We're In! Michigan State Makes College Football Playoff
12/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Following its 16-13 win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan State has reached the College Football Playoff.
The Spartans (12-1, 7-1 Big Ten) were named the third seed in the four-team playoff and will play second-seeded and SEC Champion Alabama (12-1, 7-1 SEC) in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Thursday, Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (time 8 p.m.; TV: ESPN).
No. 1 seed Clemson (13-0) will face No. 4 Oklahoma (11-1) in the Capital One Orange Bowl, also on Dec. 31.
The 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game is set for Jan. 11 in Glendale, Arizona, at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Michigan State staged a 20-point, fourth-quarter comeback in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic to defeat No. 4 Baylor, 42-41. With the Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Baylor, MSU extended its school-record bowl winning streak to four games, tied for the longest in Big Ten history (2012 Outback over No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings over TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl over No. 5 Stanford, 2015 Cotton Bowl over No. 4 Baylor). It also equals the longest active bowl winning streak in the FBS. Michigan State is one of just five schools in the FBS to win bowl games in each of the last four seasons (Louisiana-Lafayette, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas A&M).
MSU's 20-point comeback win over Baylor (trailed 41-21 entering the fourth quarter) in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic was the biggest in Spartan postseason history (previous: down 16-0 at halftime to Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl). In addition, it marked the second-largest comeback win in Cotton Bowl Classic history (22 points by Notre Dame in 1979; the Irish trailed 34-12 with 7:37 left in the fourth quarter and rallied to defeat Houston, 35-34).
Alabama defeated MSU in the 2011 Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida, in the only previous meeting between the two schools.
NEWS AND NOTES:
• Michigan State is extending its school record by playing in a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season (2007 Champs Sports Bowl, 2009 Capital One Bowl, 2010 Alamo Bowl, 2011 Capital One Bowl, 2012 Outback Bowl, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2014 Rose Bowl, 2015 Cotton Bowl). The nine-year bowl streak is currently the second longest in the Big Ten and 13th longest in the NCAA FBS.
• Ninth-year Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio will be making his ninth bowl appearance at MSU, setting a school record for most bowl appearances by a head coach (previous record: George Perles with seven from 1983-94). Dantonio is 4-4 in bowl games at Michigan State, including a school-record four-game winning streak (2012 Outback, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton). Dantonio has led his teams to 11 bowl berths in 12 seasons as a head coach (nine at MSU, two at Cincinnati). He set a school record by winning his third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015) with the victory over Iowa.
• According to the NCAA, Alabama has played the second-most difficult schedule in the country this season (opponents are 81-43 for a .653 winning percentage). The Spartans have also played a difficult slate, coming in at 18th (opponents: 80-56, .588) while beating four Top-20 CFP teams (No. 5 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Oregon). The Crimson Tide have defeated three CFP Top 25 teams (No. 19 Florida, No. 20 LSU, No. 23 Tennessee).
• With a 43-10 record, the 2015 senior class is the winningest senior class in school history (previous record: 42 wins in 2013 and 2014). The 23-member 2015 senior class has been a part of three bowl wins (2012 Buffalo Wild Wings, 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton), two Big Ten division titles (2013, 2015) and two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015).
• Michigan State won its second Big Ten Championship in three years and ninth in school history with a 16-13 victory over No. 4 Iowa on Saturday in Indianapolis. It marked Dantonio's third Big Ten Championship (2010, 2013, 2015), establishing a school record (previous: Duffy Daugherty and George Perles with two). The Spartans also won Big Ten titles in 1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987 and 1990.
• Michigan State has posted at least 11 wins five times in the last six seasons (11 in 2010, 11 in 2011, 13 in 2013, 11 in 2014, 12 in 2015). Prior to Mark Dantonio's arrival, the Spartans had just two 10-win seasons in school history (1965, 1999). Dantonio is the first coach in Big Ten history to record five 11-win seasons in a six-year span. His five 11-win seasons rank second most in Big Ten history, along with Joe Paterno (five with Penn State as Big Ten member).
• Following the Dec. 5 win over No. 4 Iowa, the Spartans are 7-1 in their last eight games against AP Top 10 teams. In addition, the Spartans are 6-1 against AP Top 10 teams since 2013 (also beat No. 4 Wisconsin in 2011) and 3-0 in 2015. Michigan State has won nine of its last 11 games played against ranked opponents, including five straight (No. 4 Baylor in 2015 Cotton Bowl; No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 12; No. 12 Michigan on Oct. 17, No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 21, No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 5).
• A trademark of Mark Dantonio's Michigan State teams has been their ability to produce wins late in the season. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 29-12 record (.707) in November, December and January. His teams have won 18 of the last 22 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012; 4-0 in 2013; 3-1 in 2014; 3-1 in 2015). In the four seasons (2003-06) prior to Dantonio's arrival, MSU went just 2-11 (.154) in November.
• Fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook, the winningest quarterback in school history, owns a 34-4 record (.895) as the starter, including a 23-2 (.910) mark against Big Ten opponents. The 34 wins are second most among active starting quarterbacks in the NCAA FBS (Stanford's Kevin Hogan with 35), and Cook's .895 winning percentage is No. 1 (minimum 24 starts). Cook is 5-1 against AP Top 10 teams in his career and 8-3 against AP Top 25 opponents. He is a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award, and was a semifinalist for both the Davey O'Brien Award (nation's best quarterback) and the Maxwell Award (college player of the year).
• MSU's 65 wins since 2010 are tied for fourth most among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams and most in the Big Ten during that same period. The Spartans have posted their sixth consecutive winning season, a first for the program since 1985-90. MSU has won 65 of its last 80 games (65-15; .813), dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season. In addition, the Spartans have won 38 of their last 42 games (.905), dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale. MSU has won 36 games since the beginning of 2013 (36-4 record), third most in the FBS during that period. During conference play, Michigan State has won 25 of its last 27 games against Big Ten opponents, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale, including 18 wins by double-figures.
• Michigan State is the only school in the nation to win a Bowl Championship Series game during the 2013 season (24-20 over Stanford in 2014 Rose Bowl Game) and a New Year's Six bowl game (42-41 over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl Classic) last season.
• MSU was ranked No. 5 in the final 2014 Associated Press and USA TODAY/Amway Coaches Polls. The Spartans finished ranked among the nation's top five for the second year in a row (No. 3 in both polls in 2013) - a program first since 1965-66. It marked MSU's 14th Top 10 finish in the history of the AP Poll. It also marked MSU's fifth Top 10 finish in the history of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (began administering the poll in 1991), including its third under Dantonio. Dantonio has led Michigan State to Top 25 finishes in five of the last seven seasons (2008: No. 24 in both polls; 2010: No. 14 in both polls; 2011: No. 10 USA TODAY).
