REPORT: Michigan State's Updated Bowl Projections After 2-0 Start

Michigan State is nearly halfway to being bowl-eligible. Did the Spartans' bowl game projections improve?

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (15) rushes as Maryland Terrapins linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II (4) chases during the second half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Michigan State’s football team has surprisingly gotten off to a 2-0 start, as many predicted it to lose to Maryland on the road.

Coach Jonathan Smith and the Spartans entered the season with few people expecting them to win many games or make it to a bowl game. Multiple college football experts and sportsbooks around the country predicted Michigan State to win anywhere from four to six games this season. After beating Maryland, the Spartans are a win against Prairie View A&M away from being in a position to exceed their preseason expectations significantly.

As he does weekly, Erick Smith of USA TODAY recently released an updated version of his bowl projections for the season. For the second consecutive week, Smith included Michigan State in his bowl projections for the second successive week. Smith also projected the Spartans heading to the Pinstripe Bowl for the second consecutive week. However, this week, he has Michigan State playing North Carolina State in the game’s annual matchup between ACC and Big Ten teams.

Last week, Smith projected Michigan State to face Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Michigan State secured a significant win last week against Maryland to move them closer to the six wins needed to be invited to a bowl game. Michigan State entered the season as a team many did not think would make it to a bowl game and entered last week’s game against Maryland as nearly a double-digit underdog. Michigan State was overlooked all offseason but has started to turn heads after their upset win over Maryland last weekend. 

Michigan State’s first game of the season was a rocky one. It struggled to beat Florida Atlantic at home in a game it was a double-digit favorite to win. However, the Spartans turned things around against Maryland, as their offense figured things out and began to click in their Big Ten opener.

Coach Smith has done a solid job keeping the team focused and finding ways to win games. As Michigan State progresses through the season, it will look to continue proving it is on the right track as a football program as it builds the foundation of what it hopes is a successful rebuild.

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