Michigan State Football: Is No. 12 ranking in preseason Coaches Poll fair?
Michigan State football opens the season as the No. 12 team in the country, per the Coaches Poll, and that’s more than a fair spot to be.
It’s the season of preseason rankings. Yes, it’s everyone’s favorite time of year when there’s still a month until football is back and all we have to do is talk about where the best teams in the country are.
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Just how high are the Spartans ranked after going 10-3 in 2017 and returning almost every starter on both sides of the ball? Well, the Coaches Poll is the only one out and Michigan State comes in at No. 12, one spot behind Notre Dame and two spots ahead of Michigan.
Is this a fair ranking based off last season’s results? Absolutely.
Michigan State does return a ton of talent to a 10-win team, but this is exactly where Mark Dantonio and the Spartans want to be. They want to be looked at as one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but the third-highest ranked in their own division — fourth-highest ranked in the Big Ten.
The Spartans thrive on the underdog mentality and you could make the argument for each team ahead of them deserving to be ranked in front of Michigan State.
Most preseason polls placed Michigan State between the 11-15 range, so this lines up just about right, on the higher end of things.
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With Brian Lewerke, LJ Scott and Felton Davis III back, the offense is gearing up to do some incredible things. Defensively, an elite secondary and strong front-seven will give fans flashbacks to the Pat Narduzzi days. This team is ranked fairly, but will almost surely exceed expectations.