MSU in perfect spot to win Big Ten football title; Media gives Mich the nod

Those pesky rodents down the road received the nod as the favorite to win the Big Ten title this year.  MSU was picked behind the Wolvies for second in the Legends division (similar to last year's pick of the Spartans behind Nebraska).  That's perfect - what wins championships?  DEFENSE, and all noted that Michigan State has the best defense returning to the Big Ten for 2012.  Love the USA Today quote from James Ferentz, the starting center at Iowa, said it was a nightmare to prepare to play the Spartans. "I think they are incredible," Ferentz said.

That game down in Ann Arbor looms large as the potential for the Legends title.  The Spartans have won four straight in the series, and have completely shut down that little scat-back of a QB, Denard Robinson, in each of the past three years.  Shall the Spartans make it five in the series?  The ES thinks so.  Nebraska was picked third in the Legends.

Other than that, not much news from the Big Ten media day, other than JOHNNY ADAMS and WILLIAM GHOLSTON noted as players to watch in the Big Ten this year. 

Spartans' Captain Kirk to be featured at Big Ten Annual Media Day

OK, Big Ten media day is coming next week (Friday, July 29), at McCormick Place in Chicago.  And... other than BTN's Dave Revsine, the other lead speaker is none other than... Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins who will speak on behalf of the players in attendance. No shock there - anyone who has ever heard Cousins' interviews, whether after a shining or sloppy performance, win or lose, he's as natural on t.v. as anyone you've ever heard.  He will represent the Big Ten players well. Go GREEN! 

In addition, Revsine and Captain Kirk will be joined at the Kickoff Luncheon by each of the 12 Big Ten head football coaches and 36 of the conference's top returning players. Revsine will sit down with the coaches in groups of three to discuss the upcoming season - a departure from years past in which coaches individually addressed the crowd.

Luncheon starts at 11:30 CT.  Read more here. 

ES composite preseason Top 25 poll

So, the ES has gone about updating his predictions for the 2011 football campaign, with eager anticipation of our Michigan State Spartan Big Green Touchdown Machine, 2011-12 edition… Using eight services so far, MSU ranks #18, with a high ranking of #8 by the Orlando Sentinel, while Phil Steele is the only dolt out there not to rank the Spartoonies.

That said, the ES has gone ahead and listed the top teams so far below. First place gets 1 point, Second place 2 pts, etc, all the way down to 25 pts for #25. If a school is not in the prediction, it receives 26 points. The lowest average is the top team from these predictors. So far, we have Athlon (AT), Lindy (L), Phil Steele (PS), Street & Smiths/The Sporting News (SNSS), About.com (AB), NCChamps.net (NC), ESPN.com/Schlabach (ESP), and the Orlando Sentinel (OS).

Ohio State NOTE: all of these predictions were made pre-Tressel firing and pre-Pryor departure; so, how Ohio State fares after all this, one can only wonder. But, the Ohio State Tre$$el$ are the top B1G Ten team at #10, with Bo “I scream” Pelini Nebraska at #13, the low down, lack of integrity Wisky Badgers at #17, JoePa at #23, The No-mo Gin Mill Northwestern at #29, and scUM at #32.

Whaddy’all think so far? Two Polls at the right – who is most overrated, who is the most underrated so far for those listed in the ES composite top 25? The ES will add more to this listing in the coming weeks…

#	as of 6/7	pts	AT	L	PS	SNSS	AB	NC	ESP	OS
1	Oklahoma	1.50	2	1	2	2	2	1	1	1
2	Alabama	2.13	1	2	1	3	3	2	2	3
3	Oregon	3.38	3	3	4	5	1	4	5	2
4	LSU	4.38	8	4	7	1	4	3	4	4
5	Boise St.	6.25	5	6	3	6	6	6	8	10
6	Stanford	7.88	13	8	16	4	5	5	7	5
7	Texas A&M	9.63	11	13	8	9	9	9	12	6
8	Florida St.	9.75	4	5	10	7	13	10	3	26
9	Oklahoma St.	10.25	12	7	19	12	7	8	10	7
10	Ohio St.	10.75	9	14	15	8	12	7	6	15
11	TCU	13.63	15	15	11	20	14	13	9	12
12	Notre Dame	13.88	6	19	6	18	11	20	14	17
13	Nebraska	14.13	10	9	12	10	18	19	24	11
14	Arkansas	14.13	16	10	13	11	21	15	11	16
15	S. Carolina	14.88	21	11	14	19	8	17	15	14
16	Virginia Tech	15.00	7	12	5	13	17	18	22	26
17	Wisconsin	16.75	23	17	23	25	10	14	13	9
18	Michigan St.	17.25	22	22	26	17	15	12	16	8
19	Georgia	19.13	14	16	9	26	26	26	18	18
20	Mississippi St.	21.00	26	21	26	15	20	16	25	19
21	Auburn	21.50	26	24	26	21	23	11	17	24
22	Florida	22.50	18	20	26	26	22	22	20	26
23	Penn St.	22.63	26	26	24	14	16	26	26	23
24	W. Virginia	22.63	17	18	26	23	24	26	26	21
25	Missouri	22.88	25	23	26	26	19	21	21	22
26	Texas	23.63	24	26	18	26	26	24	19	26
27	USC	24.13	20	26	17	26	26	26	26	26
28	Arizona St.	24.38	26	25	22	24	26	23	23	26
29	Northwestern	24.75	26	26	26	16	26	26	26	26
30	Miami-Florida	25.00	19	26	26	26	25	26	26	26
31	S. Miss.	25.25	26	26	20	26	26	26	26	26
32	Michigan	25.25	26	26	26	26	26	26	26	20
33	Houston	25.38	26	26	21	26	26	26	26	26
34	Utah	25.50	26	26	26	22	26	26	26	26
35	South Florida	25.88	26	26	25	26	26	26	26	26
36	Tulsa	25.88	26	26	26	26	26	25	26	26
37	C. Florida	25.88	26	26	26	26	26	26	26	25