Michigan State football gets one vote in preseason AP Poll
Michigan State football received a single vote in Monday’s AP preseason poll despite coming off a 3-9 season and tumultuous offseason.
Jon Wilner, a writer for the San Jose Mercury News, ranked the Spartans 25th on his ballot, citing head coach Mark Dantonio’s head coaching ability: “No reason to expect the Spartans to execute complete turnaround from three-win season, except that Mark Dantonio is a helluva coach.”
While few doubt Dantonio’s ability to coach football—he has led Michigan State to three Big Ten titles and nine bowl games—there is reason to doubt that the Spartans have the talent to compete at a top-25 level in 2017.
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The Spartans lost several key players to the NFL during the offseason, including Malik McDowell, Montae Nicholson, Riley Bullough and Demetrious Cox, but lost several others to off-field behavior over the summer, including Donnie Corley, Josh King, Demetrius Vance and Ashton Robertson, who were all dismissed after being charged with sexual assault.
In addition, cornerback Vayante Copeland is no longer on the team for undisclosed reasons, linebacker Jon Reschke left the team this offseason after making an “insensitive comment,” offensive lineman Thiyo Lukusa simply decided he didn’t want to play anymore and defensive end Demetrius Cooper’s role with the team is up in the air.
The Spartans do bring back their trio of excellent running backs: L.J. Scott, Gerald Holmes and Madre London, and will be quarterbacked by Brian Lewerke, who showed sparks last season before breaking his leg. Pretty much every other position is staffed by young, unproven players, leaving a ton of question marks. Add to that what might be college football’s toughest schedule, and the Spartans don’t look like much of a top-25 contender.
The Big Ten was well-represented in the poll, with four teams in the top 11, including Ohio State (#2), Penn State (#6), Wisconsin (#9) and Michigan (#11).
Next: Michigan football ranked #11 in preseason AP Poll
Michigan State begins its football season on September 2 at noon against Bowling Green.