MSU is No. 2 in AP poll, Ohio State remains No. 1

In another “Reach Higher” moment for Michigan State football this season, the Spartans are ranked No. 2 in Sunday’s Associated Press poll the program’s highest AP ranking since it finished the 1966 season at No. 2.

Ohio State remains No. 1, meaning this is the first time the Big Ten has had the top two teams since No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan played at the end of the 2006 regular season.

The 3-0 Spartans, coming off a 35-21 home win over Air Force on Saturday, got seven first-place votes after receiving two last week. Mississippi, fresh off Saturday’s upset win at then-No. 2 Alabama, got 11 first-place votes and moved up from No. 15 to No. 4, while TCU stayed at No. 3.

MSU was No. 4 a week ago, after beating then-No. 7 Oregon. In the Amway Coaches Poll, MSU moved up one spot to No. 3, with TCU moving up to No. 2. Ohio State got 61 first-place votes in the coaches poll, and MSU got the other three.

The Spartans spent part of the 1966 season at No. 1 before Notre Dame took the top spot. No. 1 Notre Dame at No. 2 MSU to finish the 1966 regular season was dubbed “The Game of the Century” and finished in a 10-10 tie.

Notre Dame retained the top spot and MSU finished No. 2, though the Spartans claim a national title that season as selected by the National Football Foundation and three other independent selectors.

Now things are decided by a playoff, and the only rankings that actually matter start Nov. 3 the first rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee. “Reach Higher” is MSU’s motto this season, and the Spartans know they’ll be in prime position if they keep winning and that a lot may be decided Nov. 21 when MSU travels to Ohio State.

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