ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan has decided to stick with coach Jim Harbaugh. He has finalized a new, five-year deal. The school will pay him $4 million this year with a chance to make nearly $8 million in the fifth year of his contract. He was making about $7 million under his original seven-year contract. Harbaugh has won nearly 70% of his games, but is winless against archrival Ohio State. The Wolverines were 2-4 in Harbaugh’s sixth season, which ended with three straight games being canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program.
UNDATED (AP) — The college football season wraps up Monday night with the national championship game between Alabama and Ohio State. The hope is that hte 2021 season will return to normal. Vaccines have raised hopes for more games, fewer disruptions and fans returning to stadiums. There is also another big question for the sport: The NCAA is considering a rule change that for the first time would permit college athletes to be paid for things like endorsements, sponsorship deals and personal appearances. Undergraduate athletes might also be able to change schools and play without having to sit out a season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Trevion Williams made a short jumper with 4.5 seconds left and scored 22 of his 26 points after halftime, rallying Purdue past No. 23 Michigan State 55-54 on after trailing by 17. Aaron Henry, who scored 13 points, missed a runner from the left side of the lane just before the buzzer to seal the collapse for the Spartans. Williams made 9 of 14 shots and 8 of 12 free throws to spur the Boilermakers. The Spartans missed 11 of their last 13 shots and connected on just 39% of their shots overall.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State has hired Mike Yurcich as offensive coordinator, replacing Kirk Ciarrocca after one year with the former Texas and Ohio State assistant. Yurcich was offensive coordinator at Texas last season, but found himself out after the school fired coach Tom Herman last week. Yurcich was passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for one season at Ohio State in 2019 after six productive seasons at Oklahoma State. Ciarrocca was hired away from Minnesota after last season by Nittany Lions coach James Franklin after offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne left to become head coach at Old Dominion.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The offensive lines for Alabama and Ohio State are going to be critical in Monday’s national championship game. Both units power prolific offenses led by elite skill players. Both lines are huge and athletic. Alabama’s unit this week won the Joe Moore Award as the best in the nation, having paved the way for an offense averaging 535 yards and 48.2 points a game. The Tide has allowed 17 sacks while averaging 5.1 yards per rush. Ohio State running back Trey Sermon has rushed for 636 yards and four TDs in the last three games behind his own tough line.
