ReportWire

Tag: FBS College Football Playoff

  • No. 4 USC falls to Utah in Pac-12, all but ending CFP hope

    No. 4 USC falls to Utah in Pac-12, all but ending CFP hope

    [ad_1]

    LAS VEGAS — Caleb Williams once again was starring in his own highlight video, breaking four tackles and finding himself in the open field for a 59-yard gain.

    No. 4 Southern California looked as if it would do whatever it wanted against No. 12 Utah and coast into the College Football Playoff. But, Williams pulled his hamstring on that play and was never the same.

    Neither were the Trojans, whose hope for a spot in the College Football Playoff all but ended as Utah rolled to a 47-24 win in the Pac-12 Championship game Friday night.

    “Our play didn’t really resemble the way we played the majority of this year,” first-year USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “Disappointed with some of the missed opportunities out there, but that’s the name of the game when you get to this level in these kind of games against good teams. You’ve got to go play good to win, and we didn’t do it.”

    The loss by the Trojans (11-2) could open the way for Ohio State (11-1) to take their spot in the playoffs. USC is fourth in the CFP rankings, the Buckeyes are one step behind.

    Ohio State coach Ryan Day had to be Utah’s biggest fan. The Buckeyes’ move up in playoff consideration, with 12-0 Michigan at No. 2 with the Big Ten championship game on Saturday, would give that conference two playoff teams for the first time. It also would extend the Pac-12’s playoff drought — Washington in 2017 is the last team from that conference to make the playoffs.

    “Coach Day, you’re welcome,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham directed at Ohio State coach Ryan Day on the FOX Sports broadcast after the win.

    Utah (10-3) is heading to the Rose Bowl, but the Utes already were going there regardless of the outcome of the title game. They are responsible for USC’s only losses, having edged the Trojans 43-42 on Oct. 15 in Salt Lake City.

    The Utes rolled up 533 yards of offense in the rematch, and Cam Rising passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns and earning game MVP.

    Williams threw for 363 yards and three TDs. He entered the game as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate, but wasn’t the same after getting injured in the first quarter.

    Backup Miller Moss even took snaps on the sideline in the second half.

    “I asked (Williams) at one point, ‘Are you 50%?’” Riley said. “He was not even close to 50%. I definitely thought about taking him out. He didn’t let me. He wouldn’t even let me take him out at the end. In terms of guys I’ve coached at that position, it may be the gutsiest performance I’ve ever seen. Most guys wouldn’t even have played, and he still gave us a chance.”

    Williams, who also played with a badly cut pinky on his throwing hand, said his hamstring felt like “an old rubber band.”

    “I was in my head and encouraging (myself) the game was bigger than I was feeling,” Williams said, drawing inspiration from a Kobe Bryant quote. “I also had a group of guys looking at me to go out there and lead them to victory.”

    Williams painted his fingernails before game that read “(Expletive) Utah,” though the Utes apparently weren’t aware of that until told afterward.

    “You can put whatever you want on your nails,” Utah running back Ja’Quinden Jackson said. “I’m not going to judge him … but I hope he liked it.”

    The Trojans looked as if they were going to run away with the game, taking a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter behind some stellar play by Williams. He passed for 108 yards and two TDs and rushed for 76 yards in the first quarter

    After USC failed to pick up a fourth-and-8 from Utah’s 37-yard line, the Utes scored two touchdowns in the final 3:55 of the first half, and suddenly the game was tied at 17. Instead of a rout, the game was beginning to look like the shootout the Utes won in October.

    The game took on that tone at times in the second half, but USC had no answer for how to slow down Utah, which outscored the Trojans 44-7 in overcoming that two-touchdown deficit.

    “Just unwavering belief,” Rising said.

