Are you still sad that Michigan State football didn't make a bowl game this year?
Well, there's still a small chance that Michigan State could still be bowling this year after Marshall dropped out of the Independence Bowl on Saturday afternoon, according to reports.
The Thundering Herd didn't have enough guys to truly field a roster for the Independence Bowl against Army, losing 25 players to the portal along with their head coach.
Marshall has notified officials that it is opting out of the Independence Bowl vs. Army, sources tell @YahooSports.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 14, 2024
Absent of 6-6 teams, officials are working to determine a replacement thru a ranking of NCAA APR scores of 5-7 teams. Marshall has lost 25+ players in the portal.
Since the 10-3 Herd are out of the bowl, that means there will be a 5-7 team playing in the postseason and it goes by highest APR ranking. That means Academic Performance Rating and there are a number of 5-7 teams that could get the call, and Michigan State is one of them.
But unfortunately, the Spartans will be sixth on the list, based on APR.
The teams ahead of Michigan State in the APR ranking that finished 5-7 this year are Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Auburn, Virginia, and Oregon State. That means that Cincinnati will get the first call, followed by Wisconsin if the Bearcats say no, followed by Auburn, Virginia, and Jonathan Smith's former program. The Spartans would need the five schools ahead of them to say no.
Even then, Michigan State isn't guaranteed to take the invite. The Spartans have lost a number of guys to the transfer portal and others who have already declared for the NFL draft and would be unlikely to suit up again for Michigan State.
Still, there's a chance Michigan State could get the call. Would you like to see the Spartans play in a bowl game against Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, La.?