MSU football's marquee non-conference opponent picked to finish near bottom of league
One of the Spartans' marquee non-conference opponents has been pegged by the media to finish near the bottom of their league.
Michigan State will play host to Boston College of the ACC in a nationally televised night game on September 6. This is a critical early season game for the Spartans as a win could catapult them into a fast start to the season, while a loss could suggest another losing season is on the way.
Good news for the Spartans, though, is that the ACC media isn't particularly high on the Eagles. In the recently released ACC preseason media poll, Boston College landed as the No. 13 team out of 17 league members. That isn't all to different from the Spartans' preseason landing spot of No. 13 out of 18 teams in the Big Ten media poll, but at least is telling that Boston College should be a very beatable opponent for the Spartans this fall.
Michigan State let one slip away at Boston College last fall, and will get the return trip from the Eagles this year. That week two matchup is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBC.
Check out the complete preseason ACC media poll below:
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly 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 X @RobertBondy5.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Countdown to Kickoff: Jonas Sanker is the Saints Player of Day 33
Sanker is expected to be one of the key pieces of a rebuilding defense There are 33 days untouched the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals face off in the 2025 regular season opener. New head coach Kellen Moore will lead a squad with several new faces. One of those new players is rookie safety Jonas Sanker, who wears No. 33 and is our Saints Player of the Day. At the Covenant School in Virginia, Sanker was a three-star recruit who stayed in-state with his commitment to the University of Virginia. After playing little as a freshman, he'd record an interception and a forced fumble in more action during the 2022 campaign. Sanker was a full-time starter by 2023, with his 107 tackles leading the Cavaliers and 73 solo stops leading the ACC and 3 forced fumbles. He'd lead Virginia again in tackles in 2024, with 9 of those for loss including 2 sacks and an ACC-best 65 solo tackles with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. Sanker was a back-to-back first team All-ACC selection in both 2023 and 2024. New Orleans used their second of two Round 3 choices in this year's draft on Sanker. Most effective in the tackle box, Sanker is an outstanding open field tackler expected to bolster a defense that ranked 31st last season against the run. In coverage, Sanker is best as a deep safety in two-deep alignments. With the retirement of Tyrann Mathieu, he'll likely see increased reps with other new additions Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon. Jonas Sanker is expected to be one of the major pieces and young building blocks of a rebuilding New Orleans defense.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What did James Franklin say about Drew Allar, Penn State football at Big Ten Media Days?
Penn State football quarterback Drew Allar may be most anticipated player on arguably the most highly-regarded team in the nation. No surprise that his head coach spent a good chunk of his Big Ten Football Media Day podium time Wednesday in Las Vegas talking about him. James Franklin started his 15-minute session with a curious and praiseworthy statistic about the senior QB who has been heavy on superlative passing numbers but light on signature victories. Franklin's note: Allar is one of only two FBS quarterbacks since 1956 with 800-plus career pass attempts, 50-plus touchdown passes and 10 or less interceptions (Baylor's Bryce Petty, 2011-14, is the other). Of course, Allar, who certainly rates as one of college football's top returning QBs, hopes to be much more than gaudy numbers for a team that continues to be lauded with hype and honors and should boast its highest preseason ranking in more than 25 years. Allar joined Franklin in Vegas at this week's annual three-day preseason football festival along with Penn State teammates Nick Dawkins and Zakee Wheatley. Franklin weaved from one topic to another Wednesday, from his new staff to his transfer portal receivers to renovated Beaver Stadium to all of that preseason hype. "Let's be honest. Who really cares about preseason rankings?" he said with a smile. "They mean nothing." One media questioner, though, got him talking about Allar, and he made the most of the opportunity. 'I'm just proud of him. Drew has made tremendous growth every single year, all the way back to recruiting," Franklin said. "I don't know if a lot of people remember but Drew, when we first started recruiting him, was a three-star recruit, kind of a throwback recruit. Kept getting better, kept moving up the charts. "And has gotten better every single year, really in every single area. He's 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds now, can make every throw on the field, has shown he can hurt people with his feet. And has really made tremendous strides as a leader, holding himself to a really high standard and willing to have tough conversations with his teammates. "He's made significant leaps every year and we expect him to take another significant leap this year. Most people had him projected as a first-round draft choice last year and he decided to come back to school. Unfinished business, collectively, as a team, but also as an individual. I'm a big Drew fan. 