    ATTENDANCE RECORD

    A announced sellout crowd of 61,195 made this the largest for a neutral-site Pac-12 Championship. It beat the previous record of 58,476 fans. who watched Southern California-Stanford in Santa Clara, California, in 2015

    ———

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • AP source: Rose Bowl clears way for 12-team CFP in 2024

    AP source: Rose Bowl clears way for 12-team CFP in 2024

    [ad_1]

    Rose Bowl game organizers cleared the way for the College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams starting in the 2024 season, informing CFP officials Wednesday they are willing to alter agreements to accommodate a new format to decide the national champion.

    A person with knowledge of the discussions between game organizers and CFP officials told The Associated Press the Rose Bowl is prepared to be flexible and wants to continue to be part of the playoff beyond 2025.

    The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the presidents and chancellors who oversee the playoff still needed to give final approval on expansion. ESPN first reported the agreement between the Rose Bowl and the CFP.

    An announcement from the CFP was expected by Thursday.

    Eighteen months after a plan to expand the College Football Playoff from four teams to 12 was publicly unveiled, a process that was delayed and seemingly derailed numerous times is ready to cross the finish line.

    An agreement with the 120-year-old bowl game held in Pasadena, California, and dubbed the Granddaddy of Them All was the last hurdle to clear.

    The university leaders who make up the CFP board of managers were pushing for a decision from Rose Bowl officials by Wednesday about whether they would amend existing contracts for 2024 and ’25 and allow the playoff to triple in size.

    The Rose Bowl is scheduled to have a traditional Pac-12-Big Ten matchup in those seasons. To have a 12-team playoff, the Rose Bowl would need to host a quarterfinal in its traditional and valuable Jan. 1 time slot.

    Rose Bowl officials had asked the CFP to guarantee the game would remain on New Year’s Day, starting at 5 p.m. EST, in the new format for 2026 and beyond.

    CFP leaders balked.

    The original 12-year contract the CFP has with ESPN expires after the 2025-26 season. CFP officials have been unwilling to make any binding commitments about the College Football Playoff beyond 2025.

    Expanding the College Football Playoff is expected to bring in an extra $450 million in gross revenue over the final two years of the current contract to the conferences and schools that participate.

    The Rose Bowl is one of six bowls that currently rotate as hosts of the CFP semifinals every three years. The five other bowls — Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Cotton and Orange — and host cities for the championship games scheduled to be held after the 2024 and ’25 seasons had already agreed to accommodate a new CFP format.

    Two weeks ago, Rose Bowl organizers told The AP in a statement: “We have no intention of being the lone roadblock that would keep expansion from happening before the end of its current cycle.”

    Facing the possibility of being painted as an obstructionist and potentially being shut out of the expanded playoff when it would have been implemented in 2026, the Rose Bowl agreed to move forward on good faith.

    ———

    Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com

    ———

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • No. 1 Georgia overcomes slow start, routs Georgia Tech 37-14

    No. 1 Georgia overcomes slow start, routs Georgia Tech 37-14

    [ad_1]

    ATHENS, Ga. — Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes and No. 1 Georgia completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history by overcoming a slow start to beat Georgia Tech 37-14 on Saturday.

    Georgia (12-0, No. 1 CFP) was down 7-0 early and led Georgia Tech only 10-7 at halftime. Then the Bulldogs overpowered the Yellow Jackets (5-7) with their running game to score 37 unanswered points and notch their fifth consecutive win in the state rivalry.

    Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton ran for touchdowns. Georgia outrushed Georgia Tech 264-40.

    The defending national champion Bulldogs are in good position to retain their No. 1 College Football Playoff ranking entering next week’s Southeastern Conference championship game against No. 6 LSU.

    Mistakes in the third quarter hurt the Yellow Jackets’ chance at spoiling the Bulldogs’ history-making day. Following a low snap, punter David Shanahan was tackled at the Georgia Tech 17. That set up Bennett’s second scoring pass, a 1-yarder to tight end Brock Bowers on a fourth-down play.

    Georgia Tech freshman running back Jamie Felix’s fumble was recovered by Georgia’s Robert Beal on the Yellow Jackets’ next play. The turnover set up a 36-yard field goal by Jack Podlesny to give the Bulldogs a 23-7 lead.

