Coaches rank BIG GREEN #6 preseason

So, the coaches' poll came out today, with only a few interesting blips for Spartan fans.  First off, we're ranked #6 - it has to be our highest pre-season ranking since 1966 - two years before the ES was shot out of his mommy's cannon.

The Ducks, the national runners-up, are ranked a spot ahead of Michigan State.  They are our season-opener, and we'll be ready.  Should be a fun game - the best non-conference game in the country for the preseason.  It's an 8 pm, ABC, prime-time game.  Weather should be great.  Can't wait.  A win, and we bump up a spot.

There are no other teams on our schedule (look at top right of the ES site) that are ranked until we hit Ohio State in the c-c-c-cold, second to last game of the season.  Nebraska has 27 preseason votes, and both Maryland and Michigan have 1 vote each.  Da ES sees a trip to the Corn as having potential, but the Spartans have tamed the Corn (remember the frigid 27-22 win last year with a valiant but short comeback by the Corn?) the past two years and the distances between the programs this year are far greater.  Maryland is irrelevant, and Harbone's Roadkill have been irrelevant for the better part of the past decade.

Shall the ES take a trip out to Columbus... methinks maybe, but the Buckeye faithful are mean and terrible fans.  I think I'll boycott the Ohio State game; would love to come to Columbus, but not to be treated like a piece of shit.

The season finale, hosting Penn State - well, the Spartans have owned this series the past several meetings and should do so again... especially with a stake in the national playoff on the line after its victory over the Buckeyes.  Many are predicting the Nittany Lions (20 nods in the poll) at 3rd in the division behind OSU and MSU - but far below those two.  Thoughts?

Here's the complete coaches poll:

USA Today Coaches Poll

RK	TEAM	REC	PTS	TREND
1	Ohio State (62)	14-1	1598	—
2	TCU (1)	12-1	1487	—
3	Alabama (1)	12-2	1452	—
4	Baylor	11-2	1365	—
5	Oregon	13-2	1260	—
6	Michigan State	11-2	1230	—
7	Auburn	8-5	1103	—
8	Florida State	13-1	1057	—
9	Georgia	10-3	1026	—
10	USC	9-4	1014	—
11	Notre Dame	8-5	883	—
12	Clemson	10-3	838	—
13	LSU	8-5	727	—
14	UCLA	10-3	697	—
15	Ole Miss	9-4	668	—
16	Arizona State	10-3	577	—
17	Georgia Tech	11-3	573	—
18	Wisconsin	11-3	470	—
19	Oklahoma	8-5	407	—
20	Arkansas	7-6	377	—
21	Stanford	8-5	365	—
22	Arizona	10-4	299	—
23	Missouri	11-3	229	—
24	Boise State	12-2	190	—
25	Tennessee	7-6	166	—
Complete Rankings

Dropped from rankings: Mississippi State 12, Kansas State 18, Utah 20, Marshall 22, Louisville 24 

Others receiving votes: Mississippi State 164, Texas A&M 149, Oklahoma State 89, Virginia Tech 70, Utah 40, Kansas State 37, Nebraska 27, Louisville 27, Minnesota 25, Penn State 20, South Carolina 18, Miami (FL) 16, Texas 8, Illinois 7, Duke 6, Air Force 5, Louisiana Tech 5, Marshall 4, Utah State 4, West Virginia 3, NC State 3, BYU 3, North Carolina 2, Florida 2, Georgia Southern 2, UCF 1, Cincinnati 1, Kentucky 1, Maryland 1, Michigan 1, Washington 1

Little Blue UM no match for 17-pt fave Big Green MSU

It is RIVALRY WEEK and as such it's amazing to see Michigan State favored by 17 points against the Ann Arborites.  It's the largest spread for MSU over scUM in my lifetime - and the reason is that Big Green is a Top-10 team, defending Rose Bowl Champions, and the Wolverines are not even in the same league.

The ES actually feels bad for Little Blue.  David Brandon, the scUM AD, is as clueless in marketing college athletics as he was successful as the CEO of Domino's Pizza,  backup QB Shane Morris is caught in a concussion controversy, coach Brady Hoke should be making decisions for Pillsbury crescent rolls instead of a football team, and injuries, injuries: leading rusher Derrick Green is out for the season; DL Jabrill Peppers is questionable; and, OL Sean Magnuson is also questionable... etc, etc.

Remember last year, QB Devin Gardner was planted like a petunia in Spartan Stadium in a 29-6 loss, being sacked eight times en route to -46 yards rushing. Gardner puked on his final play as he headed out of the game, smashed like your grandma's potatoes.

With scUM missing a starting OL and their leading RB gone for the season, and an anemic Michigan offense going against a fairly good Spartan defense... and, to boot, when MSU gets the ball, it is among the nation's leading scorers, giving up the fewest sacks, creating the most turnovers, and also leading the nation in Time of Possession....  Well, on paper this is a complete blow out.  MSU should be able to score at will, on long drives, and pound Michigan into a deep-six holiday that lasts until next season or longer.  Michigan can't move the ball and can't score.  Done deal.  Gardner won't survive.

Here are the basic stats:

Michigan Offense: #110 total yards, #82 sacks allowed, #44 TOP, #105 scoring
Michigan Turnover Margin: #124
Michigan Defense: #10 total yards, #41 team sacks, #29 scoring

MSU Offense:  #12 total yards, #1 in sacks allowed, #1 TOP, #3 scoring
MSU Turnover Margin:  #3
MSU Defense: #9 total yards,  #4 team sacks, #33 scoring

More later... but reads like Sayonara to me.

POLLS - PLAYOFF DUE OUT TUES OCT. 28

Michigan State is shooting up the coaches poll to #5, but is static in the AP media poll at #8.  Doesn't matter much, as the College Football Playoff poll will have its first stanza this upcoming Tuesday at 7:30 pm on ESPN - look for MSU to go up a notch or two with a pounding of hated Michigan.

USA Today Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Mississippi State (36)	6-0	1520
2	Florida State (22)	7-0	1493
3	Ole Miss (4)	7-0	1447
4	Alabama	6-1	1293
5	Michigan State	6-1	1243
6	Auburn	5-1	1210
7	Oregon	6-1	1133
8	Notre Dame	6-1	1117
9	Georgia	6-1	1096
10	TCU	5-1	996
11	Kansas State	5-1	909
12	Ohio State	5-1	856
13	Baylor	6-1	853
14	Arizona State	5-1	654
15	Arizona	5-1	612
16	Nebraska	6-1	588
17	East Carolina	5-1	578
18	Oklahoma	5-2	482
19	Utah	5-1	371
20	Clemson	5-2	320
21	USC	5-2	258
22	Marshall	7-0	247
23	LSU	6-2	155
24	Minnesota	6-1	147
25	West Virginia	5-2	143

• Dropped from rankings: Oklahoma State 15, Stanford 20
• Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 141, Duke 116, UCLA 107, Missouri 23, Colorado State 18, Wisconsin 17, Washington 5, Stanford 2