Big Ten Football

One of this year's top NFL draft prospects reportedly will not turn pro in 2023.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu will not enter the NFL draft and instead will return to return to school for his senior season. In B/R's NFL draft big board, Fashanu was ranked as the top offensive lineman and No. 12 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

Per Thamel, Fashanu said he has "unfinished business" and hopes to help lead Penn State to a Big Ten championship as well as a national championship next year.

Fashanu, who will earn a degree in supply chain management next year and intends to pursue a master's, also named his relationships with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and head coach James Franklin as factors in his decision to return.

"We couldn't be more excited to have Olu return for the 2023 season," Franklin said. "He is a person of high character who exemplifies our core values, leads by example and models what it means to be a complete Penn State student-athlete. We will continue to work extremely hard to help Olu achieve all of his goals on and off the field and look forward to another season with him and his family in Happy Valley."

Fashanu is only 19 years old and in his first season as a full-time starter, but he already has wowed pro scouts by anchoring an offensive line that helped the Nittany Lions achieve a 10-2 record. The 6'6", 308-pound redshirt sophomore is a Waldorf, Maryland, native and played at Gonzaga College High School.

In B/R's most recent mock draft, Fashanu was projected as the No. 6 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. He was tabbed as "the complete package when it comes to the physical tools necessary to excel as an NFL offensive tackle."

With a year of polish, Fashanu could emerge as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 draft class.

The Michigan State Spartans will be without cornerback Khary Crump for eight games during the 2023 campaign due to disciplinary action stemming from the team's altercation with Michigan following the rivals' matchup on Oct. 29.

The Big Ten announced Monday that Crump will be suspended for the eight games in addition to the four games he was already suspended for this season after the contest.

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren released a statement following the investigation of the altercation:

"The Big Ten Conference has a standard of excellence both academically and athletically that has been built over 127 years. Our standards require that our student-athletes, coaches and staff members represent the conference, and their member institutions, with the highest level of decorum and sportsmanship. We are taking disciplinary action and will continue to work with our member institutions to strengthen their gameday procedures and ensure our honored traditions."

Crump was the only one who will be punished into next season, as the Big Ten determined that Michigan State's self-imposed suspensions of Itayvion "Tank" Brown, Angelo Grose, Justin White, Jacoby Windmon, Brandon Wright, Zion Young and Malcolm Jones were sufficient.

The Big Ten also fined Michigan State $100,000 and issued a public reprimand to Michigan because it failed to "provide adequate protection for personnel of both home and visiting teams when entering and leaving playing arenas" with its single tunnel where the incident occurred.

"The conference determined that during the postgame, seven Michigan State University football student-athletes participated in the hitting, kicking or using of their helmet to strike University of Michigan student-athletes," the Big Ten said.

While the Wolverines won the game with relative ease 29-7, the tunnel altercation made the most headlines. Social media posts captured multiple Spartans players becoming physical with Michigan defensive back Ja'Den McBurrows.

"Two of our players were assaulted," Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. "I saw on the one video. Ten on one. It was pretty bad. It needs to be investigated."

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker expressed his disappointment in his players' behavior:

As for Crump, he finished his sophomore season with one tackle and one pass defended.

The Spartans will be without him for their first eight games next season when they face Central Michigan, Richmond, Washington, Maryland, Iowa, Rutgers, Michigan and Minnesota.

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes fell to the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines 45-23 on Saturday, and now the team's College Football Playoff chances are in jeopardy.

If Ohio State isn't selected for the College Football Playoff, star quarterback C.J. Stroud said Saturday that he's unsure if he would participate in a non-CFP bowl game, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Georgia, Michigan and TCU are the only remaining undefeated teams in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll and are the front-runners for the CFP. Ohio State's loss put it with USC as one of the top five teams to post one loss this season.

It's no surprise Stroud is considering sitting out a non-CFP bowl game, as he is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL draft. There would be no reason to risk an injury if the Buckeyes aren't competing for a national title.

Stroud entered Saturday's game as a Heisman contender, having completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards and 35 touchdowns against four interceptions in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 77 yards.

However, his performance against Michigan likely dropped him from being one of the top contenders. He completed 31 of 48 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions in Saturday's loss.

Stroud had a far better 2021 campaign, completing 71.9 percent of his passes for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns against six interceptions in 12 games. It's a tough break to see him take a step backward this season, especially with the NFL draft this spring, but there's still little doubt he'll be a top pick, even if he loses the Heisman Trophy race.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams appears to be the front-runner for the Heisman, having completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,480 yards and 33 touchdowns against three interceptions in 11 games.

The Buckeyes finished the 2022 season with an 11-1 record, and now they'll have to wait for their CFP fate to be determined.

Michigan took a big step toward clinching a second straight College Football Playoff berth with a 45-23 win over Ohio State on Saturday.

At +250 (bet $100 to win $250), the Wolverines are now the second betting favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the national championship behind Georgia. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, are tied for the fifth-best odds with Alabama.

