Michigan State football projected to make Citrus Bowl after Week 4

Heading into the season, you would have been hard-pressed to find Michigan State football on any bowl projection lists. The Spartans were fresh off a 2-5 season with about 40 new players on the roster in Mel Tucker’s first full season as head coach.

Offseason attrition happened almost weekly and the roster looked completely different from last season which could hurt because of a lack of continuity.

But that hasn’t been the case through the first month of play. Michigan State is 4-0 with a 17-point win at Northwestern, blowout of Youngstown State, a 21-point win at No. 24 Miami, and a three-point overtime win against Nebraska.

With this hot start, the Spartans have jumped to No. 17 in the nation and they’re on every bowl projection.

Following a Week 4 win over Nebraska, the Spartans have opened some more eyes nationally and CBS Sports college football expert Jerry Palm has a lofty projection for them. In fact, he has Michigan State in the Citrus Bowl, facing Texas A&M on Jan. 1 in Orlando.

Not too shabby for a team that was projected to win four games this season.

247Sports also high on Michigan State football

Along with Palm, 247Sports also released their bowl projections for Week 5 and the Spartans are in their Outback Bowl.

In 247Sports‘ projection, the Spartans would face Florida who nearly beat Alabama in Week 3, falling by just two points but putting up more of a fight than anyone had expected.

This, too, would be a New Year’s Day bowl game for the Spartans which is something they haven’t seen since the stretch between 2013-15.

Tuck comin’.