Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, October 13, 2014

Week by week, Michigan State is building a strong resume. And it?s strong enough now-coupled with the goings-on across the nation-to slot the Spartans into a playoff spot as the No. 4 seed.

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Also: Don't be shocked if a Big Ten team, say Ohio State, lands in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day. That, of course, would move everyone up in the pecking order.

Here?s a look at my latest Big Ten Bowl Projections.

Sugar: Michigan State vs. Florida State
Capital One: Ohio State vs. Ole Miss
Outback: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
Holiday: Wisconsin vs. Arizona
TaxSlayer: Iowa vs. South Carolina
San Francisco: Minnesota vs. UCLA
Pinstripe: Penn State vs. Virginia Tech
Quick Lane: Rutgers vs. BC
Heart of Dallas: Maryland vs. UAB
Independence: *Northwestern vs. La Tech

*replacement team, filling a spot another league couldn?t fill.

About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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