Jeff Sagarin's rankings are out for 2009 college football preseason, with MSU ranking a measly 44th. After reviewing the Big Ten composite schedule, the ES was able to make some generalizations about schedule strength, and names Joe Pa as 2009's NCAA Dough Boy for scheduling four creampuffs in 2009. He and the Nittany Lions should be ashamed.

MICHIGAN STATE (#44)
--------------------
Montana State (#148)
CMU (#87)
@ Notre Dame (#48)
@ Wisconsin (#33)
Michigan (#35)
@ Illinois (#63)
N'western (#61)
Iowa (#27)
@ Minnesota (#69)
WMU (#88)
@ Purdue (#57)
Joe Pa (#8)

BIG TEN SAGARIN RANKINGS
------------------------
Illinois (#63)
Indiana (#95)
Iowa (#27)
Michigan (#35)
Mich State (#44)
Minnesota (#69)
N'western (#61)
Ohio State (#5)
Joe Pa (#8)
Purdue (#57)
Wisconsin (#33)

Lowest Sagarin Ranking of non-conference Big Ten opponents:

FCS/1-AA - Delaware State (#200) at Michigan
FBS/1-A - New Mexico State (#144) at Ohio State

Highest Sagarin Ranking of non-conference Big Ten opponents:

Southern Cal (#1) vs Ohio State
Oregon (#10) vs Purdue
California (#15) vs Minnesota
Missouri (#18) vs Illinois

Biggest Sagarin Mismatches (Joe Pa wins the 2009 Dough Boy Award)

Joe Pa (#8) vs Eastern Illinois (#177) - 169 rank difference
Michigan (#35) vs Delaware State (#200) - 165
Ohio State (#5) vs New Mexico State (#144) - 139
Joe Pa (#8) vs Temple (#125) - 117
N'western (#61) vs Towson (#174) - 113
Ohio State (#5) vs Toledo (#113) - 108
Michigan (#35) vs EMU (#141) - 106
Mich State (#44) vs Montana State (#148) - 104
Joe Pa (#8) vs Akron (#111) - 103
Illinois (#63) vs Illinois State (#158) - 95
Iowa (#27) vs Arkansas State (#119) - 92
Joe Pa (#8) vs Syracuse (#97) - 89
N'western (#61) vs EMU (#141) - 80