Where does MSU football rank in preseason ESPN SP+ ratings?

One of the most popular college football algorithms is not high on the Spartans heading into the 2026 season.

Bill Connelly of ESPN has released his preseason SP+ ratings and rankings for the 2026 season, and the Spartans came in as one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Michigan State ranked No. 67 nationally, which was one of the worst of power four conference teams. Additionally, that came in at No. 17 in the Big Ten, with the Spartans only ahead of Purdue at No. 82 nationally.

ESPN’s SP+ rating is a predictive, tempo- and opponent-adjusted college football efficiency model. It measures the most sustainable aspects of team performance (efficiency, explosiveness, and field position) to forecast future performance, rather than evaluating resumes or rewarding past wins-and-losses

Michigan State is coming off a fourth straight losing season, with this last year being arguably the worst of the four. The Spartans finished the season with a 4-8 overall record and 1-8 mark in Big Ten play. This recent poor stretch of football has certainly impacted the Spartans' SP+ ranking and rating.

Click here to see the entire SP+ rankings and ratings, and who else the Spartans are near nationally.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Spartans listed near bottom of Big Ten in ESPN SP+ rankings