Sporting News ranks MSU #50

Sporting News has Michigan State at #50. It claims: "Here's the Big Ten sleeper, America. Ohio State is off the schedule, and nonconference play includes three home games and a date in Detroit with Florida Atlantic. Nine wins are in play for the Spartans."

SN ranks the top 100 teams, and here is how MSU's opponents are perceived, compared to Sagarin at the end of 2009:

2010 Opp........ ’10 SN...'09 Sagarin
Western Mich..NR*.......125
Florida Atl........NR*.......114
Notre Dame......29..........48
N. Colorado.......NR*......177
Wisconsin..........8............23
at Michigan.......71...........81
Illinois...............94...........94
at N'western....40...........61
at Iowa.............13............9
Minnesota........98............64
Purdue..............39............75
at Penn State...32............10

*NR = not ranked in the Sporting News top 100.