'He's really what's it all about. It's team, team, team. It's community. It's Penn State. Proud of him." Frankin's media session furthered another promising Penn State week as far as preseason hype and expectations − the Lions boasting their most talented, experienced and possibly deepest team yet under Franklin. On Monday, Penn State received more prominent picks to win their first league title in nine years, including from USA Today Sports Network and the Preseason Big Ten Football Poll. Franklin also garnered Big Ten preseason coach of the year predictions in these rankings. On Tuesday, the Lions garnered the most players (tying Ohio State) on the Big Ten 16-member preseason "honors" list: quarterback Drew Allar, running back Nick Singleton and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. Singleton was the only running back chosen. Allar was one of two quarterbacks (with Illinois' Luke Altmyer) and Dennis-Sutton was one of two defensive lineman (with Indiana Mikail Kamara). Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Big Ten Media Days: James Franklin on Drew Allar, Penn State football
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Penn State football pressure: 4 preseason camp requirements to be a true title contender
Penn State football appears to have more at its disposal, than ever, to win its first national championship in four decades. First, they boast more talent and experience − and in key places − than ever before under coach James Franklin. And they may have college football's top coordinators running offense and defense. They also own a favorable schedule, have an ever-growing list of preseason honors and the backing of the national media pundits who are logging more predictions than ever for the Lions to win the Big Ten and even the College Football Playoff. So how do they put all of the expectations together before the Aug. 30 season-opener? Here are four things these Lions must accomplish in preseason camp, which starts Wednesday: Penn State football: Build more than Drew Allar's next step at quarterback The "big-game" development of senior Drew Allar is being regarded as the most important piece in PSU's Big Ten and national championship aspirations. Of course, he has a month of intense workouts to further his relationships and connections with his three critical transfer receivers − and the rest of the Lions' returning room. The pass game must be elevated and on-point to win marquee games. But there's also this: How prepared are Penn State backups Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik? Both have nearly no on-field game experience. Both are an injury away from leading a national-title caliber team. Their August growth may prove monumental − as will their use in expected blowout victories against Nevada, Florida International and Vilanova to start the season. Make wide receivers trusted weapons again The Penn State receivers, for the first time in three seasons, must be reliable, productive weapons. Will the transfers finally hit big this time? Penn State doesn't necessarily need new, senior wideouts Trebor Pena, Donte Ross and Kyron Hudson to become All-Big Ten stars. They must, though, be capable, dependable pass-catchers who will make clutch plays. Allar didn't have that last season − a glaring weakness in its three biggest games, all defeats. Of course, the fan base will be skeptical until proven otherwise. The Lions' past few transfer wideouts offered little production after significant hype: Julian Fleming (Ohio State), Dante Cephus (Kent State) and Malik McClain (Florida State). Find answers on the defensive line The Nittany Lions boast two of the top defensive linemen in the nation − senior edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton and tackle Zane Durant. But can the supporting cast be championship-caliber? While a handful have intriguing upsides, all are unproven. That begins with expected new starters, edge Zuriah Fisher and tackle Alonzo Ford. Both are coming off significant injuries and neither has been a first-line player on the Power 4 level yet. The most promising replacement piece, edge Max Granville, is out with a "long-term" injury. Still, the Lions' rotation must include six reliable "new" linemen, at the least, by the opener. The leading candidates? Start with tackles Ty Blanding (redshirt sophomore) and Xavier Gilliam and transfer Owen Wafle (redshirt freshmen). On the edge, we'll be watching transfer Enai White (redshirt junior), Jaylen Harvey (redshirt freshman) and Yvan Kemajou (true freshman). Find a No. 3 running back The Lions are blessed with one of their best running back tandems in school history. But who will step up when Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen need a break or miss time with an injury? Their success (both are in line to become Penn State's all-time leading rusher), ultimately, has been fueled by their partnership. So a third and even fourth option may be critical. And as on the defensive line, this crowded room is promising but relatively unproven. The most highly regarded, for now, are redshirt freshmen Quinton Martin and Corey Smith (35 combined carries in 2024), redshirt sophomore Cam Wallace (returning from season-ending injury) and rookie Tikey Hayes. Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: 4 things James Franklin, Penn State football must do in preseason camp
