Ranking the top 5 Michigan State football teams since 2000

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 07: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans holds up the Big Ten championship trophy next to Denicos Allen #28 after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 34-24 at the Big 10 Conference Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 7, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 03: (L-R) Kirk Cousins #8, B.J. Cunningham and Travis Jackson #63 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate after Cunningham scored on a 30-yard touchdown reception from Cousins in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the Big 10 Conference Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

4. 2011

Final record: 11-3
Postseason: Big Ten title game loss, Outback Bowl win over Georgia

This was the second straight 11-win season for Mark Dantonio which followed up an 11-2 campaign in 2010 that concluded with an Outback Bowl blowout against Alabama.

Dantonio and the Spartans got that bitter taste out of their mouths with an 11-3 season that unfortunately featured a Big Ten title game loss but they rebounded in a big way to beat Georgia in the Outback Bowl. The bowl win over Georgia proved to everyone that the Spartans belonged in the conversation of the nation’s elite teams and it was the first real exciting postseason win for Dantonio.

The 2011 Spartans were led by Kirk Cousins, Le’Veon Bell, BJ Cunningham, Darqueze Dennard, Denicos Allen, and Max Bullough. This felt like the start of a special run even though the program took a step back in 2012 with Andrew Maxwell under center.

Michigan State can credit this group of guys for really getting the program on the map and that Outback Bowl comeback win is still an all-time classic.

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