ESPN predicts prime bowl games for Michigan State, Notre Dame

With Week 4 of the college football season wrapping up, we move a week closer to college bowl games and the College Football Playoffs.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Brett McMurphy released their predictions for the upcoming bowl season and a pair of Midwestern powerhouses received nods as favorites for premier games.

McMurphy has Michigan State as the team to face Ole Miss in this season’s Rose Bowl as part of the College Football Playoffs.

He has tabbed Notre Dame as the team to square off against UCLA for the Orange Bowl.

With a much easier schedule remaining, it seems like MSU will be likely favorite to be included in the CFP, but it can’t get blown out Nov. 21 at Ohio State.

For Notre Dame, the road is much more daunting. The Fighting Irish have three more encounters with ranked teams this season. It’ll take quite the coaching job from head coach Brian Kelly to see ND as a member of the playoffs.