Junior quarterback Connor Cook looks to throw the ball during practice on Aug. 14, 2014, at the practice field outside of Duffy Daugherty Football Building. The season kicks off Aug. 29, with a game against Jacksonville State. Danyelle Morrow/The State News
MSU football will kickoff the 2014 season with its highest AP preseason poll ranking since 1967, coming in at No. 8.
The AP Top 25 preseason poll was released on Sunday and marked the tenth time MSU appeared in the top ten to start the season, it’s first since 1979. MSU finished No. 3 in last year’s AP poll after capturing a 24-20 victory over then-No. 5 Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
The Spartans also came in at No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll that was released on July 31.
Three of MSU’s opponents on the 2014 slate cracked the AP preseason poll including No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Ohio State and No. 22 Nebraska. MSU will travel to Eugene, Ore. to take on the top-ten-ranked Oregon Ducks on Sept. 6, and will have Nebraska and Ohio State come to Spartan Stadium on Oct. 4 and Nov. 8 in Big Ten play.
No. 14 Wisconsin was the only other Big Ten team to appear in the preseason poll, giving the Big Ten four teams starting 2014 ranked in the top-25.
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