    Georgia pulled away in the fourth quarter. Bennett’s 83-yard pass to McIntosh — the Bulldogs’ longest pass of the season — set up McIntosh’s 2-yard scoring run. Milton added a 44-yard scoring run.

    The Yellow Jackets ended the Bulldogs’ string of 37 consecutive points on running back Dontae Smith’s 24-yard scoring pass to Malachi Carter with less than 3 minutes remaining.

    Georgia Tech became the first team to score a first-quarter touchdown against Georgia this season. Zach Gibson completed a 34-yard pass to Nate McCollum on a fourth and 9 play to the Georgia 7.

    Backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh’s 7-yard scoring run capped the touchdown drive.

    The Bulldogs took a 10-7 lead on Bennett’s 5-yard scoring pass to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint in the second quarter. It was Georgia’s only pass of a drive that included a 45-yard run by McIntosh.

    Georgia Tech finished 4-4 under interim coach Brent Key and fell short in its bid to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets again showed the progress they’ve made under Key. One year ago, the team’s third consecutive three-win season ended with a 45-0 loss to Georgia.

    After beating two Top 25 teams — Pittsburgh and North Carolina — on the road under Key, Georgia Tech was competitive for at least one half against the Bulldogs. Gibson, the Yellow Jackets’ third starting quarterback, showed good poise against the nation’s top scoring defense.

    Georgia: The Bulldogs have avoided letdowns this season, and if they were flat to open the game, they showed resiliency. Bennett avoided mistakes while McIntosh showed his versatility by posting game-leading totals of 86 rushing yards and 96 receiving yards on two catches. Bennett completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns and had five carries for 21 yards.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    Georgia should protect its No. 1 positions in the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff ranking.

    UP NEXT

    Georgia Tech: Opens its 2023 season against Louisville on Sept. 2 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

    Georgia: Plays in the SEC championship game for the fifth time in six years when it faces No. 6 LSU next Saturday in Atlanta.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25 Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • No. 1 Georgia eyes perfect season with tightly bonded team

    No. 1 Georgia eyes perfect season with tightly bonded team

    [ad_1]

    ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia added another title to its growing collection, yet there wasn’t a whole lot of reason to celebrate.

    The Bulldogs, you see, are chasing the loftiest of goals.

    Perfection.

    Having locked up another trip to the Southeastern Conference championship game as the top dog in the Eastern Division, No. 1 Georgia (10-0) quickly moved on Monday.

    “I didn’t really celebrate too much,” receiver Kearis Jackson said. “I know we have bigger goals ahead of us.”

    It’s a rather lengthy list, for sure.

    The Bulldogs are positioned to make a run at their first SEC title since 2017. They certainly have their sights on a return for the College Football Playoff as the top seed, which would undoubtedly be rewarded with a short trip to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl semifinal. And, of course, they want to become the first team since Alabama in 2011-12 to repeat as national champion.

    Last year’s title team had a blemish on its record — an upset loss to the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game. In fact, only two teams in Georgia’s modern football history have made it through a season unscathed.

    The 1946 Bulldogs went 11-0, tied for the SEC title, won the Sugar Bowl, but only finished third in The Associated Press rankings behind Notre Dame and Army, who played to a scoreless tie in what was billed as the “Game of the Century.”

    The 1980 Georgia squad, led by freshman star Herschel Walker, finished 12-0 and, until last season, was the only team in the school’s storied history to win a consensus national title.

    Can this team complete what is undoubtedly a more difficult undefeated journey, with the longer schedule and additional gauntlet of a conference championship game and four-team playoff to get through?

    “That would be great,” Jackson said, his face lighting up. “I’ve never been a part of an undefeated season, besides like rec league or something like that. I’m sure it would be very difficult and very special, but I think this team is special enough to accomplish a goal like that.”

    Without question, these Bulldogs are instilled with a passion and desire that often slips away from a reigning champion.

