Report: Chris Ash to Be Named Notre Dame DC After Al Golden's Exit to Bengals
Jan 29, 2025
ANN ARBOR, MI - SEPTEMBER 28: Rutgers head coach Chris Ash addresses the media during the post-game interview following a Big 10 conference game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Michigan Wolverines on September 28, 2019 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Notre Dame is working on a deal to bring Chris Ash in as the Fighting Irish's new defensive coordinator, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Sources: Chris Ash has accepted the job as the Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator. Ash brings a blend of coordinating experience, NFL experience and high-end results as a collegiate coordinator. A deal is expected to be finalized in the near future. pic.twitter.com/1qOjdpb6jf
Ash replaces ex-Notre Dame DC Al Golden, who left to become the Cincinnati Bengals' new defensive coordinator.
The 51-year-old Ash most recently worked this past season as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he's been a Division I-FBS defensive coordinator for six seasons with Wisconsin (2011-2012), Arkansas (2013), Ohio State (2014-2015) and Texas (2020).
Since his season as Texas' DC, Ash has worked as the Jaguars' safeties coach (2021) and the Las Vegas Raiders' defensive backs coach (2022-2023) before heading back to Jacksonville.
Ash was also Rutgers' head coach from 2016-2019. The team went 8-32 under his watch, and he was fired after a 1-3 start in 2019.
Ash's defensive units have fared quite well at times. Of note, Ohio State was second in scoring defense in 2015, the year prior to him becoming Rutgers' head coach. Wisconsin was sixth and 17th in scoring defense during his two years in town.
Prior to arriving in Madison, Ash was a college coach from 1997-2009, beginning at his alma mater Drake as a graduate assistant. He was also Drake's defensive coordinator in 1998-1999 before moving to Division I-FCS as Iowa State's graduate assistant in 2000. He remained with the Cyclones through 2006, when he was the team's defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator.
Ash held those same roles with San Diego State in 2007 and 2008 before heading back to Iowa State as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator once again in 2009. He then moved to Wisconsin as its defensive backs coach in 2010 before getting a promotion to defensive coordinator.
Now he's back in college working with Notre Dame, last season's national championship runner-up. The Fighting Irish were second in scoring defense last year but have work to do on that end the quality of the team's departures.
Of note, four Notre Dame defensive players appear on the B/R NFL Scouting Department's latest big board: S Xavier Watts, CB Benjamin Morrison, LB Jack Kiser, DL Howard Cross III and DL Rylie Mills.
Ash and the Fighting Irish begin next season on Aug. 31 when the team visits Miami (Florida).
Caitlin Clark Foundation Awards Grants to 4 Iowa Charities Ahead of Jersey Retirement
Jan 29, 2025
UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT - SEPTEMBER 25: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever smiles during a press conference after losing 81-87 to the Connecticut Sun in Game Two of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs first round at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 25, 2024 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark is providing $22,000 grants through her foundation to University of Iowa Children's Hospital, Coralville Community Food Pantry, Boys and Girls Club of the Corridor and Special Olympics Iowa-East Central.
The four grants are being provided in advance of Iowa retiring her No. 22 jersey on Sunday, when the team hosts USC.
"One of my favorite things about Iowa City is the way the community is connected and how everyone supports each other," Clark said in a press release.
"It is something I felt during my time here and is important to me that I stay connected with. I am proud to be a part of each of these organizations' efforts and the meaningful impact they provide for the people of Iowa."
Per the release, Clark has "previously engaged with the four organizations, whether providing product donations, participating in events and fundraising efforts, or visiting the Children's Hospital, one of her favorite activities as a student-athlete."
The Caitlin Clark Foundation's mission is to "uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition, and sports—three pillars Caitlin believes were foundational in her success."
Clark dominated at Iowa during her four years at school and led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship game appearances. She was named the consensus player of the year for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons and notably left the school as college basketball's all-time scoring leader (women or men).
