Texas is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time in 16 years, replacing Georgia on Sunday after the Bulldogs struggled to remain unbeaten.

The Longhorns moved up a spot from No. 2 and received 35 first-place votes and 1,540 points. The Bulldogs, who have been No. 1 since the preseason poll, received 23 first-place votes and 1,518 points.

Ohio State received five first-place votes and stayed at No. 3 during an off week. No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Mississippi held their places and Tennessee moved up a spot to No. 6, flip-flopping with Southeastern Conference rival Missouri.

The last time the Longhorns were No. 1 was the middle of the 2008 season, when they spent three weeks at the top of the polls before losing a memorable game at Texas Tech in early November. The Longhorns are likely to settle into the top spot for at least another week with a home game against Louisiana-Monroe up next, possibly with Arch Manning as the starting quarterback.

Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, stepped in Saturday night against UTSA when Quinn Ewers went out with an abdomen injury that coach Steve Sarkisian said was not serious.

“There’s nothing like being in the game. Playing in front of 105,000 people is not the easiest thing to do. I’m really proud of Arch,” Sarkisian said.

A week after the SEC became the first conference to hold six of the first seven spots, the league repeated the feat.

There was some shuffling at the back of the top 10, with No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Miami each moving up a spot and Penn State slipping back to No. 10.

POLL POINTS

Winning and dropping from No. 1 is not unusual. This is the 94th time it has happened since the poll started in 1936, and first time since Georgia and Alabama swapped No. 1 back and forth for a few weeks in 2022.

The Bulldogs needed a second-half rally to squeak by 13-12 at Kentucky — the same Kentucky team that was buried at home a week earlier by South Carolina. That was the fewest points scored by a No. 1 team in a victory since Alabama beat LSU 10-0 in 2016.

“I don’t know much about this team, but I found out more tonight than I’ve known to this point,” coach Kirby Smart told reporters after the game.

Georgia has dominated the top spot in the AP poll since 2021, with 39 appearances.

In its first season as a member of the SEC, Texas keeps No. 1 in the conference where it has resided for 50 of the last 52 polls, dating to the start of the 2021 season. Only Michigan of the Big Ten in the final two polls of last season has interrupted the streak of No. 1 rankings by the SEC, which includes 10 appearances by Alabama.

Looking ahead, both the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are off next week to prepare for a likely top-five matchup in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Sept. 28 that should have voters thinking about who’s No. 1 again.

IN AND OUT

Boston College joined fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech in the brief-stay-after-a-long-drought club. The Eagles lost at Missouri and fell out of the rankings after moving in last week for the first time since 2018.

Arizona is also out for the first time this season after getting thumped by Kansas State.

Moving in for the first time this season was Illinois at No. 24. Texas A&M jumped back into the rankings at No. 25.

CONFERENCE CALL

The 18-team Big Ten matched a conference record (reached 11 times previously) with seven ranked teams.

SEC — 9 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 25).

Big Ten — 7 (Nos. 3, 9, 10, 11, 18, 22, 24).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 12, 13, 14, 20).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 19, 21).

MAC — 1 (No. 23).

Independent — 1 (No. 17).

RANKED VS. RANKED

No. 24 Illinois at No. 22 Nebraska, Friday. The last time the Cornhuskers hosted a game with both teams ranked was 2013 when No. 16 UCLA beat No. 23 Nebraska 41-21.

No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma, Saturday. The Volunteers welcome the Sooners to the SEC.

No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan, Saturday. The Trojans’ first Big Ten game is exactly what the executives at Fox hoped for.

No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State, Saturday. The first big game between Big 12 teams that actually counts in the conference standings.

— By RALPH D. RUSSO, Associated Press

By RALPH D. RUSSO

The Associated Press

After the first shake-up of the college football season, the Southeastern Conference grabbed six of the top seven spots in the AP Top 25 — a first in the 88-year history of the rankings — and Notre Dame tumbled all the way to No. 18 on Sunday after being stunned at home.

Georgia received 54 out of a possible 63 first-place votes to keep a firm hold on No. 1. No. 2 Texas jumped a spot after dominating defending national champion Michigan on the road and received four first-place votes. The Longhorns have their best ranking since finishing second in 2009.

The Wolverines were down to No. 17.