    There’s a reason they say it’s harder to remain on the mountaintop than it is to get there.

    “The pitfall of every profession, of everything people do in society, is being able to repeat habits,” coach Kirby Smart said. “Can you do what you do better than the people in your profession on a daily basis and not get bored with monotony. It’s hard to sustain anything in life, in your career, whatever it is.”

    Smart’s job was made a bit easier, in a way, by losing a record 15 players in the NFL draft. Many of the players on this roster are getting their first crack at a starring role.

    But there’s also something more innate going on, a hunger that never ceases even as the Bulldogs have every reason to stumble over their already impressive accomplishments.

    “Sometimes people get comfortable.,” Smart said. “When you get comfortable, you’re not always at your best. We’re trying our best to be at our best. That’s our job.”

    Don’t overlook the culture that Smart has built in Athens, which makes the sum of the roster greater than it’s individual parts.

    “We say we’re at our best when the worst happens,” the coach explained. “It’s hard to be connected when a guy misses you for a touchdown pass and you don’t pout about it. A guy fumbles, a guy throws an interception, a guy gives up a huge pass interference. Where’s your connection now when it’s needed most?”

    No worries there. Smart is hard-pressed to recall another group of players who were so invested in each other.

    “That’s the muscle that we like to say is the strongest muscle on our team,” he said. “If you’ve got it, why not use it?”

    ———

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Tennessee put title hopes on the line

    No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Tennessee put title hopes on the line

    [ad_1]

    ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia coach Kirby Smart just smiled and shook his head when asked if he has stressed conditioning in preparation for Saturday’s visit from Tennessee and its fast-paced offense.

    Smart knows that one week would not have been enough to prepare his Bulldogs for the challenge in the much-anticipated matchup between No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Tennessee. That extra conditioning work began last summer and has continued through the season.

    “If they’re not in shape, then you did something wrong long before (this week),” Smart said. “So we’ve been building towards this week … since week one, the conditioning level of our players has been a concern every week for me. It’s one of the major concerns, Are you in good enough shape? Because if you’re not, you can’t make it up in one week.”

    Led by quarterback Hendon Hooker, Tennessee (8-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 College Football Playoff) averages a play about every 10 seconds, making it difficult for defenses to substitute players. The pace wears down defenses, helping the Vols lead the nation with 49.4 points per game.

    Hooker said the Vols are “playing with a chip on our shoulder day in and day out. We just always feel like we have something to prove and that just fuels us to go work hard every day.”

    Georgia (8-0, 5-0, No. 3 CFP) has reloaded after having eight players from its national championship defense selected in this year’s NFL draft, including five in the first round. Overall, Georgia had a record 15 players taken in the draft.

    Despite the heavy losses on defense, the Bulldogs rank second in the nation with their average of 10.50 points allowed.

    Neither team is one-dimensional. Tennessee’s defense is coming off perhaps its best game of the season in a 44-6 rout of then-No. 19 Kentucky last week.

    Led by senior quarterback Stetson Bennett, Georgia ranks sixth in the nation with its average of 41.6 points per game and second, behind Tennessee, with 530.1 yards per game.

    Balance has both teams in position to contend for SEC and national championships. Even so, the spotlight will be on the Vols’ high-scoring offense — and the conditioning of the Bulldogs’ defense.

    “We’re going to find out on Saturday if we’re in shape or not,” Smart said. “I can promise you that because they’re going to try and get a lot of snaps in.”

    Hooker’s leadership on the field has helped the Vols require 2 minutes or less on 35 of their 63 scoring drives this season.

    Hooker passed for five touchdowns in Tennessee’s 52-49 win over then-No. 3 Alabama on Oct. 15.

    “He’s become a guy that’s operating as highly and as effectively as anybody in the country,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel of Hooker.

