The Michigan State Spartans are heading to Atlanta to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers on Dec. 30 in the Peach Bowl. The Spartans finished No. 10 in the final College Football Playoff top-25 rankings of the seasons, earning and accepting a bid to play in the New Year’s Six Peach Bowl. Pittsburgh is led by head coach Pat Narduzzi, who served as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator from 2007-2014.

The Spartans will return to the New Year’s Six slate of bowl games for the first time since facing Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl in Dallas (following the 2014 season). MSU also made the College Football Playoff the following season and faced Alabama as part of the CFP semifinals, which was also the Cotton Bowl game during that 2015 season. The trip to Atlanta will also mark the first time the Spartans will play in the Peach Bowl.

For those now getting ready to make trip plans, the game will kick off on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 at 7 p.m. EST and air on ESPN.

Final CFP Rankings (Big Ten teams in bold)

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Georgia
4. Cincinnati
5. Notre Dame
6. Ohio State
7. Baylor
8. Ole Miss
9. Oklahoma State
10. Michigan State Spartans
11. Utah
12. Pittsburgh
13. BYU
14. Oregon
15. Iowa Hawkeyes
16. Oklahoma
17. Wake Forest
18. North Carolina State
19. Clemson
20. Houston
21. Arkansas
22. Kentucky
23. Louisiana-Lafayette
24. San Diego State
25. Texas A&M

AP Poll

The Big Ten finishes Championship Weekend with four teams in the Associated Press Poll top-25 this week (in bold), with Michigan State holding steady at No. 11, while Utah jumped the Spartans to replace Oregon at No. 10.

Full AP Results:

1. Alabama (50 first-place votes)
2. Michigan (9 first place votes)
3. Georgia
4. Cincinnati (3 first place votes)
5. Notre Dame
6. Alabama
7. Ohio State
8. Ole Miss
9. Oklahoma State
10. Utah
11. Michigan State
12. BYU
13. Pittsburgh
14. Oklahoma
15. Oregon
16. Louisiana-Lafayette
17. Iowa Hawkeyes
18. North Carolina State
19. Clemson
20. Wake Forest
21. Houston
22. Arkansas
23. Texas A&M
24. Texas-San Antonio
25. Kentucky

Others Receiving Votes:

Utah State 109, Wisconsin 66, San Diego State 63, Minnesota 38, Purdue 36, Appalachian State 9, Army 7, Mississippi State 4, Penn State 4, Northern Illinois 1

USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

The Big Ten also finishes with four teams in the Coaches Poll top-25 this week. Michigan State jumped three spots to finish No. 10.

Full Coaches Poll Results:

1. Alabama (54 first-place votes)
2. Michigan (3 first place votes)
3. Georgia
4. Cincinnati (3 first place votes)
5. Notre Dame
6. Baylor
7. Ohio State
8. Ole Miss
9. Oklahoma State
10. Michigan State
11. Utah
12. Pittsburgh
13. Oklahoma
14. BYU
15. Oregon
16. Iowa
17. Louisiana-Lafayette
18. North Carolina State
19. Wake Forest
20. Kentucky
21. Houston
22. Clemson
23. Texas A&M
24. Arkansas
25. Texas-San Antonio

Schools Dropped Out:

No. 19 San Diego State

Others Receiving Votes:

Wisconsin 105; Utah State 85; San Diego State 62; Minnesota 17; Air Force 15; Penn State 5; Fresno State 5; UCLA 3; Mississippi State 2; Coastal Carolina 2; Appalachian State 2; Purdue 1.