Clark now stars for the Fever, who went to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 with her running the point. She won the league's Rookie of the Year honor and made the All-WNBA First Team after averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Illinois HC Bret Bielema Shades Jim Harbaugh After Old Video on Cheating Resurfaces
Jan 29, 2025
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 31: head coach Bret Bielema of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts during the second half of the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium on December 31, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
University of Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema took a shot at former University of Michigan and current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh on social media Wednesday.
Replying to a video on X that featured Harbaugh saying, "If you cheat to win, then you've already lost," during his time as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Bielema threw some shade at Harbaugh regarding how his tenure at Michigan ended:
Really…. Why did you leave?
Was looking forward to playing but understand why you ran to the #NFL
During Harbaugh's final season at Michigan in 2023, analyst Connor Stalions resigned from his role with the team amid an NCAA investigation into allegations that he was the leader of an illegal sign-stealing operation.
The Wolverines went a perfect 15-0 and won the national championship in 2023, but Harbaugh left his alma mater at the end of the season to take the Chargers' head coaching job.
During the 2023 campaign, Harbaugh had to serve a pair of suspensions due to NCAA violations.
The first suspension was a self-imposed, three-game ban as a result of recruiting violations, and then he served another three-game suspension later in the season as punishment for the sign-stealing scandal.
Sherrone Moore, who is now the head coach at Michigan, won all six games as the interim head coach while Harbaugh was out, and Harbaugh was allowed to return for the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
Back in August, after Harbaugh had already left for the NFL, the NCAA provided Michigan with a formal Notice of Allegations related to the sign-stealing investigation.
Several current and former members of the Michigan football program, including Harbaugh, were accused of committing Level I violations.
On Tuesday, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported that Michigan intends to fight the NCAA on the allegations, with the university stating that the NCAA is "grossly overreaching" and "wildly overcharging" the program.
In his first season back in the NFL, Harbaugh led the Chargers to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth, marking the fourth time in his five seasons as an NFL head coach that he secured a playoff berth.
As for Michigan, the Wolverines took a big step back from 2023 to 2024, finishing 8-5. However, Michigan did beat rival and eventual national championship-winning Ohio State for a fourth consecutive year.
Bielema, who coached Wisconsin in the Big Ten from 2006 to 2012, returned to the conference with Illinois in 2021 after a five-year run at Arkansas.
He led the Fighting Illini to a 10-3 mark in 2024, which was their best record since 2001 when they went 10-2.
Included in those 10 wins was a 21-7 home triumph over a Michigan team that was the No. 24-ranked squad in the nation at the time of the game.
Report: Michigan to Fight NCAA Allegations against Jim Harbaugh, Moore, Stalions
Jan 28, 2025
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 08: Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh walks off the field after the first half of the CFP National Championship game between the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies on January 8, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The University of Michigan sent a 137-page document to the NCAA in response to the organization's notice of allegations accusing the program of 11 violations in response to a scouting and sign-stealing scheme led by ex-Wolverine staffer Connor Stalions.
Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger obtained a portion of the document and broke the news, noting in particular that the school has no plans to enter a "negotiated resolution" with the NCAA. In addition, Michigan defended ex-head coach Jim Harbaugh, current head coach Sherrone Moore, other Michigan staffers and even Stalions on the matter.
Per Dellenger:
"In the 137-page document — a portion of which Yahoo Sports obtained — Michigan makes clear that it will not enter into a negotiated resolution with the NCAA over the alleged wrongdoing, vigorously defending its former head coach, current head coach, several staff members and even Stalions, the low-level assistant who orchestrated one of the most elaborate sign-stealing systems in college football history on the way to the school winning the 2023 national championship. The school purports that the sign-stealing system offered 'minimal relevance to competition,' was not credibly proven by NCAA investigators and should be treated as a minor violation."
Six of the NCAA's 11 violations are deemed to be a Level I variety, categorized as a "severe breach of conduct."
