Expectations for the 2025 season have been varying, depending on who you ask, for Michigan State football. The Spartans are coming off a 5-7 season which marked three straight years without a bowl berth and fans are begging for that 2021 feeling again.
Jonathan Smith might just be able to deliver it.
The roster is looking solid and it has some of the most depth it's had in years, especially at receiver, on the offensive line, and in the defensive backfield. There's plenty of depth, but is the starting-caliber talent enough to ensure Michigan State is competitive in the Big Ten?
That remains to be seen.
Still, it feels like this team is going to jump up and surprise some folks, and at this point, I'd be more shocked if Michigan State didn't hit the over for wins this year.
ESPN agrees.
According to the latest bowl projections on ESPN from Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, Michigan State will make a postseason game for the first time since 2021. OK, so maybe Bonagura didn't project the Spartans to make a bowl, but Schlabach did, so we'll take it.
Where does Schlabach have the Spartans this postseason? Not too far away, actually. He has Michigan State making the GameAbove Sports Bowl (formerly the Motor City Bowl, QuickLane Bowl, and Little Caesars Bowl, among others) at Ford Field in Detroit. He has the Spartans taking on Ohio.
I've seen this projection from several outlets this offseason as they're all seemingly projecting Michigan State to stay home for bowl season to play a MAC representative the day after Christmas.
Honestly, I'd take that at this point. Ford Field would be rocking with Spartan fans.
In the past, I would have wanted Michigan State to decline an invite to the GameAbove Sports Bowl (in all of its name variations), but after missing three straight bowls, anything is an improvement.