Michigan State football: Spartans path to making the College Football Playoff

Michigan State football controls its destiny to make the program’s second appearance in the College Football Playoff. Here’s how Spartans make the field.

Michigan State was riding high, undefeated and rolling behind star running back Kenneth Walker. They welcomed bitter rival Michigan into East Lansing and came away victorious. Unfortunately for them, a week later, they traveled into the home of the upset hungry Purdue Boilermakers and left with a loss. The Spartans rallied back from that loss a week ago and are No. 7 in the CFP rankings.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are on the docket next for the Spartans. This road test is just one of the many hurdles awaiting Mel Tucker’s team to make the four-team playoff.

How can Michigan State make the College Football Playoff?

Michigan State is one of the many one-loss teams that control their own fate. With the aforementioned road trip to Colombus upcoming, either the Spartans or Ohio State Buckeyes will fall from that one-loss pantheon and be likely knocked out of the running for a College Football Playoff birth.

There could be a hiccup for the Spartans in the form of Oregon and the two Oklahoma teams.

Oregon looks well on its way to a Pac-12 championship, although they have a tough test in Utah this weekend followed by a visit from an in-state rival, the Oregon State Beavers. Should they come out unscathed, a tough ask after being underdogs to Utah this weekend, the Ducks are not out of the water. There is also a Pac-12 championship staring in their face and a likely rematch against those same Utes.

Meanwhile, the Sooners finish the season against a pesky Iowa State team before traveling to Stillwater for Bedlam. The final game of their season, like Oregon, is the Sooners’ fierce rivals, fellow one-loss team, the Oklahoma State Cowboys.  The trio of the Ducks, Sooners, and Cowboys could prevent Michigan State from getting in should any of the three remain with one loss. A single slip-up by Oregon or either Big 12 team should open the door for the Spartans.

There is also the case to be made by the playoff committee for Cincinnati and Notre Dame. Michigan State fans should be hoping for a slip-up from both to really cement their place in the College Football Playoffs.

Should Sparty find a way to win, on the road, against a top-five Buckeyes team, all they have standing in their way are a home game against the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Big Ten Championship. As it stands the Spartans would find the Wisconsin Badgers as their opponent in Indianapolis.

Michigan State should be in total control of what will happen to them thanks to this late-season gauntlet. Win all the remaining games and it will be almost impossible for the playoff selection committee to keep them from being in the final four despite what happens elsewhere. A power-five conference champion with a single loss and wins against two other top-ten teams is a resume of a team that deserves to play for the National Championship. However, East Lansing should be hoping for in-state rivals to cause some mayhem and independent teams to lose. Match that chaos with remaining wins and it’s time for celebration from this surprise college football story.

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