No. 3 Ohio State from the Big Ten Conference slipped a spot. Then it was four more SEC teams. Alabama held steady at No. 4 and Mississippi moved up a spot to No. 5.

Missouri moved up three spots to No. 6 and Tennessee made a big jump from No. 14 to No. 7 after routing North Carolina State in Charlotte.

With the SEC bigger (16 teams) — and seemingly better — than ever given the additions of Texas and Oklahoma — the circumstances were right for an early season takeover like never before.

Not only is six of the top seven teams from one conference a record for a poll, but never before had a single league held as many as five of the top seven places.

Those teams will start playing each other in the coming weeks so it is unlikely the SEC can keep this up, but it’s a stark example of what’s possible in the superconference era.

Especially after the first huge upset of the college football season. Notre Dame’s 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois marked the first time a top-five team lost to an unranked team since the 2022 season, when Purdue knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa on Nov. 5, 2022.

The Huskies’ victory, the first top-five win for a Mid-American Conference team in league history, landed Northern Illinois at No. 25 in the rankings. NIU is ranked for the first time since 2013 and is the first team from non-Power Four conference to be ranked this season.

Rounding out the top 10 were No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Oregon of the Big Ten and No. 10 Miami. The Ducks slip two spots after a wild, comeback victory against Boise State.

POLL POINTS

Northern Illinois is one of four teams to move into the rankings this week for the first time this season, most notably Nebraska at No. 23.

The Cornhuskers are ranked for the first time since 2019 after easily handling Colorado at home. That was a brief stay. After starting that season ranked No. 24, the Huskers lost in Week 2, fell out the rankings and have been gone ever since.

The last sustained season in the rankings for Nebraska was 2016, though even that season ended with the Huskers unranked. They have not finished a season ranked since 2012. That’s what second-year coach Matt Rhule and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola are aiming for.

Just a reminder: Nebraska still owns the record for the longest streak of poll appearances with 348 under coach Tom Osborne from 1981-2002. The second-best streak is Alabama’s active 264 straight weeks ranked.

IN AND OUT

The turnover came from the bottom of the rankings, where Kansas, Iowa, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State all fell out after losses.

No. 21 Iowa State essentially switched places with its Cy-Hawk rivals by beating Iowa.

Last week, Georgia Tech made its first appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2015, snapping one of the longest active droughts among power conference teams. The Yellow Jackets lasted only a week after losing at Syracuse, but another Atlantic Coast Conference team snapped its own lengthy drought.

No. 24 Boston College is ranked for the first time since 2018.

CONFERENCE CALL

The only other time a conference had four of the top five teams was the SEC on Oct. 19, 2014, when Mississippi State was No. 1, Ole Miss was third, Alabama was fourth and Auburn was fifth.

SEC — 8 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16).

Big Ten — 6 (Nos. 3, 8, 9, 11, 17, 23).

Big 12 — 5 (Nos. 12, 13, 14, 20, 21).

ACC — 4 (Nos. 10, 19, 22, 24).

MAC — 1 (No. 25).

Independent — 1 (No. 18).

RANKED VS. RANKED

No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State, Thursday. A Big 12 game that’s not actually a Big 12 game. This is a nonconference matchup that already was set before realignment.

No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri, Saturday. An unexpectedly ranked ACC-SEC matchup.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan has played in many marquee matchups in recent years.

Only the high-stakes games, including three straight trips to the College Football Playoff, did not happen early in the season.

Texas is coming to town this week and it doesn’t get much bigger than that, or better for college football fans.

The fourth-ranked Longhorns will provide a tough test on Saturday for the ninth-ranked Wolverines, who had the luxury of tuning up for Big Ten Conference play with soft schedules the last two years.

Michigan will find out quickly if the relatively low expectations for a defending national champion were merited or simply underestimated Sherrone Moore’s first team.

“It’s exciting for our players, for the program, for the fans,” Moore said Monday. “You want these type of games. You want these atmospheres. You want these building blocks to help you mold your team and really get where you need to be.”

Texas found out how good it was in Week 2 last season when it beat then-No. 3 Alabama and went on to make the College Football Playoff.

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said 46 current players experienced the victory over the Crimson Tide, showing them what it takes to win away from home.

“You have to have great poise and composure when you are in these type of road environments,” Sarkisian said.

The winner in front of more than 110,000 fans in the stands and millions of people watching on TV will get a boost for its bid to win a national championship while the loser still will have hope thanks to the expanded, 12-team playoff.

