NORTHWESTERN

Down to its final out, Michigan finally figured out Northwestern pitcher Danielle Williams, and will play for Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament softball championship as a result. After just one hit through six innings on Friday evening, the Wolverines entered the seventh down 1-0. The first two batters were retired before Hannah Carson gave Michigan hope, smashing a two-out single to right. On Friday, Meghan Beaubien started for Michigan and pitched four scoreless innings. Widra had pitched two perfect innings to close Thursday’s 7-0 shutout over Maryland.

No. 24 Iowa celebrated Fran McCaffery's 400th game at the school with a memorable offensive performance. Keegan Murray scored 26 points, and the Hawkeyes broke Big Ten Tournament records for scoring, field goals and 3-pointers while running away from Northwestern for a 112-76 victory Thursday. Murray was 11 of 16 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds.

As a Northwestern University professor, Dr. Jeremiah Stamler's research focused on the impact of diet, lifestyle and behavior on heart disease.

Jack Devlin is part of a university program for students with intellectual, cognitive and learning disabilities.

Northwestern’s Ian Weller (right) and Lumen’s Aiden Pastoriza (left) reach for the rebound during a high school boys basketball game at Northwestern High School on Feb. 15, 2022. Lumen won over Northwestern, 38-36. Meg Potter | MLive.com

It was a year ago that Jillian Brown was enjoying a big senior season for East Grand Rapids’ basketball team. Brown is now busy establishing herself as one of the Big Ten’s top freshmen players at Northwestern. Brown has earned Big Ten Freshmen of the Week honors after leading Northwestern to a 71-69 victory over ninth-ranked Michigan Sunday. Brown scored a career-high 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and she finished with three steals and two blocked shots. Brown is averaging 7.7 points and 3.4 blocked shots per game.

Dick Stone was a reporter and news director overseas and in Chicago before starting a political consulting and media communications firm.

There will be a special local connection out on the field when the game begins, and no, it’s not Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions fans, but instead, meet Khalid Kareem.

Paul Mulcahy had his first-career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 assists, Ron Harper Jr. added 17 points and Dean Reiber had a career-high 12 points as Rutgers blew past No. 13 Michigan State 84-63.

Here are this morning's top stories.

Freshman Caleb Houstan scored 18 points, DeVante' Jones added 15 points with six assists, and Michigan escaped with a 72-70 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night.

A man is in critical condition Wednesday night after he was shot while in downtown in a shooting involving officers.

ANN ARBOR -- During a timeout with 5:09 left in Wednesday’s game, Juwan Howard looked at the Crisler Center scoreboard and saw his Michigan team down 62-55 to Northwestern. He asked his players to breathe, to trust in each other, and take it one possession at a time. It was a message he’d delivered before. Michigan, as was the case Wednesday, had blown second-half leads a few times this season. There were turnovers and missed defensive assignments as the opponent stormed back.

Trailing by seven with five minutes late, Michigan closed the game strong to escape with a 72-70 victory. Northwestern had several possessions to tie the game late but Michigan’s strategy of intentionally fouling paid off -- barely. Boo Buie’s tough 3 cut Northwestern’s deficit to two with 52 seconds left. At the other end, Northwestern rebounded a missed free throw, then called timeout, down three, with 12 seconds left. Over just eight seconds of game time on Wednesday, Michigan’s lead over Northwestern went from one to seven.

Next up is a Northwestern team coming off an 80-60 loss at Purdue. “Man, they’re a good team,” Michigan assistant Saddi Washington said. Senior Pete Nance, whom Michigan was after as a high school recruit, leads Northwestern with 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Michigan has won four straight in the series and last lost at home to Northwestern in 2010. Game InformationWho: Northwestern Wildcats (9-8, 2-6) at Michigan Wolverines (9-7, 3-3)Where: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan); capacity: 12,707When: Wednesday, January 26, 6:31 p.m.

EAST LANSING – For Marcus Bingham Jr., the worst game of his season ended in the worst possible way. With less than a second left on Saturday against Northwestern, the Michigan State senior forward was fouled on an inbounds play and went to the free throw line for a one-and-one with his team down by two.