Stalions has previously denied stealing signs from future Michigan opponents by in-person scouting (which is illegal) when he interviewed with the NCAA last Apil.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Mark Schlabach reported that video clips from Stalions' interview with the NCAA appear in the Netflix documentary Sign Stealer.
Stalions also said he didn't "recall directing anyone to go to a game" as well when asked if he had done that. He no longer works for Michigan after resigning from his football analyst position in November 2023. The month before, Michigan suspended Stalions amid the NCAA's investigation into the program.
ESPN's Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel broke news on NCAA's notice of allegation on Aug. 4. The organization stated Stalions was the ringleader of a scheme that led to Michigan illegally scouting at least 13 future opponents for a total of 58 different times from 2021-2023.
Harbaugh, now the Los Angeles Chargers head coach, has fiercely denied knowing about any scheme.
"Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised on that lesson," Harbaugh told reporters in at the team's training camp on Aug. 5. "I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams that I've coached.
"No one's perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right. Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations. So for me, it's back to work and attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."
The NCAA issued a four-year show-cause order and a one-year suspension last August in response to its investigation. Harbaugh was notably suspended six games in 2023, three for recruiting violations (self-imposed by the school) during the COVID-19 dead period and three more by the Big Ten in response to the aforementioned scheme.
Regarding Harbaugh, Michigan says the NCAA's charge against him is "without merit."
"The NCAA alleges that Harbaugh failed to cooperate between Oct. 20 and Jan. 24, 2024 when he did not produce text and telephone records from his personal cell prior to his departure from the school," Dellenger wrote.
"Imaging of Harbaugh's phones — his personal and work — were part of a large initial collection of data that included imaging of phones and other devices from 10 individuals, the school says, including two computers assigned to Stalions and an external hard drive owned by Stalions.
"However, there were 'legitimate concerns' that the data being imaged contained personal and sensitive information and/or attorney-client communications, so images were withheld. The NCAA did not receive Harbaugh's images by the deadline and deemed him to have failed to comply."
Moore, now Michigan's head coach, was a co-offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022 and the team's offensive coordinator in 2023. He was also the team's interim head coach for four games for Harbaugh in 2023. Moore was also suspended for a game during the 2023 season due to the aforementioned recruiting violations.
Moore is notably accused of deleting 52 text messages with Stalions.
Michigan’s response details the 52 texts Sherrone Moore deleted between he & Stalions on the day @YahooSports unearthed the story in Oct 2023.
"In its response, Michigan and Moore acknowledge the deleted messages. However, the school contends that the texts were 'innocuous and not material to the investigation' and that Moore cooperated fully with the investigation, even turning over his phone for imaging — a move that revealed the previously deleted messages.
"The coach told school officials that he deleted the messages in anger and frustration shortly after the bombshell news story broke, suggesting that he did not want one person, Stalions, to receive credit for 'all the work that' coaches and players put into the championship run."
Generally speaking, in the document obtained by Dellenger, Michigan claims many of the allegations lack "merit or credible evidence." However, the school does admit in-person scouting took place. Dellenger provided more information.
"In its response, the school acknowledges that some impermissible in-person scouting appears to have occurred — 'though less than the (NCAA) claims'— and that some recruiting violations occurred, as well. All of the wrongdoing, it says, will be addressed in the Committee on Infractions hearing and it will advise committee members of self-imposed penalties."
Ultimately, Michigan is digging its heels in and refusing to back down a year off the team's 15-0 national championship season. Now the fight really begins between Michigan and the NCAA, which won't go away any time soon.
Arch Manning Tabbed as Early 2025 Heisman Trophy Betting Favorite over Allar, More
Jan 28, 2025
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 10: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the Goodyear Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium on January 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Arch Manning is gearing up for his first season as Texas' starting quarterback, and he already has high expectations.
