ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s football team might have some help on the way this season. A judge granted a temporary restraining order for former Miami tight end Alex Bauman and former Boise State defensive back Jeremiah Earby, a pair of student-athletes who are enrolled at Michigan and hope to join the team for their fifth season. Judge Julia B. Owdziej, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ruled that both players are eligible to play this season. She wrote on Tuesday that preventing them from being eligible would be “irreparable and severe," while the harm to the NCAA would be negligible.
UNDATED (AP) — Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith seems to break records every weekend. Indiana receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh are etching their names into Indiana lore on a weekly basis too. On Saturday, those three — all ranked among the top four receiver prospects in April’s NFL draft — will share the field for the eagerly anticipated Big Ten championship game rematch between the fourth-ranked Buckeyes and defending national champion Hoosiers. While it’s a dream matchup for pro scouts, it creates nightmares for defensive coordinators, secondaries and even, yes, two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti.
UNDATED (AP) — Bob Chesney and his UCLA Bruins head the list of Big Ten midseason awards as determined by a vote of Associated Press writers who cover the conference. Chesney was named top coach and the Bruins the most surprising team. The No. 12 Bruins have their highest ranking in four years and are among nine unbeaten teams in the country. They are tied with No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana at 3-0 in Big Ten play. Northwestern's Aidan Chiles is most surprising player, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith top offensive player and Indiana's Tobi Osunsanmi top defensive player.