    HONORING DOOLEY AND TRIPPI

    Former longtime Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley, who died at 90 on Oct. 28, will be remembered in a moment of silence before the game. Also, Georgia players will wear a patch on their uniforms honoring Dooley, who was coach when Georgia won the 1980 national championship. Dooley led the Bulldogs to six SEC titles.

    Georgia players will also wear a helmet decal honoring another former Georgia legend, Charley Trippi, who was 100 when he died on Oct. 19.

    HOOKER IN CHARGE

    Hooker transferred to Tennessee from Virginia Tech to play for Jeremy Pruitt and stuck around to play for Heupel. It’s paid off for both coach and quarterback.

    Hooker is 14-5 as a starter since coming off the bench last season. He has thrown 219 passes this season with only one interception, and he leads the SEC with his average of 334.5 yards of total offense.

    Hooker leads the nation with 10.7 yards per pass attempt and his 292.2 yards passing per game ranks third in the SEC. He also leads the nation with 23 plays of 30 yards or longer and 15 passes of 40 yards or longer.

    GEORGIA INJURY UPDATE

    Georgia lost outside linebacker Nolan Smith, the team’s leader with three sacks, to a second-ending torn right pectoral muscle in last week’s 42-20 win over Florida.

    Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (ankle), who has missed four of the last five games, LT Amarius Mims (knee) and RB Kendall Milton (quad) also are trying to return from injuries.

    SECOND QUARTER SOLVED

    Tennessee has solved its second-quarter woes. The Vols were outscored 143-109 in the second quarter in 2021. This season, Tennessee has outscored opponents 141-41 in the second quarter.

    The Vols rank second in the nation with their average of 17.63 points in that quarter. Oregon is first with 17.75.

    Tennessee leads the nation by outscoring its opponent by an average of 12.5 points in the second quarter, just ahead of Georgia’s 10.13.

    WATCH HYATT

    Tennessee will have wide receiver Cedric Tillman back for a second straight game after needing surgery to fix a sprained ankle. But sophomore Jalin Hyatt has filled in quite capably in Tillman’s absence.

    Hyatt leads the nation with 14 TD catches, four more than the next closest receiver. He ranks fourth with 114.4 yards receiving per game and 907 yards receiving. He needs just 93 yards to become the 10th in school history to reach 1,000 yards in a season.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • What To Watch: No. 9 faces No. 10 Oregon in Kelly’s return

    What To Watch: No. 9 faces No. 10 Oregon in Kelly’s return

    [ad_1]

    UCLA coach Chip Kelly is facing his former school this weekend.

    Never have the stakes been this high.

    No. 9 UCLA plays at No. 10 Oregon this Saturday in a game that will likely narrow the Pac-12’s College Football Playoff chances to two teams.

    Kelly lost the first two games against Oregon, the team he led to the 2011 BCS national championship game, but takes a much better team with him to Autzen Stadium this year.

    “It’s always special going back there, it’s a special place in my life and there’s a lot of great people there that had a profound impact on my life,” said Kelly, Oregon’s coach from 2009-12. “But I’m not playing the game. We’re totally focused.”

    The Pac-12′s first top-10 matchup since 2018 will keep one Pac-12 team alive in the CFP push and likely eliminate the other.

    UCLA (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) is the conference’s lone undefeated team and is coming off a bye after beating No. 15 Utah. Keep their roll going and the Bruins could work their way up to a top-four spot in the CFP.

    The Ducks (5-1, 3-0) were crushed 49-3 by top-ranked Georgia in their opener, but have scored at least 40 points in five straight games since. Oregon would have to win out and hope a one-loss Pac-12 team will be good enough to get into the CFP.

    No. 12 Southern California also would have to win out to hopefully get a playoff look.

    The What to Watch rundown for this week of college football, presented by Regions Bank:

    BEST GAME

    No. 8 TCU at No. 7 Kansas State. The Big 12’s best defense faces its best offense with first place on the line.

    The Frogs (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) have the offense, averaging 526.7 yards and 45.8 points per game. The Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) have the defense, holding opponents to 16.7 points per game.

