MSU head football coach Mark Dantonio said at his postgame press conference Saturday that his team met its goal in being Big Ten champions after the Spartans’ 28-22 win at Penn State, but also deserves a shot to play in a BCS game.

“We’re the only team that’s beaten Wisconsin, and I might add that we did it convincingly,” Dantonio said. “I’ll say it twice, we did it convincingly. They’re up there at six or seven, and we should be right there with them. Our goal is to win the championship. That’s our No. 1 goal. where people place us form there, we’ll still go to whatever bowl we go as Big Ten champs.”

Now that three teams are tied atop the Big Ten standings, MSU, which ranked two spots behind Ohio State and three behind Wisconsin in the BCS standings, likely is headed to the Capital One Bowl after both the Buckeyes and Badgers held serve in blowout wins against Michigan and Northwestern, respectively.

All three teams are 11-1 and 7-1 in conference, but the Spartans are the only one not to have lost to one of the other teams, as they defeated Wisconsin, 34-24, on Oct. 2, and the Badgers defeated Ohio State two weeks later, 31-18.

As the Big Ten only is allotted a two-team maximum for BCS games and the BCS rankings being the deciding factor in this tie, the Spartans likely will be left out of the equation unless they gain popularity in voters’ minds or bowl organizers select them ahead of Wisconsin or Ohio State.

“Part of the process with the BCS is it’s subjective and you get input from the pollsters and two-thirds of it is based on the polls and you always have to fight tradition when you’re a team that’s coming up and trying to reach the pinnacle,” MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis said. “That’s what we have to overcome, but we feel that the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl both will take a look at MSU and hopefully at the end they’ll make a selection.”

Hollis feels the Spartans are deserving of at least a hard look from BCS bowl organizers, but said they’ll be happy no matter where they’re sent.

In the next week, Hollis will be sending information out to the organizers and presenting the Spartans’ case for a BCS bowl selection.

“The phones will be busy and we’ll be sending a lot of information to individuals so they know the positives,” Hollis said. “I think Ohio State’s very worthy. … We have to have to make sure the Big Ten gets two in the BCS, that’s first and foremost, but we also believe that we’re right there with Ohio State if not ahead of them, so when it comes to making rational decisions, I think we’re in very good position.”

Predicted by most analysts to finish near the middle of the Big Ten, the Spartans were ranked as high as fifth in the BCS standings this season, before losing against Iowa on Oct. 30.

Wisconsin, by virtue of its win against Northwestern on Saturday, likely will earn a trip to the Rose Bowl, and Ohio Sate likely would receive the bid as the conference’s BCS at-large team, leaving the Spartans as likely invitees to the Capital One Bowl, where MSU played and lost against Georgia two seasons ago.

Although 11-win BCS-conference teams in years past have typically earned BCS bowl bids, an 11-win Wisconsin team went to the Capital One Bowl in 2007 after finishing in a tie for second in the Big Ten.

However, that team didn’t win a share of the conference championship, as this year’s Spartans did.

No matter what their postseason fate is, players echoed Hollis and Dantonio’s comments, saying their goal simply was to win the Big Ten.

“We just have to get ready and prepare that best that we can (for whoever we play),” sophomore running back Edwin Baker said. “That accomplishment we have today is going to live forever.”