Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Ranked No. 14 in Final Football Polls
1/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 11, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State, which won a school-record 11 games in 2010 and a share of its first Big Ten Championship since 1990, finished No. 14 in the final Associated Press and USA TODAY Polls, released Tuesday, Jan. 11. It marks the second time in the last three years that MSU has appeared in the final polls, as the Spartans (9-4) ranked No. 24 in both the AP and USA TODAY Polls at the conclusion of the 2008 season. It also marks the Spartans' highest finish in the national polls since 1999 (No. 7 in both polls with a 10-2 record).
Michigan State, which earned a Top 25 national ranking for 12 consecutive weeks, went 5-0 in games decided by 10 points or less in 2010 and 6-1 (.857) in games played against bowl-bound teams.
Mark Dantonio, who was selected National Coach of the Year by CBSSports.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com, helped manage the third-biggest turnaround among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams during the regular season, as the Spartans improved from 6-7 a year ago to 11-1 in 2010. Thanks to its 28-22 victory at Penn State in the regular-season finale, MSU recorded its first win in State College since 1965 - the year before Joe Paterno took over as Penn State's head coach - and finished in a three-way tie with Wisconsin and Ohio State for the 2010 Big Ten Championship. With successive wins over Minnesota, Purdue and Penn State to close out the regular season, the Spartans posted a perfect 3-0 record in November for the first time since 1999. MSU also completed its first-ever 7-0 home season, including a 34-31 overtime win over Notre Dame and a 34-24 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten opener.
Michigan State made its fourth-straight postseason bowl appearance for the first time since 1987-90 (lost to No. 15 Alabama, 49-7, in the 2011 Capital One Bowl), matching the longest bowl streak in school history. Dantonio also became the first coach in MSU history to earn a postseason bowl bid in each of his first four seasons.
"When evaluating the full body of work, we won a school-record 11 games and the school's first Big Ten Championship in 20 years," Dantonio said. "We played extremely well in the close games, winning several in the fourth quarter. The 2010 senior class has set the bar for our program, winning a school-record 33 games over the last four seasons and earning four-straight postseason bowl appearances.
"We will now continue to push to take the program to the next level. You truly define a program by winning multiple championships, becoming a consistent Top 25 team and winning bowl games.
"We're very excited about the progress the program has made over the last four years, and we truly believe the best is yet to come."
Michigan State's 2011 season and home opener is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3 against Youngstown State. Coach Dantonio expects to welcome back as many as 13 starters from the 11-2 team, including six on offense, six on defense and one specialist.
