FOX Sports analyst trashes Spartans in comical preseason college football rankings

<h college football preseason conversation often involves debate, but a recent ranking release from a Fox Corporation analyst has generated significant attention for its dim assessment of a Big Ten program. Fox Sports personality RJ Young published his preseason rankings for all 138 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, placing the Michigan State Spartans at No. 120.

This ranking positions Michigan State as the lowest-ranked team in the Big Ten Conference, sitting just behind Purdue. The projection places the Spartans behind several Group of Five programs, including the Toledo Rockets (No. 76) and the Eastern Michigan Eagles (No. 83). Notably, Michigan State is scheduled to face both Toledo and Eastern Michigan during the upcoming season.

Young’s commentary accompanying the ranking was pointed. He referenced the program’s need for internal stability and mentioned new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has not coached a game since 2023 following his departure from Northwestern University amid a hazing scandal. Young urged the Spartans to focus on external opponents rather than internal conflicts.

The rankings also included other surprising placements, such as ranking North Dakota State—a former FCS powerhouse transitioning to the FBS level—at No. 26. While the Bison have a dominant history at the FCS level, placing them in the top quarter of all FBS teams raised eyebrows regarding their immediate playoff contention potential.

From a market perspective, Fox Corporation continues to leverage its sports personalities to drive engagement across its platforms. The company operates through segments focused on cable network programming and television, producing and licensing news and sports content. As of the latest market close, FOXA was trading at $68.54, up 1.39% for the session with a market capitalization of approximately $29.06 billion.

Michigan State is set to open its 2026 season on September 4 against the Toledo Rockets at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.

What to watch

• Michigan State’s season opener performance versus Toledo on September 4.
• Fox Corporation’s quarterly earnings reports to assess advertising revenue tied to college football viewership.

Source: original release