The newest installment in Michigan and Ohio State's legendary rivalry was likely a CFP eliminator. The Buckeyes could still reach the semifinals but need some combination of TCU, USC and perhaps even LSU to lose in Week 13.

From the other side, this result cemented why the Wolverines are not only the biggest threat to Georgia, but also perhaps good enough to dethrone the reigning national champions.

The quarterback combination of J.J. McCarthy and Cade McNamara clearly wasn't good enough in last year's Orange Bowl. The pair combined to finish 18-of-36 for 237 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Now that he had a full season as the backup under his belt, the hope was that McCarthy could raise the offense's ceiling as the starter ahead of McNamara. Saturday represented those hopes becoming a reality.

The sophomore signal-caller threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes deep on multiple occasions.

Especially if Blake Corum can shake off his knee injury once bowl season is around, Michigan will have an offensive balance it lacked in 2021.

Were the Wolverines and Bulldogs to meet for a second year in a row, the latter would almost certainly be the favorites. But Jim Harbaugh's squad has made positive strides in 2022 and at the very least made a convincing case to be the No. 2 playoff seed.

Noted Ohio State Buckeyes fan LeBron James was understandably disappointed with the team's 45-23 loss to the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, writing on Twitter that the No. 2 Buckeyes got smoked.

James, a native of Akron, Ohio, has been a fan of the Buckeyes for a long time.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Lakers star, who previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, sent the Buckeyes custom cleats for their rivalry matchup against the Wolverines.

Even with those cleats, Ohio State was heavily outplayed.

Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 31 of 48 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns, but he also tossed two interceptions in the loss. Receivers Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. each posted at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Ohio State's defense also struggled in the loss, allowing Michigan to total 530 yards and convert on seven of 16 third-down attempts. Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards was arguably the best player on the field as he rushed for 216 yards and two touchdown on 22 carries.

Ohio State's loss put it in jeopardy of not being selected for the College Football Playoff.

Head coach Ryan Day took the brunt of the criticism on social media Saturday after the previously undefeated No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes fell 45-23 to the still-undefeated No. 3 Michigan Wolverines in the 118th edition of The Game.

OSU was favored to win at home at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, especially with Michigan's superstar running back Blake Corum being severely limited by a knee injury, but Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines pulled off the upset, beating Ohio State for a second consecutive year.

The Buckeyes had won 17 of their previous 20 meetings with Michigan entering Saturday's game, but by virtue of their victory, the Wolverines have won back-to-back contests against OSU for the first time since 1999 and 2000.

Most of Michigan's offensive success this season has come on the back of Corum and the running game, but with Corum ailing, Harbaugh allowed quarterback J.J. McCarthy to air the ball out to great effect.

All three of McCarthy's touchdown passes were from at least 45 yards out, marking a true rarity for both the Michigan offense and Ohio State defense:

Day made adjustments, but that allowed Michigan to gash OSU on the ground in the second half, including touchdowns of 75 and 85 yards by Donovan Edwards in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Fans and experts questioned Day's decision-making not only in terms of defensive alignment, but also offensive play-calling, as star quarterback C.J. Stroud was not permitted to take the game into his own hands for the most part.

Stroud finished with 349 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but Day was committed to running the ball with third-string running back and converted linebacker Chip Trayanum, which limited the explosiveness of the offense.

Many wondered why Stroud and star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. weren't simply allowed to take over the game, which they have proved capable of on many occasions:

Day was also crushed for twice deciding to punt on fourth down around midfield with the Buckeyes trailing 24-20. Even Stroud expressed his displeasure, per Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated:

Even with Saturday's loss, Day has gone a remarkable 45-5 in parts of five seasons as the head coach at OSU, but the Buckeyes have not won a national title during that time and may have played their way out of this season's College Football Playoff.

Because of that, many were calling for Day's job on Twitter:

Firing Day after suffering the first loss of the season in late November may seem like an overreaction, but even Day himself stressed the importance of beating Michigan before the game.

When asked this week if he made four changes to his coaching staff during the offseason due to last season's loss to Michigan, Day strongly suggested that was the case, telling reporters: "We're evaluated by the big games. That's the way it goes here, and certainly we know what comes with it."

Day has won some big games at Ohio State, but he has perhaps lost just as many, including a CFP National Championship Game and two contests against fierce rival Michigan.

Michigan clinched its spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and likely the CFP regardless of the result, whereas Ohio State must wait and hope for losses by TCU and perhaps even LSU and USC to have a chance to play for a national title.

It remains possible that the CFP committee has seen enough to put Ohio State in the CFP even with a home loss to Michigan, but it would be the definition of backing into the playoff.

Former Carolina Panthers and Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has been selected to replace Scott Frost as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Amie Just of the Lincoln Journal Star reported the sides agreed to an eight-year contract.

The news of Rhule's hiring comes as little surprise after ESPN's Chris Low reported Friday that Nebraska had "zeroed in" on him as its top head coaching candidate.

Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold and Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell were also reported candidates for the Nebraska head coaching job.

