Bowl projections look terrible for B1G Ten

Wow, based on the projections by BTN's Tom Deinhart, the ES isn't so bullish on the Big Ten's chances in bowls.  This game by MSU really can make or break whether or not MSU plays in a premium bowl, or a toilet bowl. Right now, Deinhart has the Spartans in a toilet bowl.

Here is what the ES thinks with his prediction of a, gulp, ugly 3-6 Big Ten result:

BOWL GAME	MATCHUP	PROJECTION (ES PREDICTS)
BCS title game, Jan. 6	BCS No 1 vs. No. 2	Ohio State vs. Alabama (LOSS)
Rose Bowl, Jan. 1	Big Ten vs. BCS/Pac-12	Northwestern vs. Oregon (LOSS)
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1	Big Ten vs. SEC	Wisconsin vs. Georgia (LOSS)
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1	Big Ten vs. SEC	Michigan vs. Florida (LOSS)
Gator Bowl, Jan. 1	Big Ten vs. SEC	Nebraska vs. Ole Miss (WIN)
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Dec. 28	Big Ten vs. Big 12	Iowa vs. Baylor (WIN)
Texas Bowl, Dec. 27	Big Ten vs. Big 12	Michigan State vs. Texas (LOSS)
Heart of Dallas Bowl, Jan. 1	Big Ten vs. C-USA	Illinois vs. Rice (WIN)
Little Caesars Pizza, Dec. 26	Big Ten vs. MAC	Minnesota vs. Ohio (LOSS)

Around the Horn: Spartans - Wildcat previews; Pick a BCS Bowl: Orange, Sugar, or Rose? MSU Schedules Convicts

Previews are trickling out for the Spartans' road game to Chicago to take on Northwestern...

• TheSpread.com preview
• ESPN official game preview
• Accuscore predicts a close game (MSU)
• Belmont sides with the home team (NU)
• CFN predicts a Spartan 34-26 victory, with the Spartans steamrolling the Cats on the ground (MSU)

Meanwhile, though it is early, ESPN is projecting a MSU Spartan New Year's Day trip to BCS land, to either the Orange Bowl vs Virginia Tech or a Rose Bowl vs TCU... meanwhile CBS Sports is projecting a [gulp] Sugar Bowl stint vs Alabama!

CBS Sports mid-season All-America teams includes three Spartans on the first team: LB Greg Jones, OL Joel Foreman, and PK Dan Conroy. And, Dennis Dodd calls the Spartans' this year's college football "cinderella" - can't argue with that.

SPARTANS VS CATHOLICS AND CONVICTS
Finally... bring on the Hurricanes. Nice job to AD Mark Hollis scheduling a home-and-home with the University of Miami in 2020 and 2021. The Spartans will kick off the two-game series with Miami on Sept. 26, 2020, in East Lansing, Mich., and make their first-ever appearance in the 74,916-seat Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sept. 18, 2021. We've got the Convicts filling the two-year void in the schedule left by the Catholics (Notre Dame).

Michigan State's bowl fate on Dec 6; Izzo passes Heathcote

What is the Spartans' football fate? Well, MSU's possible travels outside of the Detroit Pizza Bowl certainly improved this weekend with losses by #9 Pitt and #12 Oklahoma State, making it more likely for a pair of Big Ten teams to make it to the BCS: Ohio State and either Iowa or Joe Pa (if JoePa makes it over Iowa, it is complete robbery, with Iowa crushing the Old Man in Happy Valley earlier this year). Also, expect two other BCS at-large births to go to undefeated #5 Boise State and undefeated #4 TCU.
The only thing that could upset this ship is if Nebraska defeats Texas in the Big 12 title game. Note: If Pitt beats undefeated Cincinnati next week for the BCS bid from the Big Least, Cincy will be hung out to dry; the same with potential upsets of Oregon State over Oregon in the Pac 10, or of Clemson over Georgia Tech in the ACC - expect only one bid from either of those conferences.

Here is last week's bowl forecast from ESPN, which remains the same after this past weekend.

Assuming a Texas win over Nebraska in the Big 12 title game:

BCS Title: Ala/Fla (SEC) vs Texas (Big 12)
Fiesta: Boise St (WAC/at large) vs Iowa/Joe Pa (Big 10/at large)
Sugar: Ala/Fla (SEC/at large) vs Pitt/Cincy (Big Least)
Orange: Georgia Tech/Clemson (ACC) vs TCU (MWC/at large)
Rose: Oregon/Oregon State (Pac 10) vs Ohio State (Big 10)

Bowl Selection show is slated to be broadcast at 8 pm EST next Sunday night, Dec 6, on Fox. Everyone is still projecting a Michigan State vs Texas Tech matchup in the Alamo Bowl. If so, that would be played on January 2 at 9 pm on ESPN. And, with that spread offense, you can expect TTU will be licking its chops with a hemorrhaging, disappointing Spartan secondary.

Izzo passes Heathcote; UNC up next
And, in case you missed it, Michigan State crushed UMass last night, 106-68, to improve to 5-1 overall and give head coach Tom Izzo his 341st victory. Izzo surpassed Heathcote for most wins as a coach in the school's illustrious basketball history. Next up? Rematch of the National Title game to be played down in Chapel Hill, with a MSU-UNC tipoff on Tuesday at 9 pm on ESPN.