REPORT: How Realistic is it to Expect a Bowl Game for Michigan State?

Michigan State Football Coach Jonathan Smith and his coaching staff have overcome many obstacles in their first offseason in East Lansing. Will they overcome one of the toughest schedules in the country?

Michigan State's Aidan Chiles looks to throw during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State football enters the upcoming season with many changes in place. Coach Jonathan Smith will begin his first season at the helm, which is expected to be difficult for Michigan State. It has already been an up-and-down offseason for Coach Smith, which may impact the early part of Michigan State’s season.

Coach Smith and his coaching staff have faced an uphill battle since arriving in East Lansing, causing many to believe Michigan State will not see much success this season. While Coach Smith and Michigan State eventually had a successful offseason, their roster and overall situation were among the worst situations in the Big Ten upon Coach Smith’s arrival. 

Although Michigan State has one of the most difficult schedules in the conference and in the country, it also has enough winnable games to make it to a bowl game. Michigan State undoubtedly has arguably the most difficult four-game stretch of any team in the country, but it is still possible they can string together six wins.

They play Prarie View A&M, Florida Atlantic, Rutgers, and Indiana at home and would only need to find two more wins to make it to a bowl game. That is not unrealistic for Michigan State to do in their first season under Coach Smith, considering the amount of talent Michigan State brought in via the transfer portal and Coach Smith and his coaching staff's ability to develop players.

Still, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford is one of many who believe Michigan State will not make it to a bowl game this season. Crawford recently released his bowl projections for the upcoming season, and it appears he does not have Michigan State projected to make it to a bowl game. The lowest-rated Big Ten team usually goes to the Detroit Bowl, formerly the Quick Lane Bowl. However, Crawford projected Indiana to make it to the Detroit Bowl instead of Coach Smith and Michigan State.

If Crawford and his projections are correct, it would be the third consecutive season Michigan State has failed to make it to a bowl game. Michigan State’s last bowl appearance was a win over Pitt in the Peach Bowl in 2021. Michigan State hopes to prove Crawford and many others wrong this season.

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