The nephew of legendary quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning is the Heisman Trophy favorite at +700 odds, via DraftKings Sportsbook. Just behind him sits LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (+900), Penn State's Drew Allar (+1000) and Clemson's Cade Clubnik (+1400).
Heisman odds have arrived. Many thoughts. We'll break this down in detail in the weeks ahead, but there is value all over the place. pic.twitter.com/yVLjKqOlca
Despite Manning being one of the more inexperienced names among players with the best odds, it's not that surprising to see him top the list. The former No. 1 player in the Class of 2023 has garnered immense hype over the last few years and only added to it with some impressive showings in his limited action in 2024.
Manning appeared in 10 games for the Longhorns last season but only started two of those contests. He played most of Texas' game against UTSA in September, throwing for 223 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 53 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The following week, he made his first start for Texas with usual start Quinn Ewers dealing with an injury. In that game against ULM, he threw for 258 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. His best game of the season came in his second start when he collected 325 passing yards and three total touchdowns against Mississippi State.
Texas will now hand the reigns over to Manning with Ewers departing for the NFL draft, and all signs point to him having a big year.
Nussmeier debuted as the starter for LSU in 2024 and had a great season with 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His passing yards total was the second-best in the SEC and he was also tied for the second-most touchdowns.
Allar is also coming off a career season, picking up 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added 302 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground as he led Penn State to the CFP semifinals.
Klubkik was one of the best quarterbacks in football last year, leading the ACC in passing touchdowns (39) and racking up the second-most passing yards (4,313).
While the players with the best odds are mostly quarterbacks, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith emerge as a favorite at some point this season. He's coming off a true freshman season in which he had 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, and those numbers should only improve in 2025.
Ryan Day Jokes About Viral Golf Cart Crash and LeBron Playing for Ohio State Football
Jan 28, 2025
College Football: CFP National Championship: Ohio State head coach Ryan Day walks the sideline vs Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta, GA 1/20/2025
CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
(Set Number: X164668 TK1)
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day's victory tour following the team's victory in the College Football Playoff Championship took him to late night television.
Appearing on Monday's episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (starts at 2:14 mark), Day joked that he came "right back down to earth" immediately after the game as a result of the viral moment when a golf cart carrying him and two players crashed into a wall in the tunnel at Mercedes-Benz Stadium following the Buckeyes' 34-23 win over Notre Dame.
Some lady just crashed the golf cart carrying Ryan Day and Will Howard in the Mercedes-Benz tunnel after they won the National Championship pic.twitter.com/o3UqM5ZhrO
Another topic that Fallon asked about was an old social media post from LeBron James when he asked about college eligibility in a sport besides basketball.
Do I have college eligibility if I went to play another sport besides basketball? How does that rule work?
Day joked that he would give James a spot on the Ohio State football team, but he would be "right in line with the freshman" and "have to work his way up" to get snaps on Saturdays.
James accepted the coach's terms with his response on social media:
James has often talked about the possibility of being a football player, including saying in 2011 that he had an offer to tryout for the Dallas Cowboys:
"I would have made the team. I would have tried out, but I would have made the team. One thing about it, I don't mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I'd have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I'd have tried (out), but I would have made the team. I just know what I'm capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age."
Despite James' confidence about being able to have played in the NFL if he really gave it his best effort, it's safe to say he made the right career choice given how things are still going for him in the NBA.
Plus, depending on which position James played, it would have been tough to get snaps for the Buckeyes this season. Their receiver room featured freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
Carnell Tate was the No. 3 wideout and he had 733 receiving yards this season.
James gets the best of both worlds because he's still one of the best basketball players and he got to celebrate Ohio State's fifth national title by attending the College Football Playoff Championship Game in Atlanta.
Cooper Flagg's Huge 2nd Half Electrifies Fans as No. 2 Duke Rallies to Beat NC State
Jan 28, 2025
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 27: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils is fouled by Brandon Huntley-Hatfield #1 of the NC State Wolfpack during a dunk attempt in the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 27, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
For the second consecutive game, Duke avoided a major upset to stay perfect in conference play.
