Where Michigan State Football Stands Among Big Ten in Recent Ranking

There have been differing projections for Michigan State football this upcoming season. Another notable projection has a grim outlook for the Spartans this fall.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The start of a new season brings an increased amount of preseason predictions for college football teams nationwide.

Some outlooks are more promising than others. However, for Michigan State, most of the preseason predictions have lacked much positivity or optimism for the Green and White this upcoming season. That continued to be the case as another set of rankings was released for the 2024-25 season, with a pessimistic outlook for Michigan State.

With the season just around the corner, CBS Sports recently ranked every college football team in the country. While Michigan State has had a solid offseason, many experts still believe it will have a difficult first season under Coach Jonathan Smith, as it has one of the most difficult schedules in the Big Ten and the country. 

CBS Sports ranked Michigan State as one of the worst teams in the Big Ten entering the season, as they ranked Michigan State as the 62nd-best football team in the country. The only Big Ten teams CBS Sports ranked lower than Michigan State were Purdue, which was ranked as the 75th-best team, and Indiana, which was ranked as the 83rd-best team in the country.

Smith has spent the offseason finding ways around multiple obstacles thrown his way this offseason. As he enters his first season in East Lansing, he will undoubtedly face many more, especially around the middle of the season when Michigan State faces an utterly difficult four-game stretch. It will be critical for Michigan State to have a good start and finish to their season, the latter of which contains games against the two Big Ten teams CBS believes are worse than Michigan State. 

Michigan State and Smith face an uphill battle this upcoming season. However, with one of the best transfer portal classes in the country and a revamped roster, it is possible that Michigan State can string together six wins, reach a bowl game, and have a successful first season under Smith.

Considering all Michigan State’s football program has been through over the last few months, anything close to six wins should be considered a successful first season for Smith and his coaching staff.

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