By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson were the top four teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, four days before the Volunteers and Bulldogs square off on the field. Michigan was fifth, followed by Alabama and unbeaten TCU. Tennessee is No. 1 in the CFP rankings for the first time, starting a head of a group of teams that have become regulars at the top of the selection committee’s top 25.
UNDATED (AP) — Detroit Mercy guard Antoine Davis has a chance to end his career as one of the most prolific scorers and 3-point shooters in college basketball history. Davis is more concerned with earning the NCAA Tournament berth that has eluded him thus far. Davis enters the 2022-23 season as one of the most noteworthy players from mid-major or low-major programs. His 429 career 3-pointers put him just 80 away from the Division I record. Fletcher Magee made 509 3-pointers at Wofford from 2015-19. Davis has scored 2,734 career points to rank 22nd in Division I history.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA is allowing teams to play and practice on Election Day. It had been a mandatory off day the past two years so athletes could participate in civic engagement. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee proposed a change last year allowing teams in season to play or practice on Election Day as long as they get another day off before or after for civic engagement. There are 11 men’s basketball games next Tuesday along with 10 women's games. There are also three college football games. The NBA is taking the day off. The NHL has 11 games scheduled.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Four more Michigan State football players have been suspended for their roles in the melee in the Michigan Stadium tunnel. That brings to eight the number of suspensions. Among the latest players suspended is Jacoby Windmon. Windmon plays defensive end and linebacker and joined the Spartans this season after playing the previous three at UNLV. He leads the Big Ten with 10 1/2 tackles for loss and is tied for second with 5 1/2 sacks. His five forced fumbles are most in the nation. Also suspended were cornerbacks Malcolm Jones and Justin White and defensive end Brandon Wright.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota was given quite the challenge when the Big Ten unveiled its 2023 football schedule. The Gophers must play Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State for their three crossover games against East Division teams. That might be the last time a school receives such a surprise from the league. USC and UCLA are coming in 2024. The 16-team conference will dictate a new scheduling system that could include the elimination of divisions. That format would bring more balance and consistency.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson is listed as day-to-day for the game against Minnesota on Saturday because of an arm injury that knocked him out of last week’s game. Thompson was held out of practice Tuesday. Backups Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers split snaps evenly with the No. 1 offense. Thompson was hurt in the second quarter against Illinois while throwing an interception. The elbow on his throwing arm was hit on the play and that caused numbness in his hand. The Cornhuskers managed only 29 yards after halftime with Purdy playing.
MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) — It only takes a couple of marquee players to compete for championships at the lower levels of college basketball. But transferring is much easier now and players do not need to sit out a year anymore. They can also earn money based on their celebrity. Those two factors have made it more likely for smaller programs to lose top players to Division I powerhouse schools. That's tough for smaller schools. Coaches coming off 20-win seasons could be left rebuilding their rosters or even fighting for their jobs if they struggle.
UNDATED (AP) — Many top college basketball programs have turned to the transfer portal to fill out rosters. It gives them an opportunity to add a veteran player instead of having to teach freshmen. This has a ripple effect: Recruits outside the top 75 players are seeing less interest from high-major programs. The shift has allowed mid-major schools to sign higher-ranking recruits. Even smaller schools are able to recruit players who previously never would have looked their way.