The lasting legacy of this senior-laden Michigan State team is still yet to be decided. A team that was never shy about its goals to reach the national title game now has a chance to do so if the Spartans can beat Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year’s Eve.
Michigan State locked up the third seed in the playoff despite being bitten by the injury bug and a last-minute loss to 5-7 Nebraska. The Spartans have their chance to “reach higher,” as head coach Mark Dantonio likes to say, thanks to a flair for the dramatic in big games and strong efforts from its defensive front and fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook.