UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State hasn’t played in the Big Ten championship game in three years, but it remains the conference’s top program in recruiting. The Buckeyes signed five of the six five-star recruits in the 247Sports Composite rankings who are headed to Big Ten schools. Penn State and Michigan are ranked second and third, respectively, among teams in the Big Ten in 2023. Oregon, one of four Pac-12 schools that will enter the league in 2024, assembled the sixth-ranked class in the nation. That would put the Ducks No. 2 in the Big Ten. Nebraska landed five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola.
UNDATED (AP) — The early signing period in college football opened with just a little five-star drama. Georgia likely locked up a recruiting crown by flipping an in-state blue-chipper away from Florida State. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country had Ohio State coach Ryan Day literally sighing with relief. And a five-star defensive lineman committed to Florida decided to delay making his decision official. That was the least of the bad news for the Gators.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Tony Perkins had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Payton Sandfort scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and grabbed 10 rebounds and Iowa pulled away late in the first half to beat UMBC 103-81. Iowa scored 27 of the final 37 first-half points to take a 50-36 advantage into halftime and the Retrievers trailed by double figures the rest of the way. Dion Brown made 5 of 6 from 3-point range and scored 23 points to lead UMBC and Khydarius Smith finished with 20 points. Iowa committed a season-low four turnovers and scored 23 points off 15 Retrievers giveaways.
PHOENIX (AP) — Boo Buie scored 22 points, Brooks Barnhizer added 16 and Northwestern used a dominating first half to beat Arizona State 65-46 in the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series. The matchup between former Duke teammates who are now head coaches turned quickly in the first half. Chris Collins’ Wildcats shook off a shaky start with runs of 13-2 and 16-2 to build a 23-point halftime lead. Northwestern handled Arizona State’s full-court press in the second half well for the most part and went 9 of 22 from the 3-point line to win its second straight since dropping out of the AP Top 25 last week. The Sun Devils have struggled offensively in their ninth season under Bobby Hurley and got off to a rough start with 13 first-half points.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — C.J. Wilcher scored 16 points to lead six in double-figure scoring and Nebraska rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat North Dakota 83-75. Nebraska trailed 46-32 but used a 25-5 run for a 57-51 lead with 11:07 remaining. Keisei Tominaga scored nine points and Juwan Gary added seven during the stretch. Gary added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Nebraska (10-2). Tominaga finished with 14 points, as did Jamarques Lawrence. Brice Williams added 12 points and Josiah Allick had 10 for Nebraska. Tyree Ihenacho scored 22 points and B.J. Omot had 21 to lead North Dakota (8-5).
UNDATED (AP) — All the attention surrounding quarterbacks who switch schools has overshadowed how the popularity of the transfer portal has affected the way colleges try stockpile talent at other positions. The Associated Press measured the impact of the transfers by tracking the top 20 prospects at every position each year from 2019-22 according to the 247Sports Composite. Nearly two-thirds of those 80 quarterbacks already have switched schools or are currently in the portal. But about 55% of the cornerbacks and about half of the safeties, running backs, wide receivers and inside linebackers also have either transferred or are doing so.
UNDATED (AP) — Oregon put together the kind of class that should help the Ducks compete in their new home as they move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. The Ducks are on track to produce their second straight top-10 class. A composite ranking of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports had Oregon with the nation’s No. 5 class as of late Wednesday. Oregon’s class is ranked behind only Ohio State among its new Big Ten counterparts.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The NCAA sent Michigan a notice of allegations related to impermissible on- and off-campus recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period and coaching activities, potential violations that led to the school’s self-imposed three-game suspension of Jim Harbaugh to start the season. School spokesman Kurt Svoboda confirmed Wednesday that the notice was received this week. The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season for an unrelated matter, stemming from a sign-stealing scheme, that is still under investigation. Harbaugh will lead the Wolverines against Alabama in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs on Jan. 1.
