STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Coach Jim Harbaugh has been banned from Michigan’s three remaining regular-season games by the Big Ten for a sign-stealing scheme that has rocked college football. Harbaugh was disciplined by the conference less than 24 hours before the Wolverines play No. 9 Penn State on the road in their toughest matchup of the season. His team has a shot to win a third straight Big Ten title and the school’s first national championship since 1997. Michigan almost immediately asked a judge to put the ban on hold.
UNDATED (AP) — The football program at the University of Michigan is among the favorites to play for the national championship. It has become embroiled in an alleged sign-stealing scheme that involved impermissible, in-person scouting of opponents going back as much as three seasons. Both the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference are investigating. Coach Jim Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of any kind of improper scouting scheme in his program. The second-ranked Wolverines are preparing for their biggest game of the season so far at No. 9 Penn State on Saturday.
UNDATED (AP) — AP Sports Columnist Paul Newberry thinks the absurd signs they hold up on the sidelines to send in plays show just how far college football is behind the times. He writes that the game should simply follow the NFL’s longstanding method of sending in plays via radio communications. If that was allowed by the NCAA, Newberry writes, the sign-stealing scandal at Michigan never would have happened. Instead, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been suspended for the final three games of the regular season, stealing the thunder of what should be the best time of the season.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Dalton Knecht scored 24 points to continue his smooth transition to high-major basketball as No. 9 Tennessee defeated Wisconsin 80-70. Knecht led the Big Sky Conference with 20.2 points per game last season. The transfer from Northern Colorado averaged a team-best 16.3 points during Tennessee’s three-game exhibition tour of Italy this summer and had 17 points in his Volunteers debut Monday, an 80-42 blowout of Tennessee Tech. Josiah-Jordan James scored 14 points, while Jonas Aidoo and Jordan Gainey each added 10 for Tennessee. AJ Storr scored 17 to lead Wisconsin.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Zach Edey had 18 points and eight rebounds, Lance Jones scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half and No. 3 Purdue rolled to its second straight rout, 87-57 over Morehead State. The Boilermakers broke the school record for most consecutive regular-season wins against non-conference opponents with their 26th in a row. The previous mark stood since November 1994. Purdue’s streak, the longest active one in Division I, began following a loss at Miami in December 2020. Riley Minix led the defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champions with 18 points. Jordan Lathon had 12 for the Eagles, whose two losses have come to Alabama and Purdue.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tyrece Radford and Wade Taylor IV each scored 21 points to help No. 15 Texas A&M beat Ohio State 73-66 on Friday night. Henry Coleman III added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Aggies (2-0) in the game that had 19 lead changes and seven ties. Bruce Thornton led Ohio State (1-1) with 24 points. Tied at 53 with 8:25 left, Texas A&M scored on its next three possessions to take a 59-54 lead. Thornton had a three-point play to cut it to 63-60 with 2:54 to go. The Buckeyes shot 5 of 18 in the final 10 minutes.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Patrick McCaffery scored 22 points, Payton Sandfort added 17 points and 12 rebounds to help Iowa beat Alabama State 98-67. Sandfort made three 3-pointers — including a four-point play — and scored 12 points in the final 2:32 of the first half as the Hawkeyes used a 9-0 run over the last 90 seconds to take a 49-37 lead into intermission and Alabama State trailed by double figures the rest of the way. CJ Hines made two free throws to open the second-half scoring but Iowa scored 17 of the next 21 points to take control for good. The Hawkeyes had 27 assists on 33 made field goals and scored 20 points off 16 Alabama State turnovers. Antonio ‘TJ’ Madlock scored 23 points for the Hornets.
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Ryan Langborg scored 19 points, Brooks Barnhizer posted his second straight double-double and Northwestern held off Dayton 71-66. Barnhizer had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (2-0). Boo Buie added 15 points. Daron Holmes II scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, Koby Brea had four 3-pointers and 15 points, Javon Bennett added 12 points and Nate Santos 11 for the Flyers. A Bennett basket got the Flyers within 67-65 with 23.1 seconds left. Buie hit a pair of free throws before Bennett missed the second of two free throws and Langborg grabbed the rebound. After a timeout, Langborg was fouled on the inbounds and his two free throws accounted for the final score.
