Michigan State Grinds Their Way Back to No. 2

A defining sweep over then–No. 2 Wisconsin has catapulted Michigan State back into the second spot in the national rankings.

The revenge against the Badgers was sweet. Wisconsin had come into East Lansing back in November and swept the then–No. 1 Spartans, making this series one that had been circled on the calendar for months. Getting revenge was the first step—throwing salt in the wound was the next.

If the Spartans could earn a sweep, the likelihood of jumping Wisconsin for the No. 2 ranking felt inevitable. Now, it’s official. Michigan State climbed back into the second spot, while the Badgers fell all the way to No. 5.

Michigan continues to sit in the pole position nationally, but the teams behind them have been in constant flux. Michigan State and Wisconsin have spent much of the season trading the No. 2 ranking back and forth after each loss. Now that the Spartans have reclaimed the spot, it sets up a highly anticipated home-and-home series between the Wolverines and Spartans to open the first weekend of February.

The current top 10 in college hockey (with first-place votes):

Despite the looming showdown with Michigan, the Spartans can’t afford to look too far ahead. They’ll need to hold serve against two top-10 opponents over the next two weeks.

First, Michigan State returns home this weekend to take on No. 7 Minnesota Duluth. It will be the first meeting between the two teams this season, though it won’t be the last—they’ll close out the regular season against each other as well.

After that, the Spartans head back on the road, traveling east to Pennsylvania for a second series with No. 8 Penn State. In their first matchup, Michigan State handled the Nittany Lions, sweeping both games.

Following those two tough series, February begins with the marquee matchup everyone has been waiting for: in-state rivals Michigan State and Michigan. Fans across college hockey are hoping both teams remain ranked No. 1 and No. 2 when that weekend arrives.

For now, the Spartans are back in the second spot and will look to hold it for more than a week—unless Michigan stumbles and opens the door for Michigan State to climb even higher.

Michigan State is led by a deep roster of future NHL talent, including Porter Martone, Ryker Lee, Eric Nilson, and Charlie Stramel. But perhaps the most important piece of this team is its goaltending. As a unit, the Spartans rank first in the nation, allowing just 1.77 goals per game. Augustine himself sits seventh nationally with a .750 winning percentage and ranks third in goals-against average at 1.752—the best mark among goaltenders with over 840 minutes of ice time this season.

Efficient scoring and lights-out defense have become the identity of this Michigan State squad, and the rankings reflect it. Now it's time for the Spartans to go and reclaim the pole position.