Especially if you’re a Michigan State fan. One week, Tom Izzo’s team is riding high on a nine-game win streak and the next they’re losing to a Northwestern team without Pete Nance at home. On episode 64 of MLive’s Spartan Confidential podcast, reporters Brandon Champion, Kyle Austin and Matt Wenzel discuss Michigan State’s ugly home loss to Northwestern before pondering how the Spartans can regain their early-season mojo ahead of road games against Wisconsin and Illinois. Can Marcus Bingham Jr. be the dominant big man we saw in November? Matt also elaborates on some interesting tidbits shared by Mel Tucker at a recent football clinic.

Onetime Clemson quarterback Hunter Johnson is returning to the Tigers for his final season of college football.

Michigan State dropped four spots to No. 14 in this week’s Associated Press top 25 poll, released on Monday afternoon. While Michigan State dropped in the polls, its next opponent climbed. Michigan State and Wisconsin are two of five Big Ten teams in this week’s poll, along with Purdue (No. Michigan St. 14-315.

“That game was not lost at the end, it was not lost in the middle,” Izzo said. The Spartans gave up 17 offensive rebounds to Northwestern and turned the ball over 17 times. That all helped Northwestern take 15 more shots than the Spartans and win the game despite shooting just 34.8 from the field. “They beat us to the glass.”The Spartans turnovers, meanwhile, have been an ongoing issue for a team that’s giving the ball away at the highest rate in the Big Ten. “Just foolish turnovers,” Spartans forward Gabe Brown said.

Ryan Young had 18 points and eight rebounds, helping Northwestern hold on to beat No. 10 Michigan State 64-62 for its first road win over a top 10 team in nearly five years.

The Spartans (14-3, 5-1) had one more chance to tie the game: Northwestern traveled while grabbing the rebound, giving Michigan State a chance to inbound the ball with one second left. But even without him, the Wildcats (9-6, 2-5) outworked the Spartans for 17 offensive rebounds, the most a Michigan State team, and took advantage of 17 turnovers for Michigan State. The two teams traded sets of free throws and Michigan State got a defensive stop to get the ball with 30 seconds left down by two. But Michigan State couldn’t repeat the magic from four days ago. The loss came after several close wins in which Michigan State showed many of the same issues.

10 Michigan State (14-2, 5-0) vs. Northwestern (8-6, 1-4)When: NoonWhere: Breslin Center, East LansingLatest line: Michigan State -9HOW TO WATCHTV Network: Big Ten Network (Brandon Gaudin, Jess Settles)Streaming optionsWatch & DVR College Basketball Live | fuboTV: Stream live TV with ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & top channels without cable. • Saturday will mark the second time Michigan State and Northwestern have played in a span of 14 days. • Northwestern has not won a game at Breslin Center since 2009, as Michigan State has won eight straight matchups in the building. PRE-GAME LINKSMaliq Carr, Keon Coleman join Michigan State basketball team on trial basisSpartan Confidential podcast: How good is Michigan State basketball? Why Michigan State played A.J.

It’s not clear whether getting infected with the omicron variant now will actually make it less likely that someone will get another COVID-19 infection down the line.

Quarantined Northwestern University students may get roommates as Chicago colleges respond to omicron

EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo, like every other Michigan State football fan, was still reveling on Monday evening about the Spartans’ come-from-behind Peach Bowl win over Pittsburgh four days before. The Spartans also trailed in the fourth quarter against Nebraska and Michigan and in the third quarter against Penn State and won each game. 10 Michigan State basketball (12-2, 3-0) hits the halfway point of its season with a Wednesday home game against Nebraska (7 p.m., BTN), Izzo is hoping his team has shown similar characteristics of finding ways to win in difficult circumstances. Hopefully we can follow it all the way.”The day before, Michigan State had come back from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Northwestern on the road for its seventh straight win. Michigan State also closed out games against Loyola Chicago and Connecticut earlier this year that both came down to the final few possessions.

