2013 Michigan State Rose Bowl Reunion

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The September 16th matchup vs. Washington at Spartan Stadium will be the 2013 MSU Rose Bowl Reunion. It will be the 10th anniversary of the team that won the 2013 Big Ten Championship over Ohio State and brought home a Rose Bowl as well. Before the College Football Playoff existed, the Rose Bowl was one of the best bowl games a team could win in the postseason.

2013-14 MSU Football Team

This team was led by Prime Mark Dantonio and was extremely dominant on both sides of the ball, but especially on defense. This team was full of talent, including Denicos Allen, Kurtis Drummond, Max Bullough, Tawain Jones, Darqueze Dennard, Trae Waynes, and Shilique Calhoun. Connor Cook threw for 2755 yards, 22 TDs, and a 135.5 passer rating. Jeremy Langford took over for Le’Veon Bell, who was drafted by the Steelers. Langford would run for 1422 yards in 292 attempts and finish with 18 touchdowns.

How good was this Rose Bowl team?

It was the first 12-win team in school history, and they would finish 13-1 overall. A perfect 9-0 record in conference play, and their only blemish was a 17-13 loss to No. 22 Notre Dame. If that loss had been avoided, this team would’ve been competing for a national championship. They went right through No. 2 Ohio State, led by Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller. With the National Championship on the Buckeyes minds, MSU was able to spoil their dreams. They were able to retain the Paul Bunyan Trophy as well with a dominant 29-6 victory over Michigan. This team was just all around special, and Spartan fans will be ready to celebrate the reunion.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports