REPORT: Where Does Michigan State Football Land in Updated Bowl Projections?

Michigan State is 1-0 on the season as it opens Big Ten play. Has its chances of reaching a bowl game improved?

Aug 30, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Spartans celebrate their victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls by singing the fight song with the student section at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images / Dale Young-Imagn Images

With their win over Florida Atlantic in the first home game of the season, Coach Jonathan Smith and Michigan State are one win closer to being eligible for a bowl game this season.

It was not pretty, but the Spartans came out victorious nonetheless. The victory over Florida Atlantic means Michigan State only needs a handful of wins to become bowl-eligible this season, which would be a significant win for Coach Smith in his first season.

Erick Smith of USA Today releases weekly bowl projections each season. After one week of play, he released his bowl projections for this season and listed Michigan State in a bowl game this postseason. Michigan State received very few predictions to make it to a bowl game before the season started and may not make a bowl game when it is all said and done.

Still, the fact that it has been projected to make a bowl game early in the season is a sign of how quickly the perception around the team can change with just a few victories. 

Smith projected the Spartans to make it to the Pinstripe Bowl, a game played between a Big Ten team and a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Smith projects that Michigan State will land in the bowl game and play Virginia Tech in a matchup that looks like it would be between two evenly-matched teams. 

Michigan State undoubtedly has many things to work on after a lackluster win at home against Florida Atlantic. It now travels east to face a Maryland team that looked unstoppable on offense against Connecticut last weekend at home. Terrapins quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw for over 300 yards, and Maryland also ran for nearly 250 yards, giving the Spartans’ defense much to focus on in practice this past week. 

However, Michigan State’s concern heading into its matchup against Maryland will be the offensive side of the ball. The Spartans’ offense struggled mightily last week against a Florida Atlantic team that is less talented than the Maryland team they are about to face. For Michigan State to reach a bowl game like Smith projects it to, it must continue to improve throughout the season.

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