Here is the latest Big Ten Conference sports news from The Associated Press
UNDATED (AP) — Proponents of the Protect College Sports Act are pushing to pass the legislation through the Senate before the chamber breaks in the coming weeks. The bill aims to regulate escalating spending in college sports as schools can now pay players. Major conferences, Senate leadership and President Donald Trump support the bipartisan bill, but it faces opposition that could derail it. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy opposes the bill, arguing it protects industry profits over athlete compensation. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a co-sponsor, has been actively promoting it.
UNDATED (AP) — One look at the newest members of the Big Ten’s head coaching fraternity reveals two distinct schools of thought regarding hiring strategies. Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State chose coaches with at least a decade of Power Four head coaching experience. UCLA went in a different direction. The contrasting approaches show a range of opinions on how much experience matters. Nebraska’s Matt Rhule believes schools may be more concerned about what players a new coach can bring with him. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti orchestrated his stunning turnaround with help from 13 of his former James Madison players.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker is The Associated Press national college football player of the week for his performance in a 39-31 upset of Oregon. Mestemaker set the tone with a 75-yard run on the first play from scrimmage and provided the game’s highlight with a high-flying dive into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. He finished with a career-high 109 rushing yards, passed for 317 and had a hand in three touchdowns as the Cowboys won as 24 1/2-point underdogs. Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards against Texas and is runner-up.
UNDATED (AP) — After knocking off top-ranked Ohio State, Texas is the new No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll. Ohio State dropped out of the top five for the first time in two seasons. Oregon dropped 15 spots to No. 21 after losing at Oklahoma State. Michigan has returned to the poll at No. 19 following a win over Oklahoma, which fell to No. 24. Georgia and Notre Dame held their places at No. 2 and No. 3. Indiana and Miami moved up to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten faced a tough Week 2 in college football, with Ohio State losing a 20-point lead to Texas and Oregon getting upset by Oklahoma State. The conference lost six of eight games against Power Four opponents. Meanwhile, the SEC won five of seven nonconference games, including two against the Big Ten. Texas’s comeback over Ohio State and Oregon’s struggles were major talking points. Oregon’s loss dropped the Ducks from No. 6 to No. 21 in the AP poll. Michigan and Iowa managed wins, but the Big Ten’s overall performance raised concerns about its strength this season.
UNDATED (AP) — Six of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff would be from the Southeastern Conference and two of the four first-round games would be all-SEC matchups based on The Associated Press Top 25 poll. Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame and Indiana would be the top four seeds. First-round games would be No. 9 seed Texas A&M at No. 8 Mississippi, No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Miami, No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 LSU and No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Ohio State.