EVANSTON, Ill. – When Michigan State came to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday to hold a practice, freshman guard Max Christie had a detour to make. Christie went up to the arena’s concourse and found a placard dedicated to Katrina Hannaford. After Michigan State went down by seven points at halftime, Christie scored the first five points of the second half to lead his team’s charge back, including a 3-pointer. In his second career Big Ten road game, Christie went to a building with which he’s plenty familiar. He remembered serving as a ballboy and watching a Denzel Valentine-led Michigan State team play at Welsh-Ryan.

Gabe Brown scored 20 points, Marcus Bingham Jr. added 13 and No. 10 Michigan State rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit for a 73-67 victory over Northwestern.

Michigan State started the second half on a 10-2 run that turned a seven-point deficit into a one-point lead with 16:57 left. Christie added a putback dunk a few minutes later sparked a second 13-2 Spartans run. The Spartans went 26-for-33 for the game at the free throw line, compared to 20-of-30 for Northwestern. Michigan State also gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the first half and shot just 1-for-10 from 3-point range. But it improved in the second half, made its free throws, and kept its win streak alive.

10 Michigan State (11-2, 2-0) vs. Northwestern (8-2, 1-0)When: 2 p.m. 84GAME NOTES• As of Friday afternoon, Tom Izzo said every Michigan State player is expected to be available against Northwestern. • Michigan State has won 12 of its last 13 games against Northwestern dating back to 2013. Buie scored a career-high 30 points against Michigan State last season while hitting five 3-pointers. • Michigan State ranks No.

The Georgia Bulldogs shattered the glass slipper of the Michigan Wolverines Cinderella season with a 34-11 demolition on New Year’s Eve in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl inside Hard Rock Stadium.

10 Spartans (11-2, 2-0) resume Big Ten play on Sunday with a game at Northwestern (2 p.m. Michigan State is hoping to have a full team available as it heads to Chicago after some COVID-19 issues last week. Michigan State hopes Hauser, who has struggled to shoot much of the season, can be an added offensive weapon as Big Ten play resumes. That loss was part of a 2-7 start to Big Ten play that nearly cost the program its NCAA Tournament streak. “There’s going to be some letdowns within a season,” Izzo said.

EAST LANSING – After closing the non-conference season shorthanded, Michigan State is expected to be back at full strength when it returns to Big Ten play full-time this weekend. The Spartans are expected to have every player available when they play at Northwestern on Sunday, Tom Izzo said early Friday afternoon. Michigan State was without three scholarship players in its win over High Point on Wednesday. That trio returned to practice on Thursday, Izzo said, and Michigan State hadn’t had any new COVID-19 issues since then. Christie has also started every Michigan State game this year and leads the team at 29.8 minutes per game while scoring 9.4 points per game.

From Texas to New York, AccuWeather meteorologist Jessica Pash has the latest forecast for NFL and college football games coming up this weekend.

WisconsinLW: 5; overall: 8-3; Big Ten: 6-2; next: at MinnesotaThis will be the 11th year of the Big Ten championship game. The Badgers have appeared in it six times, tied with Ohio State for the most (Michigan State is next with three). Michigan State wound up with just 224 yards and seven points. It was a double whammy for Kenneth Walker III’s Heisman hopes, as he had just 25 rushing yards while Ohio State quarterback C.J. It’s a remarkable stretch, but Ohio State figures to get all Michigan has to offer in Saturday’s e

FLINT, MI -- Organizers of Holiday Hope, an annual food drive, say they expect hundreds of pre-selected Flint families will take home a turkey, food products and a gift card during a distribution Saturday, Nov. 20, while a second turkey giveaway on Monday, Nov. 22, will provide 75 turkeys on a first-come, first-serve basis. On Saturday, Holiday Hope, sponsored by Meridian of Michigan, will feature the food distribution as well as a community health fair providing free flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots to the Flint community. The food distribution is by invitation only and takes place from 8-10:30 a.m., according to a news release. Additional sponsors include Auto-Owners Insurance, Cigna, Flint Community Schools, Kappa Alpha Psi of Flint, Kroger, Meijer and United Shore. Read more:Free turkeys and hot meals being offered for Thanksgiving in Flint areaAllegiant offers $47 fares from Flint to Phoenix as first flight lifts off at Bishop AirportConvicted Flint killer breaks down in tears after mother asks for his release from prison

Ninth-ranked Michigan heads to No. 23 Penn State for a key Big Ten game Saturday.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Alex Padilla got his first opportunity to play meaningful snaps for Iowa and did enough to impress coach Kirk Ferentz.

