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Michigan State back to College Football Playoff? One national analyst thinks so

Chris Solari
Detroit Free Press

Michigan State back in the College Football Playoff?

At least one national analyst thinks so.

Former NFL linebacker Brian Jones, now a CBS Sports college football analyst, has the Spartans as his dark-horse pick to join No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Clemson and No. 4 Oregon in college football’s final four this season.

“That’s right, my Cinderella, Sparty, No. 3,” “I’m high on them once again.”

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio speaks during a media availability with the football team in Grapevine, Texas, ahead of their NCAA College Football Playoff's Cotton Bowl semifinal against Alabama, Saturday.

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Jones has Georgia winning the SEC title and knocking out Alabama.

The offensively challenged Spartans went 7-6 last season and lost to Oregon, 7-6, in the Redbox Bowl. They were in the second College Football Playoff in 2015 but have gone 20-18 since.

Former Georgia QB Aaron Murray picked Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and his alma mater as his final four teams. The Wolverines are coming off Jim Harbaugh’s third 10-3 season in his four years as coach, but U-M has not won been to the CFP and has not won the Big Ten since 2004.

“This is the year for Michigan,” said Murray, who did not have a team from the Big 12 or Pac-12 in his final four.

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Former Ole Miss and Arkansas coach Houston Nutt has Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Oregon as his CFP teams. None of the three picked reigning Big Ten champion Ohio State.

Contact Chris Solari at csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.