After surviving a scare against Wake Forest on Saturday, the No. 2 Blue Devils beat NC State 74-64 behind a late rally led by star freshman Cooper Flagg's 23 second-half points. The Wolfpack led for much of the second half, but Duke had just enough to pick up its 14th consecutive win.
Flagg had a slow start with just five first-half points but found his rhythm in the second half to finish with 28 points and six boards. The 18-year-old once again showed why he's likely on his way to being a lottery pick in this year's NBA draft.
COOPER FLAGG LOOK OUT BELOW 😤
Blue Devils fight from 13 down to retake the lead❗️
ACC Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg ACC Player of the Year Cooper Flagg National Freshman of the Year Cooper Flagg National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg
This is some second-half performance from Cooper Flagg. He's got 16 points in the first 11+ minutes of the half, including the last eight for Duke. Just had a four-point play followed up by a mid-range pull-up off the bounce.
Duke faced a pair of early losses to Kentucky and Kansas, but has been perfect since then and is now rolling through conference play. While there's still plenty of basketball to be played, a conference title seems well within reach for the Blue Devils in a relatively weak ACC.
Duke will look to make it 11-0 in conference play on Saturday as it faces rival North Carolina.
Photo: UNC's Bill Belichick Visits 5-Star Jared Curtis; No. 2 QB in Class of 2026
Jan 27, 2025
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels addresses the crowd during halftime in the game against the La Salle Explorers at the Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2024 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick has his sights set high for his first full recruiting class.
On Monday, the new North Carolina head coach visited 5-star quarterback Jared Curtis, the No. 4 player and No. 2 quarterback in the Class of 2026, per 247Sports Composite.
According to On3's Steve Wiltfong, Curtis scheduled a visit to Chapel Hill after meeting with Belichick.
Curtis originally committed to Kirby Smart and Georgia but decommitted in December, noting that it didn't "seem right" to stay committed to the Bulldogs while exploring other options.
"This morning I spoke with coach Smart and [offensive coordinator Mike Bobo] and let them know that I still love Georgia, but would like to take some more time to explore all my options so I can make the best, most informed decision for my future," Curtis said. "I let them know it just doesn't seem right or fair to stay committed while checking out other programs. I want people to know where I stand and I've learned that making big decisions takes time."
Georgia is still in the mix, however, as Curtis included the Bulldogs in his top six. North Carolina is not among Curtis' top schools, but perhaps an in-home visit with Belichick and a visit to Chapel Hill later this year could change that.
Curtis would be a huge pickup for the Tar Heels. He's coming off a season in which he threw for 2,830 yards and 40 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He added 637 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
North Carolina has four commits for the Class of 2026, all of which are 3-star prospects. If Belichick can put together a strong first year in Chapel Hill, he could start bringing in players of Curtis' caliber.
Report: Ohio State Spent $293M on Athletics in 2024; $28.5M on CFB Coaches amid Title
Jan 27, 2025
ATLANTA, GA JANUARY 20: ESPN's Rece Davis interviews Head Coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes following the conclusion of the the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Having success in college athletics means a willingness to spend money.
Ohio State's athletic department was no exception last year.
Per Sportico's Daniel Libit and Even Novy-Williams, Ohio State University reported $293 million in expenditures for the 2023-24 season. Ohio State has led the nation in athletic department spending in each of the last six years and its spending increased nearly $17 million from 2022-23, according to Libit and Novy-Williams.
Unsurprisingly, much of Ohio State's spending was on its football coaches, with the university spending $28.5 million on the staff. Total coaches' salaries increased from $45.2 million in 2022-23 to $54.3 million in 2023-24, much of that increase going to head football coach Ryan Day and his staff.
Despite such a large figure going to their football coaches, the Buckeyes reported $47.9 million in ticket revenue compared to $64.3 million from the previous year.