20 Wisconsin (Nov. 20)Was it any surprise Nebraska was within a score of Ohio State for most all of the fourth quarter on Saturday? The Cornhuskers have now lost seven games, but the nine-point margin against Ohio State (27-17) was their largest of the season. 5 Michigan State. Unfortunately for them, Ohio State is sixth in the latest AP poll. That trend may continue with games against Purdue, Michigan State, and at Michigan to close the regular season.

Alex Padilla could feel the jitters when he got the call to go into the game. Padilla took over for the banged-up Spencer Petras and led three scoring drives, Tyler Goodson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and No. 19 Iowa beat Northwestern 17-12 on Saturday night to stop a two-game losing streak. “Definitely some nerves,” Padilla said.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan will have a pair of starting offensive linemen available for today’s rivalry game. Offensive guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter were dressed and and pre-game participants on the field at Spartan Stadium ahead of the game against No. Keegan (shoulder) played injured in the win at Nebraska on Oct. 9, while Zinter exited the game with a lower-body ailment. With Keegan and Zinter available and expected to play, Michigan’s offensive line returns to full strength for its biggest game of the season. The southeast corner of Spartan Stadium already started filling up with students ninety minutes before kickoff.

Some Northwestern students say the new president-to-be, Rebecca Blank, seems to be leaving her campus under the same pall as Northwestern’s current president, Morton Schapiro.

The round robin that will determine the Big Ten East champion starts this Saturday. 8 Michigan State and fifth-ranked Ohio State hosts No. 20 Penn State. 5 Ohio StateLast week’s rankings noted that Penn State might be able to beat Illinois even if quarterback Sean Clifford wasn’t yet ready to return from injury. It sets up the epic showdown with in-state rival Michigan State on Saturday.

ANN ARBOR – As Michigan’s defense trotted onto the field for the first time against Northwestern on Saturday, there was one notable surprise. Redshirt sophomore DJ Turner received his first career start at cornerback, getting the nod over redshirt junior Gemon Green. But the play that highlighted his performance was an interception on the first play of the fourth quarter. “I thought he had a great game,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday. Nevertheless, Turner played 175 fewer snaps this season than both Green and Gray entering the Northwestern game.

College football trophies have a tendency to be quirky, whether it’s the Old Brass Spittoon, the Little Brown Jug, the Iron Skillet, the Bronze Boot or the Golden Egg.

Michigan got off to a sluggish start, perhaps peeking ahead to playing Michigan State. Then the Wolverines used a strong finish to seal a matchup of undefeated rivals.

As more Wildcats converged on Michigan’s 6-foot-1, 220-pound running back to try and tackle him, several Wolverines linemen continued to push Haskins forward. He’s phenomenal.”MORE: ‘All focus is there.’ Michigan turns its attention to rival Michigan StateHaskins’ power run wasn’t the only highlight play from the Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) on Saturday. With Michigan leading 17-7 midway through the third quarter, it forced Northwestern (3-4, 1-3) into a fourth-and-4 from its own 31-yard line. “(Special teams coach) Jay (Harbaugh) did a great job scheming that one up,” Jim Harbaugh said of the blocked punt. “Felt like we would only get one shot to take advantage of what they were doing in their punt scheme.