“Because of the new format, I like this matchup even more,” Sarkisian said.

The victors also will earn some bragging rights for the Southeastern Conference or the Big Ten.

Texas was dominant in its opener, clicking on offense with quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning while swarming on defense in a 52-0 rout of Colorado State.

Michigan, meanwhile, turned a closely contested game into a 30-10 win over Fresno State with an entirely rebuilt offensive line that struggled until late in the game.

A decade go, both schools announced their traditionally powerful programs would have a home-and-home series for the first time.

The first game is this week and the return trip to Austin is scheduled for Sept. 4, 2027. The Vince Young-led Longhorns beat the Wolverines on Jan. 1, 2005, in their only meeting, at the Rose Bowl.

In college football history, Michigan is No. 1 in all-time wins with 1,005 and Texas is No. 4 with 949 victories.

And finally, they’re facing off in the regular season.

“I’m super pumped,” Sarkisian said. “I love college football. To think these two iconic programs, with those iconic uniforms and iconic helmets meeting for the first time in the Big House … yeah, that’s awesome.”

The Wolverines kicked off their 2023 national championship season with mismatches against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green one year after opening with Colorado State, Hawaii and Connecticut.

Oddmakers don’t seem to think Michigan is ready for the challenge, making it an underdog by a touchdown, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Wolverines, though, say they will be ready.

“It’s going to be like Rose Bowls, Ohio State games,” said Michigan’s Will Johnson, a preseason All-America cornerback. “Those type of games, I feel like that’s when we play our best football.”

The University of Michigan opened its title defense with a win over visiting Fresno State on Saturday night at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

No. 9 Michigan begins defense of national title with 30-10 win over Fresno State

Photos by Suzie Baker for MediaNews Group.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Davis Warren and Alex Orji each threw a touchdown pass, Will Johnson returned an interception for a score and No. 9 Michigan started defense of its national championship with a 30-10 win over Fresno State on Saturday night.

The Wolverines (1-0) were sluggish on offense for much of the night, breaking in new quarterbacks behind a revamped offensive line and Sherrone Moore, who made his coaching debut as Jim Harbaugh’s full-time replacement.

The Bulldogs (0-1) trailed by just four points deep into the second quarter and 16-10 midway through the fourth before Michigan pulled away.

Warren, who beat out Orji to start at quarterback, threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland to give Michigan a 23-10 lead with 5:43 left.

Johnson picked off a pass on the ensuing possession and returned it 86 yards, making the score lopsided in a game that was close for much of the night.

The game opened with Orji throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Warren, but the rest of the night didn’t go very smoothly for Moore’s team until late in the game.

Davis, a former walk-on who overcame leukemia in high school, was 15 of 25 for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Orji was 1 of 2 with a 3-yard touchdown pass and ran five times for 32 yards. Kalel Mullings had 92 yards rushing on 15 carries for the Wolverines.

Mikey Keene completed 22 of 36 passes for 238 yards with a 19-yard touchdown pass Raylen Sharpe in the fourth quarter that pulled the Bulldogs within six points and two interceptions.

Fresno State’s Jalen Moss had six catches for 97 yards, including a leaping, twisting catch on a sideline.

THE TAKEAWAY

Fresno State: Tim Skipper may have improved his case to keep the job with a competitive showing, despite the final score. Skipper was named interim coach in July, shortly before training camp, after Jeff Tedford stepped down for health reasons.

Michigan: Six offensive linemen from last year’s team landed in NFL training camps this summer, turning a strength into a weakness. The Wolverines were unable to create holes for the running game and didn’t give their quarterbacks much time to throw until wearing down the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

AP poll voters may see the final score and keep Michigan in the same spot even after an uneven performance. The last time a national champion was ranked as low as the Wolverines were in the preseason poll was 2011, when Auburn was No. 23. Prior to that, the only time a defending champion was ranked worse than seventh was in 1991 when Colorado was No. 13 in the preseason.

UP NEXT

Fresno State: Plays Sacramento State, coming off a 42-24 loss to San Jose State, on Saturday at home.

Michigan: No. 4 Texas visits the Big House on Saturday after opening with a 52-0 win over Colorado State.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams had a 63-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Michigan State barely beat Florida Atlantic 16-10 Friday night.