That roughly 25 percent decrease can be largely attributed to the Buckeyes playing just six home games in 2023 versus the eight they played at home in 2022. The most-anticipated game on the Buckeyes schedule against Michigan was also played at home in 2022 and on the road in 2023, another reason for fewer ticket sales.
According to Libit and Novy-Williams, Ohio State paid $9.2 million in severance payments in 2023-24. The Buckeyes fired men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann halfway through the season and owed him a $12.8 million buyout, which made up most of the severance payment figure.
While Ohio State spent a pretty penny in 2023-24, especially to its football coaches, that spending worked out well. The Buckeyes beat Notre Dame in the national championship game to win the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff last week. It was Ohio State's first football championship since 2014.
AP College Basketball Poll 2025: Complete Week 13 Men's Rankings Released
Jan 27, 2025
Auburn continues to reside in the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after surviving a scare Saturday against Tennessee.
Kentucky wasn't so fortunate. The Wildcats lost back-to-back games to Alabama and Vanderbilt, the second prompting yet another court storming at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.
UK fell from ninth to 12th in the newest poll as a result of its tough week.
Week 13 AP Top 25 Poll
1. Auburn
2. Duke
3. Iowa State
4. Alabama
5. Florida
6. Houston
7. Michigan State
8. Tennessee
9. Marquette
10. Purdue
11. Kansas
12. Kentucky
13. Texas A&M
14. Mississippi State
15. St. John's
16. Oregon
17. Wisconsin
18. Illinois
19. Memphis
20. Missouri
21. Louisville
22. Texas Tech
23. Ole Miss
24. Vanderbilt
25. UConn
Auburn guard Miles Kelly only had six points in his 34 minutes on the court, but nobody hit a bigger shot inside Neville Arena. The senior drilled a long-range jumper from the corner with 30.5 seconds on the clock to put the Tigers ahead 52-51.
Vols head coach Rick Barnes decided against calling a timeout and watched as forward Igor Miličić Jr. challenged Auburn's Chaney Johnson at the basket. Johnson denied Miličić, with Johni Broome grabbing the defensive rebound.
Tennessee had one more chance to win the game after Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford sank one of his two free throws, but Zakai Zeigler's three-point attempt from the corner clanked off the rim.
"I'm sure that wasn't a very pretty game on national television, because it was so difficult to score," Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl told reporters after the game. "I knew it was gonna be low-scoring. I knew that offense was gonna be difficult. But Rick Barnes' teams play the right way. They play the right way. They don't take possessions off. They don't beat themselves."
That wasn't even the most dramatic contest to unfold during Saturday's slate.
Kansas and Houston needed two overtimes to determine a winner, with the Cougars sealing a 92-86 victory on the road.
Guard Milos Uzan and forward J'Wan Roberts combined to score four points inside the final 17 seconds of regulation to force the first overtime. Another OT was required after a frenzied sequence saw Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp hit a three, Uzan steal the ensuing inbounds pass and then guard Mylik Wilson tie it up with another three.
Houston pulled away in the second overtime period.
Michigan State was one of the big winners from last week as the Spartans are now two games clear in first place in the Big Ten standings.
Purdue, Wisconsin and Illinois were all upset by unranked foes, with the Fighting Illini getting hammered by 21 points by Maryland. The Boilermakers then did Michigan State a favor by beating Michigan, which now has two losses in conference play.
At the very least, the Spartans should be able to maintain their current cushion. They host Minnesota on Tuesday and then head to Los Angeles for a matchup with USC on Saturday.
The battle for the SEC title, on the other hand, could look a little different this time next Sunday.
Tennessee plays Kentucky on Tuesday night and then Kentucky on Saturday. Auburn should be able to get past LSU, in which case the Tigers will put a perfect SEC record on the line against Ole Miss in Oxford. Having come up short against Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee, Mississippi State knows beating Alabama will put the Bulldogs right back in the thick of things.