On Saturday, he saw Michigan dominate the second half in all phases of the game. Michigan scored on its opening drive of the second half and never looked back. “They came out (for the second half) guns blazin’; we didn’t,” Bergin said. “They’ve got a great offensive line, really good tight ends, and a two-headed monster at running back that is as good or better than anybody in the country. Great talent, great scheme, and they executed pretty darn well today.”Fitzgerald, Northwestern’s head coach since 2006, noted that Michigan capitalized on Northwestern’s mistakes in the second half.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan’s football team overcame a shaky start Saturday and outscored Northwestern 23-0 in the second half of a 33-7 victory at Michigan Stadium. Michigan’s defense held Northwestern to 233 yards, with 75 coming on an Evan Hull touchdown run in the second quarter. Here is our stock report from Saturday’s game as the Wolverines improve to 7-0. STOCK DOWNRed zone offenseThe Wolverines settled for two field goals inside the red zone against Nebraska, and their red zone offense struggled in the first half against the Wildcats. Buy Wolverines gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, LidsBuy Wolverines tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, TicketmasterStream Wolverines games live: fuboTV, ESPN+, Sling

Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins combined for 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns, carrying No. 6 Michigan to a 33-7 win over Northwestern.

Michigan is now 7-0 and will maintain its top-10 ranking, if not improve it, ahead of Saturday’s game at No. Before the drive, Michigan had mustered just 10 points on 267 yards of first-half offense. A 12-play, 79-yard touchdown drive capped by Corum’s first touchdown put the Wolverines up 7-0 early in the second quarter. The second half, however, was a different story. McCarthy was only 3 for 5 passing for 34 yards, but he picked up 36 rushing yards on two carries.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan’s muddiest tradition is back and better than ever. The Michigan Mudbowl, a University of Michigan football tradition for nine decades, returned in 2021, with the fraternity-led charity event kicking off at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, before the Wolverines hosted Northwestern at noon.

The Michigan Wolverines remain undefeated after beating the Northwestern Wildcats, 33-7, on Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor.

According to coach Pat Fitzgerald, the biggest test of the season awaits his team on Saturday. The Wildcats will try to knock No. 6 Michigan from the ranks of the unbeaten in Ann Arbor.

Michigan is back home for the first time in nearly a month, hosting Northwestern at noon. Continue to refresh this page as MLive will be providing live updates throughout. How to watch Michigan vs. Northwestern: TV channel, kickoff time, live streamThe Wolverines (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are coming off a bye and have a showdown against No. 9 Michigan State next week, but first is a matchup against a Wildcats team coming off their most impressive win of the season, beating Rutgers 21-7 last week. Michigan had several injuries along the offensive line against Nebraska, but it could have some players return Saturday.

Here is what to expect in weather for the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.

Northwestern lost its opener to Michigan State and dropped its last road game by 49 points.

Coming off a bye week, Michigan will try to stay perfect on Saturday against Northwestern. Northwestern and Michigan last played in 2018, when Michigan fell behind 17-0 early in the second quarter before storming back for a 20-17 win. This Saturday, for the first time, the teams will play for the George Jewett Trophy, honoring the first African American to play football at each school. 6 Michigan Wolverines (6-0, 3-0) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (3-3, 1-2)When: 12:05 p.m. WatchESPN | Hulu + Live TV | Sling | YouTube TVMajor cable providers:Xfinity: Channel 2 | StreamingSpectrum: Channel 8 | StreamingDish: Channel 2 | StreamingDIRECTV: Channel 2 | Streaming*Channel numbers listed are for Michigan subscribers and may change by geographic area.

The second half of Michigan’s schedule is among the toughest in college football, but it begins Saturday with a less heralded matchup against Northwestern.

Michigan State is looming for Michigan’s football team, but the Wolverines have one more obstacle to overcome before that potential top-10 matchup. Michigan returns home at noon Saturday for the first time in nearly a month, facing a Northwestern team that has largely struggled in 2021.

Drivers can anticipate the closures to start three hours before the noon game.

It’s been three years since Northwestern last had to prepare to play Michigan in football, and Pat Fitzgerald knows the tough task in front of him. “We have not played very well on the road, and this is the best team we’ve played all year to this point,” Fitzgerald told reporters earlier this week. But losses to Michigan State, Duke and Nebraska have derailed any momentum this year, prompting Fitzgerald to question himself at times. But what I think they pride themselves in more than anything is how physical they’re playing in all three phases. They’re really, really physical — across each position.

