Senior safety Isaiah Lewis and senior cornerback Darqueze Dennard hold the Paul Bunyan trophy after a game against Michigan on Nov. 2, 2013, at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines, 29-6. Georgina De Moya/The State News
—After its second bye week, the MSU football team moved up three spots to No. 14 in the latest Associated Press Top 25.
The Spartans (8-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) have slowly ascended the polls by building a five-game winning streak since their Sept. 21 loss at Notre Dame.
In the USA Today Coaches Poll — which is one component of the BCS rankings — MSU jumped three spots from No. 19 to No. 16.
The BCS looked similar to the USA Today poll, with the Spartans finding themselves ranked No. 16.
Losses by LSU, Texas Tech and Notre Dame during the weekend contributed to MSU’s rise despite not playing a game.
Nebraska, the Spartans’ next opponent, is among the top teams receiving votes just outside of both polls. The Cornhuskers took care of Michigan, 17-13, on the road to improve their standing and set up a pivotal showdown in the Legends Division with MSU this Saturday. The winner will have the inside track to head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.
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