Penn State headed to Rose Bowl, MSU unsure
MSU will play in a significant bowl, that much is all but assured. Which one depends on a number of other factors.
Penn State clinched the spot in the Rose Bowl, a BCS game, against the Pac-10 champion. That will be either Oregon State or Southern Cal.
If it's Oregon State, USC likely will be chosen for one of the at-large berths in the BCS. That most likely would eliminate Ohio State from one of the four at-large bids and send the Buckeyes to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
In that scenario, MSU likely would receive an invitation to play in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
Should USC win the Pac-10, a good possibility remains for the Buckeyes to be chosen for a BCS bowl. It would move the Spartans up in the Capital One Bowl.
Both of those games are against a Southeastern Conference opponent on Jan. 1, and bowl selections will be announced Dec. 7.
A third, less likely option, is that Ohio State ends up in the Capital One Bowl, and the Outback Bowl committee could select either Iowa or Northwestern for their game. That would push MSU into the Alamo Bowl, which is Dec. 29 in San Antonio.
"We'll sit around and see who we play," Hoyer said. "It'll probably be an SEC team of some sort. We're assuming we'll be in the Capital One Bowl, regarding what happens with Ohio State, or the Outback Bowl. We'll see what happens."
