Michigan State football: ESPN “matchup predictor” projects bowl berth in 2021

Things are on the rise for Michigan State football.

Mel Tucker’s 2022 recruiting class is up to No. 16 nationally (down one spot since last week), ahead of programs like South Carolina, Florida, and USC; their class is also fifth in the Big Ten, only behind Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Rutgers.

Michigan State’s recruiting class hasn’t finished in the top 20 since 2016, the year the Spartans won the Big Ten and found themselves in the College Football Playoff.

Momentum is in Michigan State’s favor, and people are taking notice.

Michigan State football is projected to go to a bowl game this year

According to ESPN’s “matchup predictor”, Michigan State is poised for a great season or at least one that most didn’t anticipate. Of course, these are just estimates based on ESPN’s algorithm but may be worth considering since it’s a 6-6 season in Mel Tucker’s first full year, with a win against state rival Michigan.

The Spartans open the season with a Friday night game against Northwestern on Sept. 3. Although Michigan State is projected to lose that game, they’d be 2-2 after the fourth game with wins against Youngstown State and Nebraska, but losses against Northwestern and Miami.

If the matchup predictor is correct, Michigan State would be 4-2 after playing both Western Kentucky and Rutgers in mid-October.

On Oct. 30, the Spartans host Michigan, which ESPN projects Michigan State as having a 51.8 percent chance to win that game. Much of this could be due to Michigan’s inconsistency, coaching failures, or anything else that would cause its own writers to doubt them.

After Michigan, the Spartans play Purdue, Maryland, Ohio State, and Penn State. After a loss against Purdue, Michigan State would be 5-4, but finish the season 1-2, with its sole win against Maryland.

ESPN’s Matchup Predictor sounds eerily inconsistent, as a team better than Michigan should surely be better than Purdue. According to multiple betting sites including WynnBet, Michigan State’s over/under win total is 4.5, but if ESPN is correct, you should hammer the over.

For the record, it’s not unlike Michigan State to make a bowl game. In Mark Dantonio’s last season as coach, the Spartans played in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Wake Forest, winning 27-21.

Regardless, if Tucker makes a bowl game in his first “real” year as head coach, fans should look back on this season as a huge success.