Rhule spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Panthers, though he was fired during the 2022 campaign amid a 1-4 start.

Before serving as head coach of the Panthers, Rhule spent three seasons as head coach of the Baylor Bears from 2017 through 2019, going 19-20 and 1-1 in bowl games. He was also head coach of the Temple Owls from 2013-16, leading the team to a 28-23 record in his four seasons. However, the Owls were 0-2 in bowl games.

Rhule will take over for Mickey Joseph, who was named interim head coach after Frost was fired.

Nebraska fired Frost after a 1-2 start to the 2022 campaign. The Cornhuskers began the season with a 31-28 loss to Northwestern and a 45-42 defeat to Georgia Southern.

In five years with Nebraska, Frost led the school to a 16-31 record and no bowl game appearances.

The Cornhuskers finished the 2022 campaign with a 4-8 record.

Rhule will now be tasked with leading the school to its first winning season since 2016, when it went 9-4 under Mike Riley.

Seven Michigan State players face criminal charges stemming from the postgame altercation with a Michigan player Oct. 29.

Khary Crump was charged with felonious assault, the only felony among the charges. Jacoby Windon was charged with assault and battery, while Itayvion Brown, Angelo Grose, Justin White, Brandon Wright and Zion Young each face one count of aggravated assault.

Several players were captured on video fighting a Michigan player in the tunnel after the Wolverines earned a 29-7 win:

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh had said he expected criminal charges from the incident, saying there "needs to be accountability."

Grose, Brown, Crump and Young were all suspended by Michigan State shortly after the fight, while White, Windmon, Wright and Malcolm Jones were also suspended a few days later.

Jones is the only one in the group who was not charged.

"I'm extremely saddened by this incident and the unacceptable behavior depicted by members of our football program," Michigan State President Samuel Stanley said in a statement. "On behalf of Michigan State University, my heartfelt apology to the University of Michigan and the student-athletes who were injured.

"There is no provocation that could justify the behavior we are seeing on the videos. Rivalries can be intense but should never be violent."

Michigan State ends its regular season Saturday with a road game against Penn State.

The Michigan Wolverines got off to a strong start against Illinois on Saturday with a touchdown on its opening drive, but the team suffered a major blow before the first half ended.

Wolverines star running back Blake Corum went down with an apparent knee injury late in the second quarter and was forced to exit the game.

Coming out of halftime, Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press reported Corum was seen running onto the field with his helmet on and going through warm-ups. It was reported during the broadcast that he was expected to be available to play in the second half.

He returned to the field on the team's second play of the third quarter and took a handoff, running it five yards up the middle, much to the delight of Michigan fans in attendance.

However, Corum spent the rest of his day on the sideline.

Prior to his injury, Corum ran the ball 17 times for 103 yards for his eighth straight 100-yard game. He punched in a two-yard touchdown that gave Michigan an early 7-0 lead.

The junior running back is the engine that drives the Wolverines offense. Entering Saturday's game, Corum was ranked fourth in the nation with 1,349 rushing yards and tied for second with 17 touchdowns on the ground. DraftKings Sportsbook gives him the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.

Losing Corum for any amount of time would have been devastating for Michigan. Donovan Edwards, the team's second-leading rusher, was ruled out for Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury, leaving the Wolverines thin at running back.

Wisconsin Badgers interim head coach Jim Leonhard addressed the rumors that running back Braelon Allen was considering transferring to Michigan on Saturday.

"I would never accuse any teams of tampering with your players," Leonhard said after the Badgers' 24-10 loss to Iowa on Saturday, via Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "but teams are tampering with other teams’ players."

Leonhard added, via CBS Sports:

"It's unfortunate to see where it's at, but I have to continue to show a clear vision. I've mentioned it a number of times, the uncertainty is going to cause people to look and see what the best decisions for their future are, and we have to be real about that as coaches. It's why we have these conversations almost daily with our team about where we're going, what the plan is and how we're going to get there. That's all we can do at this point, and, like I said, it's unfortunate that a kid has to address that with the media when it's not supposed to be real, right, but obviously it is."

During an appearance on 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee (h/t Potrykus) earlier this week, Allen addressed the rumors of him potentially entering the transfer portal, noting that as long as Leonhard remains head coach, he'll remain at Wisconsin.

"That is honest truth," Allen said. "I haven't had any contact with them. The fact that rumor sprouted up is surprising to me … especially Michigan specifically."

Leonhard is 3-2 as head coach of the Badgers since taking over for Paul Chryst, who was fired just five games into the season after the team started the year 2-3 after being projected to be a contender for the Big Ten West title during the preseason.

Allen, a sophomore, has played a big role in Wisconsin's success. During his 2021 freshman season, he rushed for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. Entering Saturday's game against Iowa, he had rushed for 989 yards and 10 scores in nine games this season.

Losing Allen in 2023 would be a tough blow for the Badgers, but it seems like there's an easy way to prevent that from happening by removing the interim label from Leonhard's title.