The Spartans (1-0) were sloppy in coach Jonathan Smith’s debut.

Aidan Chiles threw an interception on the game’s opening snap, recovered his fumble to end the second drive and Montorie Foster Jr. lost the football on Michigan State’s third drive.

It didn’t go much smoother in the second half.

Chiles had a chance to put the Spartans ahead by more than two touchdowns late in the third quarter, but Ed Woods stepped in front of a pass in the flat at the Florida Atlantic 2 and returned it 58 yards.

Cam Fancher converted a fourth-and-1 with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jayshon Platt, cutting the Owls’ deficit to six points.

Smith went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Florida Atlantic 9 on the ensuing drive, instead of kicking a short field goal for a nine-point lead, and Lynch-Adams was stopped short on a run early in the fourth quarter.

Smith’s defense responded, forcing the Owls to turn it over on downs at the Michigan State 41 with 6:53 remaining, but Chiles’ errant passes led to another punt and chance for the visitors to go ahead.

The Spartans stopped Florida Atlantic again on the next drive.

Fancher came up short on a fourth-and-1 run near midfield and nearly drew a targeting penalty that didn’t stand after review, but two penalties after the play pushed the Spartans back 30 yards.

Florida Atlantic’s defense gave Fancher another chance and he converted a fourth-and-8 with a 21-yard pass to Omari Hayes, but he could not move the sticks again and turned it over on downs with 1:23 left at the Owls’ 41.

Florida Atlantic (0-1) turnovers proved to be pivotal, hurting its chances of beating a team from a power conference for the second time in school history and first since a 2007 win over Minnesota.

Fancher, sacked for a safety in the first quarter, was picked off on consecutive possessions early in the second quarter.

Chiles’ 11-yard touchdown run and Lynch-Adams’ long run for a score gave the Spartans a 16-0 lead.

Chiles, who like Smith left Oregon State, was 10 of 24 passing with two interceptions. He ran six times for 28 yards. Lynch-Adams, a graduate transfer from Massachusetts, finished with 101 yards and a score on nine carries.

THE TAKEAWAY

Florida Atlantic: Fancher, a transfer from Marshall, will have to learn a lot from a rough night. He was 12 of 25 passing for 116 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He ran 25 times for 67 yards.

Michigan State: Penalties plagued Smith’s first game with the program. The Spartans drew six penalties for 60 yards in the first quarter, including one for targeting that led to an ejection for defensive back Malik Spencer, and finished with 12 flags for 140 yards.

UP NEXT

Florida Atlantic: Host Army on Sept. 7.

Michigan State: Play at Maryland on Sept. 7.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The defending champion and ninth-ranked Michigan Wolverines will have a new coach on the sideline this season, starting a new era after Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers.

Sherrone Moore gained some experience in the role in 2023, filling in four times for Harbaugh as he served suspensions early in the year and again at the end of the regular season.

“I think that makes it a lot easier of a transition,” Wolverines defensive tackle Mason Graham said. “He’s been here for a lot of years and everyone in the facility and at the university is really comfortable with him being here and then taking over the reins. I feel like that’s what everyone wanted. He’s been great so far.”

Like Harbaugh, Moore will lead the team with potential sanctions looming over the program from an NCAA investigation into an alleged sign-stealing and scouting operation.

These Wolverines, like last season’s team, will say their focus is on the field and will kick off the defense of their national title Saturday night at home against Fresno State.

“It’s a tough position to walk into, following coach Harbaugh and everything that he’s accomplished,” Michigan defensive end TJ Guy said. “I think (Moore) has done a great job. He’s kept it pretty similar for us, nothing too different.”

The Bulldogs are also breaking in a new coach who is familiar to them.

Tim Skipper was named interim coach in July, shortly before training camp, after Jeff Tedford stepped down for health reasons following a good run. Tedford had 44 wins, including four in bowl games, and a pair of Mountain West Conference championships. The Bulldogs finished in the AP Top 25 twice during his tenure.

Skipper’s father, Jim, was a longtime NFL assistant coach, and he’s not taking his team to the Big House just to show up.

“I never think about losing,” he said. “We breathe the same air. Why not go out there and try to win?”

UNDER CENTER

Fresno State may not have many advantages, but it does have more experience at quarterback.

