Where does Michigan State rank in the Big Ten?

Michigan State is undoubtedly better than last season as the Spartans have already matched their win total from last season. However, their road loss to Michigan last weekend and their results over the last four weeks showed that they still have a lot of work to do to get where they want to be.

Luckily for the Spartans, they still have a chance at a successful season as they are just two wins away from being invited to a bowl game. Considering many bookmakers didn’t believe they would win more than four games this season, six wins and a bowl appearance would be a significant victory for coach Jonathan Smith in his first season.

While few expected Michigan State to be a major threat in the Big Ten this season, a 3-0 start put the conference on notice that Michigan State had made progress in the offseason. However, a three-game losing streak, including losses to two of the best teams in the country, may well be a possibility

Carter Bahns of 247Sports recently released his rankings of all Big Ten schools. He ranked the Spartans as the 13th best football team in the conference, one spot ahead of Maryland and one spot behind the Washington Huskies.

Bahns ranked Michigan State seventh in the conference last week, but dropped the Spartans to 13th after their road loss to Michigan last weekend. Their loss to the Wolverines gives Michigan State a clean sweep, which was one of the reasons for the drop in the rankings.

““Michigan State played pretty well and gave itself a chance at the end of its rivalry game against Michigan, but shaky second-half execution and a postgame fight only made the loss worse,” Bahn said wrote.

“The Spartans fell six spots in the Big Ten power rankings this week, not just because of the loss but because of what it represents; Jonathan Smith only managed one good win in his first season and his side were less competitive against league leaders than other mid-table teams.”

Smith and his coaching staff want to make Michigan State one of the best teams in the conference. They’re not there yet, but they’re close to being a top 10 team in the Big Ten. That may not happen this season, but the Spartans aren’t far away from contention in the conference.

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