It is not Pasadena, but the 2012 Outback Bowl is Michigan State's reward for its best Big Ten record since 1988. The Spartans take the field on Monday at 1 p.m. in Tampa for the Outback Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs. This is a battle between the conference runner-ups in the Big Ten and SEC.
Georgia is a three-point favorite and has won 11 of its last 14 bowl appearances. One of those victories was a 24-12 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Capital One Bowl. The Spartans, on the other hand, have lost five straight bowl games since winning the 2001 Silicon Valley Classic over Fresno State. Regardless of the result, senior quarterback Kirk Cousins will finish his career with the most wins of any starting quarterback in Michigan State history.
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