Earning Bowl Bid Important For Young Spartans

Michigan State is back on track for a bowl berth after upsetting No. 16 Illinois

This season for Michigan State football has been unexpected, for better and for worse. From losing four in a row, to the Michigan Stadium tunnel incident, to then beating a Top 25 opponent, 2022 has been a roller coaster ride.

With three games left in the regular season, where do the Spartans go from here?

While Illinois looked like the toughest remaining game on the schedule, Michigan State won that game comfortably. With two weaker opponents in Rutgers and Indiana up next, followed by another Top 25 team in Penn State, the Spartans’ chances of winning six regular season games looks more attainable now then it did a week ago.

In the College Football Playoff era, bowl games are looked at differently than they used to be. The players who are comfortable with their NFL draft stock likely sit out to avoid injury. It is a “playoff or bust” mentality for the majority of the elite talent in the college game.

The Spartans may have some NFL caliber players, but I doubt any would sit out. Rather it would benefit them greatly by having a bowl game for the extra practices that come with it. With the many injuries MSU has suffered this season, with some players who could be out the rest of the season, there is more of an opportunity for the younger players to grow and gain experience.

It’s important for Michigan State to earn a bowl bid, as the transition to a new regime continues in East Lansing. A bowl game would allow more of head coach Mel Tucker’s recruits to get an opportunity to prove themselves, and get playing time against outside competition.

Depending on the location of the bowl game it could also greatly benefit recruiting. Michigan State played in the Peach Bowl last year in Atlanta, and were able to cater to recruits in Georgia. Michigan State has many targets in Georgia, Florida and southeastern regions of the country. Getting a bowl game in that area would help increase their visibility to area recruits.

Following Michigan State’s loss against Michigan, concern was high that the Spartans would not reach that six-win plateau to earn bowl eligibility. However, confidence is now high after MSU beat Illinois.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned watching these Spartans, it’s that no games can be chalked up as automatic wins. Beating Rutgers and Indiana is no guarantee, especially with this Michigan State team, but they are also two games that the Spartans should be expected to win.

The Scarlet Knights and Hoosiers have one conference win each, and Indiana hasn’t won a game since September. As an added bonus, Michigan State is hosting both teams at Spartan Stadium, which gives MSU an added advantage.

In the midst of the four-game losing streak, and then after a 22-point defeat at Michigan, bowl eligibility was hanging by a thread for the Spartans. Now, if Michigan State takes care of business these next two weeks, the Spartans will indeed go bowling this winter.