Spartans Get Poor Big Ten Prediction in Preseason Conference Poll

The 15th annual cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll released on July 21. The conference's hierarchy is clear with Penn State, Ohio State, and Oregon leading the charge. However, Michigan State couldn't even crack the top 10 with Nebraska, USC, and Washington. The Cornhuskers finished just below Smith's team in 2024-25, but were ranked No. 8 on the 2025 preseason poll.

The Spartans finished in a tie with Rutgers at No. 13. Both schools received 135 points and a 13.60 average rank. The only teams below Michigan State are UCLA, Maryland, Northwestern, and Purdue.

Three non-conference games against Western Michigan, Boston College, and Youngstown State open the Spartans' 2025 regular season. They have a relatively reasonable conference slate, starting with the Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

A 3-6 Big Ten record from last season can turn around into a 6-3 record if Michigan State can win those in-reach games against USC, Nebraska, UCLA, Michigan, Minnesota, and Maryland (losses to Indiana, Penn State, and Iowa).

Even if they're close games, like the 27-24 win over the Terrapins in 2024, Smith needs to pull out wins against middle-of-the-pack teams and especially those ranked below him. A 41-14 loss to Rutgers cannot repeat in 2025 if Michigan State hopes to legitimize itself in the conference.

Smith will be available for media on Thursday, July 24 as part of the 2025 Big Ten Media Days event. Linebacker Jordan Hall, wide receiver Nick Marsh, and offensive tackle Stanton Ramil will accompany the head coach starting at 3:15 p.m. ET (12:15 p.m. PT).