    TCU, picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, is the conference’s lone undefeated team remaining after rallying to beat No. 11 Oklahoma State 43-40 in double overtime last week.

    Kansas State, picked fifth in the preseason poll, is the only other Big 12 team still undefeated in conference play after grinding out a 10-9 win over Iowa State.

    HEISMAN WATCH

    Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA. USC’s Caleb Williams is getting the most Heisman hype out West, but DTR has been putting up big numbers for the only Pac-12 team that hasn’t lost.

    Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 1,510 yards and 15 touchdowns with two interceptions, adding 231 yards and four more scores rushing. If the Bruins make it to the CFP, he will likely be in the Heisman conversation.

    NUMBERS TO KNOW

    1 — Sack allowed by Oregon, fewest in the FBS.

    16 — Receptions by Utah’s Dalton Kincaid against USC last week, most by a tight end since Northwestern’s Jon Harvey had 17 against Michigan in 1982.

    24 — Years since No. 25 Tulane was ranked before cracking the AP Top 25 this week.

    40 — Consecutive top-5 appearances in the AP Top 25 by Alabama before dropping to No. 6 this week.

    551 — Total yards per game by Tennessee, tops in the FBS.

    UNDER THE RADAR

    No. 6 Alabama at No. 24 Mississippi State. The poor Bulldogs seem to have a knack for playing Alabama right after a Crimson Tide loss. It hasn’t gone well.

    Alabama has played Mississippi State coming off a loss three times since 2019, winning those games by a combined 71 points.

    The Bulldogs also will be playing with heavy hearts following the death of freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland earlier this week.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • No. 5 Michigan, No. 10 Penn St meet with Big Ten, CFP stakes

    No. 5 Michigan, No. 10 Penn St meet with Big Ten, CFP stakes

    [ad_1]

    No. 10 Penn State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at No. 5 Michigan (6-0, 2-0), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)

    Line: Michigan by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

    Series record: Michigan leads 15-10.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    The highly anticipated game potentially has Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff ramifications. The winner will control its fate, having the chance to win out to claim the conference championship and earn a spot in the playfoff. The loser will need some help to reach its goals.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Michigan RB Blake Corum vs. Penn State’s run defense. Corum has run for 500 yards, for nearly 6 yards per carry, and four TDs over three Big Ten games. He ranks third in FBS with 735 yards rushing, including a 19-plus yard run in every game, and second with 11 scores. Penn State is giving up just 79.6 yards rushing per game, ranking fifth in the country.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Penn State: CB Joey Porter Jr. The son of Pittsburgh Steelers great Joey Porter was named the Big Ten’s top defensive player at midseason by The Associated Press. Porter ranks second nationally with 10 pass breakups, an impressive total because teams don’t throw his way often.

    Michigan: QB J.J. McCarthy. The sophomore is starting against a ranked team for the first time. McCarthy has completed 78% of his passes, ranking No. 1 among FBS quarterbacks. Penn State has allowed opponents to complete just 49.6% of their passes to lead the nation.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    Michigan and Penn State are meeting as top-10 teams for the first time since 1997 and third time in the series. … Penn State RBs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton are averaging a combined 153.2 rushing yards per game. … Singleton, who leads the nation with five runs of at least 40 yards, was named the Big Ten’s best first-year freshman in The Associated Press’ Big Ten midseason awards. … The Nittany Lions held Northwestern to 31 rushing yards on 28 carries. … Penn State has 11 takeaways over the last three games and leads the Big Ten with a plus-6 turnover margin. … The Wolverines are aiming for consecutive 7-0 starts for the first time since they won their first 10 games in the 1973 and 1974 seasons. … McCarthy threw for a career-high 304 yards last week at Indiana. … Michigan has 14 sacks and 21 tackles for losses over their last three games along with a total of 18 total QB hurries. … The Wolverines and top-ranked Alabama are the two FBS teams that rank among the top 10 in scoring offense and defense.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2.

    [ad_2]

    Source link