Mikey Keene threw for nearly 3,000 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 11 starts last season. In a season-opening win at Big Ten member Purdue, he threw for 366 yards with four scores and was picked off once.

Michigan, meanwhile, plans to turn to turn to Alex Orji or Davis Warren to succeed J.J. McCarthy. Potentially, they both may get snaps against Fresno and one may emerge as the starter for next week’s showdown at home with No. 4 Texas.

Orji played in six games and had 86 yards with a touchdown on 15 carries last season, but didn’t throw a pass. Warren went 0 for 5 last year and was 5 of 9 for 89 yards in 2022.

UP FRONT

Michigan had six offensive linemen from last season’s team in NFL camps this summer, opening up five jobs to protect a new quarterback and open holes for a running game featuring Donovan Edwards.

“We don’t need five guys to play — we need 10,” guard Gio El-Hadi said. “We all have to be ready whenever our name’s called because people are going to get hurt. That’s how it goes in football.”

TALENTED TRIO

The Wolverines lost a lot from their first national title team, but three players are respected enough to make The Associated Press preseason All-America team: Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland.

ONE TO WATCH

Johnson might get a chance to do more than cover receivers and return punts as Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson did nearly three decades ago for the Wolverines when they won their last national title. Moore hinted earlier in the summer that Johnson might play on both sides of the ball.

“I’ve definitely been getting more comfortable with it,” Johnson said.

By DANA GAURUDER
The Associated Press

ANN ARBOR — Michigan coach Sherrone Moore hasn’t decided yet who will start at quarterback when the defending national champs open their season at home against Fresno State.

It’s a decision the first-year head coach said he might put off until gameday on Saturday.

“We’ll just see who practices better these next couple of days and then we’ll make a decision, whether it’s Friday or whether it’s right before the game,” Moore said.

Alex Orji, a junior who was utilized as a change-of-pace rushing quarterback last season, and Davis Warren, a senior and former preferred walk-on who Moore calls a “fighter,” are competing to start for the ninth-ranked Wolverines.

Orji and Warren received limited playing time last year while J.J. McCarthy led Michigan to an undefeated season that ended with a 34-13 victory over Washington in the national championship. Orji appeared in six games, gaining 86 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He didn’t attempt a pass.

Warren didn’t complete a pass in five attempts last season. He completed 5-of-9 attempts for 89 yards in 2022.

The duo has split up the snaps during training camp. Orji was generally considered the favorite to win the job heading into camp but Moore isn’t surprised that Warren has remained in the running.

“That kid is a fighter, so he knew it was not just going to be given to anybody,” Moore said. “He’s earned the opportunity to compete for it. And that’s what he’s been doing.”

Besides the quarterback duel, most of the drama during camp has come off the field.

Over the weekend, Michigan received the final version of a notice of allegations from the NCAA related to an investigation into an in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation being run by a football staffer. Michigan previously received a draft of the notice that included allegations of violations against former head coach Jim Harbaugh and Moore, among others.

A Netflix documentary focused on Connor Stalions, the former assistant at the center of the sign-stealing scandal, is due to come out Tuesday.

Moore didn’t want to address those topics.

“You guys can write about that,” Moore said, referring to the media. “We’re just worried about playing.”

Moore was the acting coach in four games last season while Harbaugh served two suspensions, including the 30-24 victory over arch-rival Ohio State. Moore was named coach on Jan. 26 after Harbaugh left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.

Moore says he’s “not really” nervous entering his first game officially at the helm.

“Anxious, just ready to go,” he said. “Ready for practice, ready for meetings.”

While a showdown against No. 4 Texas looms during the second week of the season, the Wolverines can’t overlook the Bulldogs. Fresno State posted a 9-4 record last season, including a 37-10 win over New Mexico State in the New Mexico Bowl.

The Wolverines are currently ranked behind the Buckeyes (No. 2), newcomer Oregon (No. 3) and Penn State (No. 8) among Big Ten schools.

“We always had a target on our back,” offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi said. “Now, it’s bigger than ever. We know what we have to do. We know what our job is. We know how big that target is. We’re everybody’s Super Bowl. We have to treat it the same way.”

Michigan has received the final version of a notice of allegations from the NCAA related to an investigation into an in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation being run by a football staffer, the NCAA and the school said Sunday.

Michigan previously received a draft of the NOA that included allegations of violations by former head coach Jim Harbaugh, current head coach Sherrone Moore, former recruiting analyst Connor Stalions and several other members of the staff.

