Here is the latest Big Ten Conference sports news from The Associated Press | NFL

December 2, 2023

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UNDATED (AP) — Washington moved ahead of Florida State and into College Football Playoff position, coming in fourth in the latest rankings. The selection committee’s top three remained the same with Georgia first followed by Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes and Wolverines face-off Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Washington had been stuck in fifth for the first three weeks of the rankings behind Florida State, but the Huskies added another victory against a ranked team last week at Oregon State. Florida State stayed unbeaten, too, though the Seminoles lost quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending left leg injury.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan star quarterback J.J. McCarthy meditates roughly two hours before games. Amid a sign-stealing saga and a matchup with archrival Ohio State, McCarthy says his routine helps tremendously. McCarthy will lead the Wolverines against the Buckeyes on Saturday with the victors earning a spot in the Big Ten championship game and likely a bid to the College Football Playoff. McCarthy says he spends 20 to 30 minutes meditating each morning, He does it for 10 to 15 minutes on game days after the bus arrives at the stadium and before he warms up with teammates.

HONOLULU (AP) — Fletcher Loyer scored 27 points, Zach Edey had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds and No. 2 Purdue escaped with a 71-67 win over No. 7 Tennessee in the Maui Invitational semifinals. The Boilermakers separated in the final minutes with a game-closing 10-6 run to deny the Volunteers. After he scored 13 points in the first half to help give the Volunteers a 31-30 halftime lead, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht was held to just three points after the break. Jordan Gainey scored all of his 15 points in the second half.

UNDATED (AP) — Hunter Dickinson of No. 1 Kansas is The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s basketball for Week 2 of the season. The 7-foot-2, 260-pound transfer from Michigan had a game-high 27 points and a career-high 21 rebounds as the Jayhawks rallied from 14 down to beat Kentucky. Those 21 rebounds are tied for the most in any Division I game this year. It was the first 25/20 game for any Kansas player in nearly 12 years. Creighton’s Trey Alexander was runner-up after nearly posting a triple-double in a win against Iowa.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dawson Garcia scored 19 points and reserve Cam Christie scored 14 and Minnesota beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 86-67. Christie made two free throws to break a 13-all tie with 13:54 before halftime. Braeden Carrington made a 3-pointer and from there Minnesota gradually began to distance itself. The Golden Gophers led 51-36 at intermission. With 10:19 remaining, Robert Lewis threw down a dunk to get the Lions within 61-53 but they never got closer. Rashad Williams led UAPB with 26 points.

UNDATED (AP) — Ayoka Lee is the Associated Press national player of the week in women’s college basketball. She led Kansas State to two wins last week, averaging 21 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. She had 22 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 9 of 14 from the field in an upset win at then-No. 2 Iowa last week. The runner-up was Cameron Brink of Stanford.

UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten welcomes Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the fold in 2024. That includes two teams that are still in this season’s playoff race and another that’s a traditional power. It’s fair to say the current version of the Big Ten is going out with a bang. There’s been just enough excellence on the field — and more than enough drama off it — to put the league in the spotlight. Not only are No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan national title contenders, but the interest in that matchup this weekend has been stoked by the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal that led to coach Jim Harbaugh’s suspension.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. can help No. 2 Ohio State beat No. 3 Michigan with a monster game on Saturday and bolster his case for the Heisman Trophy. Harrison is the son of Hall of Fame NFL receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. and he has 1,093 yards and 13 TDs in 2023. He had 1,263 yards and 12 TDs last year. He’s the first receiver in Ohio State history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is a lock to be a first-round NFL draft pick in the spring.