EAST LANSING, Mich. – Following the biggest turnaround in school history, Michigan State has finished No. 8 in the final USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 9 in The Associated Press Poll.

The Spartans closed the 2021 season with an 11-2 record – a nine-game improvement from 2020 – after their 31-21 comeback victory over ACC Champion and No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It marked just the sixth time in school history Michigan State has won 11 or more games in a season (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021).

MSU head coach Mel Tucker, the Big Ten Coach of the Year, is only the second Spartan head coach to finish in the AP Top 10 in just his second season in East Lansing (Duffy Daugherty, No. 2 in 1955).

This marks MSU's 16th Top 10 finish in the history of the AP Poll and its first since three straight from 2013-15. Overall, this is the 27th time Michigan State has finished in the AP Top 25 and the first since 2017 (No. 15).

It also marks MSU's sixth Top 10 finish in the history of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (began administering the poll in 1991).

Michigan State's 2022 season opener is scheduled for Sept. 3 vs. Western Michigan in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans are already ranked in several "Way Too Early" Top 25 rankings, including The Athletic (No. 10) and ESPN.com (No. 10).

Michigan State – All-Time AP Top-10 Finishes (16)
1950 – No. 8
1951 – No. 2
1952 – No. 1
1953 – No. 3
1955 – No. 2
1956 – No. 9
1957 – No. 3
1961 – No. 8
1965 – No. 2
1966 – No. 2
1987 – No. 8
1999 – No. 7
2013 – No. 3
2014 – No. 5
2015 – No. 6
2021 – No. 9