“The NCAA can confirm that a Notice of Allegations has been distributed to the school and involved parties in the Michigan investigation,” the NCAA said in a statement. “To protect the integrity of the infractions process as the case progresses forward, the NCAA will not provide any further comment on the specifics included.”

According to NCAA rules, Michigan will have 90 days to respond. The school could then be assigned a hearing in front of the NCAA’s committee on infractions, though a negotiated resolution is still possible.

The NCAA investigation into impermissible in-person scouting and sign stealing by Michigan hung over the second half of the team’s unbeaten season in 2023 but did not stop the Wolverines from winning their first national title since 1997.

In-person advanced scouting is banned by the NCAA, which investigated to determine how organized it was and who knew about it. Records from other Big Ten schools show Stalions bought tickets to numerous games involving future opponents, sending people to digitally record teams when they signaled plays.

Stalions initially was placed on leave by the school and later resigned. He did not participate in the investigation. Stalions is expected to break his silence Tuesday on Netflix when the documentary “Sign Stealer” makes its debut on the streaming service.

Harbaugh, now coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, has denied any knowledge of impermissible scouting while he was with the program, though he could face Level 1 violations along with Stalions.

The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 regular season to punish Michigan for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy after its investigation of the sign-stealing scheme.

The NCAA recently released the results of a recruiting violations investigation into Michigan under Harbaugh. The coach was given a show-cause order that effectively bans him from coaching in college for four years.

No. 9 Michigan begins its first season under Moore on Aug. 31 at home against Fresno State.

— By RALPH D. RUSSO, Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Connor Stalions, the former low-level recruiting staffer at Michigan who was at the center of a sign-stealing scandal, is running the defense at a Detroit high school.

“I got the most hated man in college football right now, Connor Stalions. He’s my defensive coordinator,” Mumford coach William McMichael told The Detroit News.

Stalions is accused of running an advance-scouting scheme for more than two years at Michigan. He sent people to games involving the Wolverines’ future opponents to digitally record signals that could be used to steal signs. In-person scouting and recording of signs are against NCAA rules.

Michigan is expected to receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA soon, though it will likely take months to resolve the matter. Jim Harbaugh, who coached the Wolverines and won a national title last season before jumping to the NFL, has denied having any knowledge of what Stalions was doing.

Stalions hasn’t made any public remarks since leaving Michigan last November. He didn’t speak to the newspaper about his job at Mumford, a public school in northwestern Detroit that has a 2-16 record since 2022.

“What happened with the NCAA doesn’t concern us here at Mumford,” McMichael said. “He comes here every day and gives 120 percent, and the kids all love him and we’re all learning from him.”

McMichael said he met Stalions when Michigan was recruiting his son.

“He can help prepare the kids for college,” the coach said. “They are learning the lingo, how they practice college and how they break down film, so it gives the kids an advantage.”

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday said he has no reason to apologize as he continued to deny having any knowledge of the impermissible-scouting operation that triggered an NCAA investigation of his Michigan program during its championship run last year.

“Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised with that lesson. I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams I’ve coached. No one’s perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right,” Harbaugh said after practice. “Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate. I 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.”

Harbaugh left the Wolverines on Jan. 24 to become coach of Los Angeles, two weeks after he led his alma mater to its first national title since 1997.

Harbaugh could face Level 1 NCAA violations — the most serious the association can levy to an individual — as part of an investigation into impermissible scouting and sign-stealing.

Michigan is expected to receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA soon.

A draft of the notice includes accusations of rules violations by Harbaugh and other staff members, including Sherrone Moore, who was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach, three people briefed on the document told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the notice was confidential.

Connor Stalions, a former low-level recruiting staffer, is accused of running an off-campus, advanced-scouting scheme for more than two years at Michigan. Stalions sent people to the games of Michigan’s opponents to digitally record play signals to be used to steal signs during games. Advanced scouting and recording signs is against NCAA rules.

Harbaugh was suspended twice for a total of six games last season, first at the start of the season for an unrelated NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. Michigan resolved its portion of that case in April and was placed on three years’ probation.

The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 regular season to punish Michigan for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy after its own investigation of the sign-stealing scheme.

