![](https://spartanswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2023/11/USATSI_21816551.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1)
Michigan State football is listed in the bottom half of the league in Athlon Sports’ Big Ten Preseason Power Rankings.
Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports has put together a batch of preseason power rankings for the new 18-team Big Ten and he’s not particularly high on the Spartans. But also isn’t burying Michigan State either.
Lassan has Michigan State at No. 13 in the league, which is one sport behind Minnesota and one spot ahead of UCLA. Here’s a bit of what Lassan had to say about the Spartans:
“New coach Jonathan Smith is one of the offseason’s top hires, but the Spartans bring back only nine starters off a team that went 4-8 last year. If Smith is to exceed expectations in ’24, Oregon State transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles has to deliver a breakout year, while an offensive line that returns only one starter needs to quickly fall into place.”
Click on the post below to see the complete rankings from Lassan:
Big Ten Football: Preseason 2024 Power Rankings https://t.co/1tvEegNEzZ
— Athlon Sports (@AthlonSports) July 31, 2024
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.