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No. 12 Houston | No. 14 Washington | Top 25No. 13: Michigan StateLast Season: 12-2? (7-1 Big Ten East)The Spartans are back to where they do their best work: disrespected and outside of the top 10, with a chip on their shoulder. Last year they entered as the APs fifth-ranked team and rose to as high as No. 2, but they were mostly unimpressive, playing best when facing a lower-ranked team or an underdog, and then got shellacked by Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. Sparty has just 10 returning starters, but Mark Dantonio has suggested that the defense could be his best yet. Running back LJ Scott could lead the Big Ten in rushing (699 yards last year as a true freshman). New QB Tyler OConnor could put up similar numbers to Connor Cooks 2015 season (3,131 yards, 24 TDs, 7 INTs), especially if true freshman receiver Donnie Corley makes an impact. I have Michigan State as a 6-point underdog to Notre Dame and a toss-up vs. Michigan and Ohio State. Those two big home games against Michigan and OSU could make the Spartans the surprise team of the Big Ten.Michigan States chances to win each game 09.02 vs. Furman: 99.0% 09.17 @ Notre Dame: 33.0% 09.24 vs. Wisconsin: 57.4% 10.01 @ Indiana: 66.5% 10.08 vs. BYU: 71.7% 10.15 vs. Northwestern: 69.5% 10.22 @ Maryland: 71.0% 10.29 vs. Michigan: 33.4% 11.05 @ Indiana: 73.7% 11.12 vs. Rutgers: 81.5% 11.19 vs. Ohio State:?39.8% 11.26 @ Penn State: 42.1%Somehow underrated yet again, Mark Dantonios team has question marks on offense but enough defensive force to go 9-3 and push for another double-digit season in a big bowl game. -- Brian BennettDantonio has made a habit of exceeding preseason expectations, but it wont be easy this year with QB Connor Cook now in the NFL. A 9-3 finish in the regular season seems about right for this squad. -- Josh MoyerDantonios program isnt going anywhere. The Spartans will remain a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten, but playing 11 straight weeks after an early September bye is a grind for any team. Expect a 9-3 year for the green and white. -- Dan MurphyThe Spartans have to replace key pieces at quarterback, offensive line and defensive line, and they may fall back to the pack in the rugged Big Ten East. Dantonio has won double-digit games in five of the last six seasons. To get there, Michigan State will have to win its bowl game after finishing the regular season 9-3. -- Jesse TempleThe stability of Dantonios program simply shouldnt be questioned anymore, so even with so many key starters to replace, the Spartans are more than capable of cranking out another 10-2 season and contending in the brutal Big Ten East Division. -- Austin WardNo. 12 Houston | No. 14 Washington | Top 25 Hydro Flask Coffee Sale . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Hydro Flask Clearance . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.hydroflasknzsale.com/hydro-flask-40-oz-ombre.html . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Sale . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. Hydro Flask Sale . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. Roger Federer is sitting out the rest of this season, including the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and U.S. Open, to protect his surgically repaired left knee.Federer wrote on his Facebook page Tuesday that he needs more extensive rehabilitation following my knee surgery earlier this year.The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover, Federer said.The owner of a record 17 Grand Slams titles turns 35 on Aug. 8, so the reference to another few years might give his fans increased hope of seeing Federer continue to wield a racket for quite some time.His agent, Tony Godsick, wrote in an email to The Associated Press that Federers plan is to be ready for the start of next year.Federer is the first member of tennis so-called Big 4 -- a group that also includes No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic, 14-time major champion Rafael Nadal and 2012 gold medalist Andy Murray -- to pull out of the Rio Games, where that sports competition starts on Aug. 6, a day after the opening ceremony.Federer often has spoken about how much the Olympics mean to him, in part because he met his wife, Mirka, when both were athletes at the 2000 Sydney Games. Federer won a silver medal in singles for Switzerland four years ago in London, and he teamed up with Stan Wawrinka to win a gold medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.In Brazil, Federer was expected to play singles, doubles with Wawrinka, and mixed doubles with Martina Hingis.He is the second big draw who will be missing from the Rio tennis tournament: Five-time major champion Maria Sharapova wont be there because she is serving a two-year doping ban.The arthroscopic procedure Federer had on his knee in February, repairing torn caartilage, was the first operation of his lengthy and accomplished career.dddddddddddd. Federer said he got hurt while preparing a bath for his twin daughters.Hes also had back issues this season, missed the French Open to end his record 65-appearance streak at major tournaments, and did not win a title of any sort in 2016 -- making it the first year since 2000 that he will finish without at least one trophy.So after participating in every single Grand Slam tournament from the 2000 Australian Open through the 2016 Australian Open, Federer will be sitting out two of the last three this year. He is a five-time champion at the U.S. Open and was the runner-up there to Djokovic last year.Federer, who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone in the history of the ATP computerized rankings, currently sits at No. 3, having gone 21-7 this season. Depending on how other players fare, of course, Federers ranking will tumble over the course of the rest of the year.He hasnt played since losing to Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon semifinals early this month. Federer fell awkwardly during that match, winding up face-down on the Centre Court grass, and had a trainer come out to check on his left knee afterward.Federer said at the time he wasnt sure how badly he might have been injured.In his statement Tuesday, Federer wrote: The silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries.And he added: I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017.---Follow Howard Fendrich on T