Embed from Getty Images Michigan State was forecasted to have a good season. Injuries and inconsistent play were too much for the Spartans to overcome. So off to Santa Clara California they head.
Fresh off a 7-5 campaign Michigan State will face off against the 8-4 Oregon Ducks from the Pac-12. In a 3 p.m. Fox sports televised game.
The two teams last squared off in 2015. A game that saw the Spartans come away with a 31-28 victory. The two teams are 3-3 against each other all time.
After a few seasons out of the spotlight Oregon is back in a Bowl game. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has a 5-5 Bowl record.
Bowl games are important as they set up recruiting season. It is a selling point for would be athletes to see a school they may attend in action.
All time in Bowl games Michigan State is 12-15. From 2007-2015 the Spartans set a school record with 9 consecutive Bowl appearances.
Michigan State and Oregon are evenly matched. Both teams have had defensive issues mostly due to youth. While both teams starting quarterbacks have struggled both in play and with health.
Look for the Spartans to try to establish a running game and grind out the clock while giving their young defense a break.
Oregon is well the Oregon of old. They can score in a hurry. They try to out score teams with little defense as is the case with much of the Pac-12 schools.
It should be an interesting game. December 31. Be sure to tune in.
