EAST LANSING — Michigan State made ESPN’s list of “100 things we’re looking forward to in 2015,” but perhaps not as frequently as the Spartans’ preseason ranking and recent success might have warranted. Michigan State has been a consensus preseason top 10 pick in the early-bird polls, most recently No. 7 in the Athlon Sports annual. But the only exclusive mention the Spartans received on the list compiled of ESPN staff members among the top 100 was their Sept. 12 date with Oregon, when Michigan State looks to avenge the 46-27 defeat it suffered in Eugene last season. The loss, as it turned out, did not play the key role in the Spartans’ failure to make the College Football Playoff. Rather, it was a loss to fellow Big Ten East Division member Ohio State that essentially eliminated Michigan State from the national playoff race in 2014. The Spartans and the Buckeyes — the preseason national title favorites, according to many — meet again this season Nov. 21 in Columbus, Ohio. It’s a game that oddsmakers project will determine the Big Ten East division and likely factor heavily into the Big Ten title game. The Michigan State-Ohio State clash, however, did not make ESPN’s top 100 list. The Spartans, coming off back-to-back seasons ranked in the top five and riding a Big Ten-best wave of four straight bowl wins, did not have any players or coaches mentioned on the list. Other Big Ten schools did, however, gain recognition. • Ohio State had seven mentions, with coach Urban Meyer, Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, Ezekiel Elliott, Mike Weber and Joey Bosa all getting mentions. …
Continue Reading: Michigan State gets mention among ESPN.com ‘100 things we’re looking forward to in 2015’
