Michigan State football projected to make First Responder Bowl in 2023

Michigan State football has been projected to make the 2023 First Responder Bowl against Oklahoma State, per Brett McMurphy.

Brett McMurphy, a college football insider with Action Network HQ, released his preseason bowl projections this week and has Michigan State football facing off against Oklahoma State in the First Responder Bowl.

This may come as a surprise to some because most sportsbooks currently have Michigan State projecting the over/under for wins at 4.5 or 5.5, meaning Vegas doesn’t think the Spartans will be bowl eligible for a second year in a row. However, at least one expert believes Mel Tucker will get the program back on track and bowl eligible during his fourth season in charge.

Bowl eligibility has to be the minimum goal for this season as two years of failing to reach a bowl game is unacceptable at MSU. The Spartans do have one of the toughest schedules in the country, but bowl eligibility needs to happen regardless.

Oklahoma State is a very respectable program out of the Big 12 and would surely be a fun matchup to watch. This would also be the first matchup ever between these two programs, which would make it even more exciting of a matchup.

As for the rest of the Big Ten, McMurphy has nine other Big Ten teams making a bowl game highlighted with Ohio State and Penn State making a New Year’s Six bowl and Michigan making the College Football Playoff. Ten Big Ten teams making a bowl game out of 14 would be a great accomplishment for the conference.

Will Michigan State earn bowl eligibility this season? According to Vegas, it is going to be difficult, but I see MSU having a mini bounce-back season this year and winning seven games and earning that bowl berth.