Michigan jumps MSU in bowl selection process? Mark Dantonio reminds Wolverines who is boss

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NCAA Football: Michigan at Michigan State
Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio reacts to a play during the first half of a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday was sort of the unofficial end of the regular season for college football, as the College Football Playoff pairings were revealed along with the entire lineup of bowl games throughout the next month. It was determined that Michigan State would be heading west towards San Diego to play in the Holiday Bowl against Washington State on December 28.

However, some Michigan State fans may have felt slighted a bit when that news was made public. It had been widely speculated for some time that the Spartans were penciled in for a January bowl game down in Florida, more specifically the Outback Bowl or Citrus Bowl. But because of how things shook out on “Championship Saturday” in college football, MSU did not earn that luxury.

Those upset that arch-rival Michigan “jumped” Michigan State in the bowl selection process feel yet again disrespected. Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio was asked about it on Sunday shortly after the announcement of his bowl destination and had this response:

“The records are what they are. I’ll just continue to concentrate on beating Michigan, and let things sort of sort out.”

Michigan State finished 9-3 overall, one game better than the Wolverines and won the head-to-head meeting in Ann Arbor this year. They finished as the fourth-highest ranked team in the Big Ten, according to the final CFB Playoff rankings. However, a couple of things ultimately led to MSU being shipped out to San Diego versus the Sunshine State.

The biggest reason was the Big Ten being left out of the playoff on Sunday. The victory for Ohio State over Wisconsin on Saturday in the Big Ten Championship Game knocked the Badgers down into the New Year’s Six bowl slate, which now consists of three teams from the Big Ten; along with Penn State and the aforementioned Buckeyes.

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Also, Michigan already had ongoing negotiations with the Outback Bowl representatives to send the Wolverines down to Tampa. Another logical option for MSU could have been the Citrus Bowl, also based down in Florida. That ultimately was awarded to Notre Dame, who likely was affected by Wisconsin’s loss as well. And another Big Ten team that finished 9-3, Northwestern, earned a bid to the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

There is also this:

While the bowl selection process is not determined in any way by bragging rights against another school, Dantonio reminded Michigan fans, and those of Michigan State as well, who still runs the show in the state. And despite being possibly disappointed in not earning a January game, Dantonio is looking forward to a showdown with Washington State.