After losing to No. 20 Michigan (5-2 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) 12-10 on Saturday, the MSU football team (4-4, 1-3) has gone from a team fighting for a Big Ten championship to one hoping for an invitation to a bowl game.
The Spartans will need wins in two of their final four games to reach postseason play. MSU has reached a bowl game in each of Mark Dantonio’s first five seasons as head coach, a streak that is on the line after losing four of the past six games.
Here are the challenges MSU will face to keep the streak alive and the potential bowl games they could travel to.
-Josh Mansour
A timeline of the rest of MSU’s season
Opponent:
Oct. 27: Wisconsin (6-2, 3-1)
Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc. (3:30 p.m., ABC)
The Spartans haven’t won in Madison since 2001, and the Badgers have won three-straight games by an average of 22 points. A win would strengthen MSU’s bowl chances considerably.
Nov. 3: Nebraska (6-2, 2-1)
Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (TBA)
Both of Nebraska’s conference wins have come against impressive opponents — Wisconsin and Northwestern. MSU has struggled to win the close games and has never beaten Nebraska.
Nov. 17: Northwestern (6-2, 2-2)
Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (TBA)
Northwestern is one of the dark-horse contenders to get to the Big Ten championship game, after reaching bowl eligibility and nearly knocking off Nebraska. With a favorable schedule that doesn’t include Wisconsin or Ohio State, the Wildcats might be the team to take the Legends Division title away from MSU.
Nov. 24: Minnesota (4-3, 0-3)
TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (TBA)
MSU closes out its season by traveling to take on Minnesota. After opening the season with four-straight wins, Minnesota hasn’t been able to win a conference game.
Finish in Big Ten:
5th or 6th in the Big Ten: Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. OR Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas in Houston
Most bowl projections have the Spartans squaring off against a middle-of-the-pack team from the Big 12.
Likely Opponents: Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1), TCU (5-2, 2-2), Texas (5-2, 2-2), No. 25 West Virginia (5-2, 2-2) or Iowa State (4-3, 1-3)
7th in the Big Ten: Heart of Dallas Bowl in Dallas
Despite the Spartans’ struggles this season, they could still make a New Year’s Day bowl, although probably not the one they expected.
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Likely Opponents: Tulsa (7-1, 5-0), UCF (5-2, 3-0) or East Carolina (5-3, 4-1)
8th in the Big Ten: Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit
It’s unlikely the Spartans will fall this far, in large part because of the reduced number of Big Ten teams eligible for the postseason following NCAA sanctions against Penn State and Ohio State.
Likely Opponents: Ohio University (7-0, 3-0), Kent State (6-1, 4-0), Northern Illinois (7-1, 4-0) or Toledo (7-1, 4-0)
