CBS preseason bowl projections leave Michigan State football out of the postseason picture, according to Brad Crawford

Michigan State football’s path to a bowl game got a lot tougher in one early indicator of preseason expectations. In a fresh set of CBS Sports preseason bowl projections, writer Brad Crawford questions whether the Spartans can reach postseason play, indicating that MSU will not be part of the bowl field in his outlook.

The practical meaning of a preseason bowl projection is straightforward: it is less about what a team has done in spring practice or summer camp and more about how a panel of evaluators expects the season to play out, including the balance of wins and losses required to become bowl eligible. When a respected national outlet places a program outside that list this early, it sets the tone for how the fan base and recruiting narratives can be framed as the regular season unfolds.

Crawford’s concern, at least as summarized in the report, is that Michigan State does not have a clear enough forecast for him to pencil the Spartans into a postseason slot. The article’s framing is explicit on the central question, “Will Michigan State reach a bowl game this season?” and the answer, in Crawford’s assessment, is no.

What happens next matters because early bowl projection lists often evolve quickly. Teams that start seasons slowly can still earn bowl consideration if they hit midseason form, and teams projected to miss can flip the script with quarterback stability, improved third-down efficiency, and a defense that can hold up late in games. Conversely, if Michigan State encounters early losses that reduce margin for error, it becomes harder to catch up even if the team’s performance improves over the final month of the year.

There is also a recruiting and roster-building angle to these projections. Even without naming specific individual players in the report, the bowl question shapes how programs talk about momentum and development. A team that is not expected to reach bowl eligibility may emphasize internal growth, player readiness, and the importance of “game-to-game” progress, because the season narrative can change faster than preseason forecasts suggest.

For Michigan State, the best way to test whether Crawford’s projection is too pessimistic will be straightforward on the field. The Spartans will need to convert winnable stretches into actual wins, avoid the kind of late-season collapse that kills postseason hopes, and demonstrate that its most important units can perform consistently when opponents adjust. Until the games begin, this CBS projection is best treated as a national expectation snapshot, not a verdict.