The Michigan State Spartans are one step closer to their first Rose Bowl in 23 years. The Spartans' 55-3 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday clinched a spot for Michigan State in the Big Ten Football Championship Game.
The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played on Saturday, December 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the winner awarded a spot in the Rose Bowl. The Spartans will play the winner of the November 26 game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Wisconsin Badgers in Madison.
Michigan State (9-2, 6-1) holds a one-game lead over Michigan (9-2, 5-2) in the Big Ten Legends Division, and each have one game left in the regular season. Even if the Spartans lose next week and the Wolverines win, Michigan State holds the tiebreaker by virtue of beating Michigan 28-14 on October 15. The Spartans have been to the Rose Bowl four times in school history: wins over the UCLA Bruins in 1954 and 1956, a loss to UCLA in 1966, and a win over the USC Trojans in 1988.
The 2012 Rose Bowl Game will be played on Monday, January 2, 2012 in Pasadena. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. PDT. The game will be televised by ESPN, with Brent Musberger, Kirk Hirbstreit, and Lisa Salters on the call. Stay tuned for more updates as the game approaches.