ESPN released its latest preseason tournament bracket projections and has 10 Big Ten teams in the field.

Michigan State is projected as a 7-seed. The full Big Ten list of teams is:

USC - 1 seed
UCLA - 1
Ohio State - 4
Maryland - 5
Nebraska - 6
Illinois - 7Indiana - 7
Michigan State - 7
Iowa - 8
Minnesota - 11 (Last Four In)

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Michigan State is off to a 3-0 start in 2024 and not many pundits or fans predicted that heading into the campaign. Is MSU ahead of schedule right now under head coach Jonathan Smith? Or are the Spartans right where they should be?

@Greg Smith and I debate (there are two other topics Greg discusses in this piece with other writers, hence the URL and title)

Michigan State moved to 3-0 on the year with a 40-0 victory over Prairie View A&M on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Spartans Illustrated photographer Marvin Hall was on the field to capture the game.

Here is his 125-photo gallery from Saturday:

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Do you goons gamble on the reg? I see a lot of posts on this board and other MSU boards about gambling and with gambling on the apps now I wonder how much people actually gamble, and how much as well. In the past, when I've gone to Vegas during the tournament, I'll throw $10 on a bunch of games. But that's my limit. It just doesn't interest me at all.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Fifth-ranked Michigan State women's soccer (6-0-2, 1-0-0 B1G) hosts its first Big Ten home game of the season on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. against its 2023 Big Ten co-champion Nebraska (3-4-0, 0-1-0 B1G) at DeMartin Stadium.

Thursday's game will air nationally on Big Ten Network.

FIRST TOUCH
MSU (6-0-2, 1-0-0 B1G) opened conference play last Thursday, Sept. 12, with an emphatic 5-0 win at Maryland. With the win, the Spartans extended their unbeaten record against league opponents on the road to 11 matches, last dropping a B1G road match at the end of the fall 2021 regular season. Five different Spartans scored in MSU's win at Maryland. Bella Najera, Emily Mathews and Allie Mairn scored first-half goals, while Julia Belli and Ella Janz added second half goals. Mairn, Belli and Janz each scored their first career goals in the win. Mathews' goal brought her 2024 total to a team-leading five.

MSU is ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Poll for the third-straight week after earning a program-high ranking at No. 4 on Aug. 27. The Spartans played three top-15 opponents in non-conference action claimed the top spot in the first NCAA RPI of the season, which was released on Monday this week.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Huskers are led by head coach John Walker, who holds a 368-197-61 record in 31 seasons at Nebraska. Walker is the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Nebraska to a 17-4-3 record and NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2023. MSU and Nebraska shared the Big Ten regular season title last season after posting 7-1-2 league records. Nebraska is 3-4-0 (0-1-0 B1G) this season, most recently dropping its conference opener at then-No. 17 Iowa, 2-0, on Sept. 12.

Senior midfielder/forward Sarah Weber leads the Huskers in goals (6) and points (14) this season. Her 2024 point total sits in a tie for fifth in the conference. Weber earned First Team All-Big Ten honors last season, while returners Haley Peterson and Jordan Zade collected Second Team nods.

Thursday's meeting between MSU and Nebraska will be the 12th all-time and first since the 2022 Big Ten tournament semifinals, where MSU secured a 2-1 win to advance to the championship game. It will also be the first regular-season matchup between the two teams since a 2-2 draw in Lincoln on Sept. 30, 2021. The Spartans hold a 5-4-2 edge in the series and 3-1-1 record at home. MSU defeated Nebraska, 2-0, in its last home match against the Huskers on Feb. 25, 2021. Nebraska's last win in East Lansing came in a 3-0 victory on Sept. 29, 2017.

UP NEXT
MSU travels to No. 9 Penn State on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. The game will air on Big Ten Network.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.