Michigan State is 2-0, but the Spartans are still getting no love from the US LBM Coaches Poll.
After their win over Eastern Michigan, the Spartans again found themselves outside the Top 25 when the latest rankings came out Sunday. They did not receive a single vote, which fits the pattern so far this season: Michigan State still hasn’t earned a vote in the coaches poll.
That leaves the Spartans with a big test right in front of them. They head to No.
3 Notre Dame on Saturday night, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
And the schedule doesn’t exactly lighten up after that. Michigan State has three more games coming against teams in this week’s poll: Oregon at No.
18, Michigan at No. 19 and Washington at No. 24.
In all, the Spartans have four upcoming opponents who are currently ranked.
At the top of the poll, Texas sits at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami (FL). Ohio State dropped to No. 6 after losing at Texas, making the Buckeyes the highest-ranked Big Ten team this week.
Here is the full US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25 after Week 2:
- Texas Longhorns 2-0
- Georgia Bulldogs 2-0
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2-0
- Indiana Hoosiers 2-0
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes 2-0
- Ohio State Buckeyes 1-1
- LSU Tigers 2-0
- Texas A&M Aggies 2-0
- Ole Miss Rebels 2-0
- Alabama Crimson Tide 2-0
- USC Trojans 3-0
- Texas Tech Red Raiders 2-0
- BYU Cougars 2-0
- Tennessee Volunteers 2-0
- Penn State Nittany Lions 2-0
- SMU Mustangs 2-0
- Utah Utes 2-0
- Oregon Ducks 1-1
- Michigan Wolverines 2-0
- Iowa Hawkeyes 2-0
- Oklahoma Sooners 1-1
- Missouri Tigers 2-0
- Houston Cougars 2-0
- Washington Huskies 2-0
- Virginia Cavaliers 2-0
Florida, which had been No. 25, dropped out. Others receiving votes included Florida 183, Louisville 160, Boise State 44, Kansas State 24, South Carolina 23, Mississippi State 20, Vanderbilt 19, Duke 19, Nebraska 18, Pittsburgh 16, Oklahoma State 16, Auburn 15, Western Michigan 10, Virginia Tech 9, UCLA 8, Tulsa 7, North Dakota State 5, New Mexico 4, Clemson 3, Wake Forest 1 and Arizona 1.
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Michael Chen of Fighting Irish Wire offers the kind of opponent perspective that makes this one especially worth watching, from Notre Dames strengths to how Irish fans are looking at the matchup. There is also the added subplot of MSU coach Pat Fitzgeralds history in South Bend, which only sharpens the sense that this trip is about more than just another road game, even before the first snap decides how high the stakes feel. [Read more 🡒]
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The Spartans are 9-0, which is exactly the kind of start that invites both excitement and caution this time of year. Drake arrives with its own record to sort out, and Wright State will give Michigan State another look at a different style of challenge, making this a useful measuring stick before the schedule sharpens further. For a team trying to prove the opening stretch is more than a fast start, this tournament offers one more chance to show it. [Read more 🡒]