The sign-stealing case is still likely months — at least — from being resolved. NCAA policy gives schools 90 days to respond to a notice of allegations. After a response, the school would be scheduled for a hearing in front of the NCAA’s committee on infractions, though a negotiated resolution would still be possible.

NEW YORK (AP) — Georgia will open the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll a year after having its two-year run as national champion end.

The Bulldogs received 46 of the 55 first-place votes from college football coaches in the team released on Monday. Preseason No. 2 Ohio State got seven votes at No. 1, followed by Oregon, Texas and Alabama.

The Associated Press preseason college football poll is scheduled to be released next Monday.

Texas and defending national champion Michigan each got a first-place vote. The Wolverines will open ranked No. 8 after losing coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback JJ McCarthy to the NFL.

Mississippi’s No. 6 ranking represents the highest preseason ranking for the Rebels in the coaches poll since 1970. Notre Dame is No. 7, followed by Michigan, Penn State and Florida State.

The SEC’s Missouri (11) and LSU (12) were just outside the Top 10.

The Southeastern Conference had nine teams in the poll, including half of the Top 12. It’s the highest starting spot for Texas since 2010 and the lowest for the Crimson Tide since 2009.

The Big Ten also had four teams in the Top 10 and six ranked overall while the Big 12 opens with five ranked teams.

Independent Notre Dame was the only team outside the Power 4 conferences ranked.

National runner-up Washington just missed the Top 25.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Connor Stalions is set to share his side of the story from an alleged sign-stealing scheme within Michigan’s football team before the Wolverines went on to win the national championship.

Netflix announced Monday that the fourth season of “Untold” will include “Sign Stealer,” on Aug. 27, when Stalions breaks his silence on the scandal that shook college football.

Stalions was on coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff until resigning in November, accused of purchasing tickets to scout future opponents and sending people to those games to digitally record teams signaling in their plays.

In-person scouting is banned by the NCAA, which has been investigating Michigan’s system to determine how organized it was and who knew about it. Records from other Big Ten schools show Stalions bought tickets to numerous games involving future opponents. He was initially placed on leave by the school and later resigned.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has said the Wolverines won the national championship “fair and square” earlier this year.

The Big Ten Conference banned Harbaugh from coaching the final three games of the regular season for leading a program that violated the conference’s sportsmanship policy.

Harbaugh, who left the school to lead the Los Angeles Chargers, has denied any knowledge of an improper scouting scheme in his program.

UConn legend Sue Bird is still trailblazing for women’s basketball even after retirement, becoming the first WNBA player to have a Barbie doll created in her likeness.

Mattel announced Tuesday that it is producing a Bird Barbie as a part of its 65th anniversary celebration, adding the former Seattle Storm point guard to its Role Model collection that will also feature nine other female athletes. Bird is one of three American athletes to have her Barbie in the collection, joining tennis superstar Venus Williams and Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Barbie previously partnered with the WNBA during its inaugural season in 1998 to produce basketball player dolls, and former UConn star Rebecca Lobo was featured on the box as the face of the campaign.

Hi Barbie

Barbie created the Sue Bird Role Model doll to celebrate Sue’s basketball legacy! pic.twitter.com/g1Pz3CLk8h

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) July 16, 2024

Bird’s doll is designed with a non-traditional Barbie body known as ‘Made to Move’, which allows the knee and elbow joints to bend for more realistic athletic play. Mattel previously highlighted women’s sports with their 2023 Career of the Year collection that launched last September and included dolls representing a general manager, a referee, a coach and a sports reporter.

As part of the release for Bird’s Barbie, the company is collaborating with Voice In Sport, a digital platform that inspires girls to stay in sports through virtual mentorship programs and educational content. Mattel will also make a donation to Every Kids Sport, a nonprofit that provides grants to make youth sports accessible for low-income families.

“I’m just really excited that we’re going to be able to give back in that way,” Bird told People Magazine. “There’s going to be a tangible effect. The more you live, the more you realize there’s so much talent in the world, but there’s not always enough opportunity in the world. So this is a way where we can change that.”

Bird retired from the WNBA in 2022 after 20 seasons with the Storm as a four-time league champion, a 13-time All-Star and a five-time All-WNBA selection. She also helped lead Team USA to five consecutive Olympic gold medals and was an two-time NCAA champion at UConn from 1998-2002. Bird’s No. 10 jersey was retired by Seattle in 2023.