.
Where does MSU end up bowling?
Prediction: Quick Lane Bowl
Michigan State would be a slam dunk selection for the Quick Lane Bowl reps if they are able to get to 6-6 and reach bowl eligibility. The Spartans would bring plenty of fans and is an easy choice to land here against a MAC foe. This is also the trendy pick amongst bowl projections I’ve seen so don’t be surprised if the Spartans are heading to Detroit for their bowl game this year.
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