Expect a drier, warmer winter down south and a wetter winter up north, U.S. government forecasters said Thursday. The National Weather Service predicted two-thirds of the U.S. will see above average temperatures from December through February, while the Pacific Northwest and southern Alaska will likely get colder than usual. The Midwest, Northwestern states and Hawaii should expect above normal precipitation while the South will have less.

Nine days until the showdown in East Lans ... oh, wait. Michigan has another game on the schedule first. The latest edition of MLive’s “Wolverine Confidential” podcast is out, and the guys discuss the “trap game” feel ahead of Michigan-Northwestern on Saturday (noon, FOX). The Wolverines are ranked sixth in the country and should come out of this one victorious, but there’s always cause for concern with Northwestern.

No. 6 Michigan hosts Northwestern on Saturday.

A.J. Henning isn't worried about his Michigan teammates getting ahead of themselves.

The Wildcats have gone loss, win, loss, win, loss, win through six games and it’s easy to see that trend continuing with a trip to Ann Arbor this Saturday. IowaLW: 2; overall: 6-1; Big Ten: 3-1; next: at Wisconsin (Oct. 30)Don’t pencil the Hawkeyes into the Big Ten title game just yet. They’ve got a showdown with Michigan State on Oct. 30 (noon kickoff) but are insisting they’re not looking past Northwestern. 6 Michigan (Oct. 30)The Spartans, however, have started looking towards Michigan, as they are off this week. Ohio StateLW: 2; overall: 5-1; Big Ten: 3-0; next: at IndianaThe Buckeyes were off on Saturday and haven’t been challenged in weeks.

Michigan football enjoyed a stress-free bye this weekend, but hopefully the players and coaches were paying attention to what happened around the Big Ten.

Ninth-ranked Michigan looks to keep its roll going with a defense yet to give up more than 17 points and the confidence it can achieve championship goals after falling short in previous seasons under Jim Harbaugh.

The 24th-ranked Miami Hurricanes play host to Michigan State on Saturday.

Kenneth Walker III had a breakout performance at running back last week for Michigan State.

Kenneth Walker III ran for a career-high 264 yards and a personal-best four touchdowns in an impressive debut with his new team, and Michigan State beat Northwestern 38-21 in the season opener.

Hunter Johnson watched from the sideline as Northwestern won seven of nine games last season, including a Citrus Bowl triumph.

Northwestern hopes to get some payback against Michigan State.

Officials in charge of the College Football Playoff have opened two days of meetings in suburban Chicago.

Temperatures dip this evening, then nose dive overnight. Highs will be in the low 40s in the Motor City area and Southern Lower Michigan. Still seasonably chilly with highs in the low 40s. Highs will be near 60 degrees each day with early-morning lows in the 40s or near 50 degrees. Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation.

Highs will be in the low 40s in the Motor City area and Southern Lower Michigan. WATCH: Metro Detroit afternoon forecastSunset is at 6:29 p.m.Saturday evening will be fair and chilly. Still seasonably chilly with highs in the low 40s. Highs will be near 60 degrees each day with early-morning lows in the 40s or near 50 degrees. Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation.

DETROIT – Welcome to Saturday morning and the first full weekend of March and meteorological spring, Motown. Temperatures start in the upper teens and low 20s. Highs will be in the low 40s in the Motor City area and Southern Lower Michigan. Still seasonably chilly with highs in the low 40s. In men’s college basketball, Michigan takes on MSU in East Lansing at 4:30 p.m.Monday will be bright and milder.

DETROIT – Welcome the Friday night and the first full weekend of March and meteorological spring, Motown. It remains chilly this weekend, but highs will steadily move upward. Friday night will be clear and colder. Tuesday will be even warmer with mostly sunny skies and daytime temps reaching the low 60s. Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation.

After plenty of sunshine and highs near or just above 40 degrees, temperatures fall to the 30s at dinnertime. In women’s college basketball, Michigan State University will host Wisconsin at 2 p.m., and Michigan hosts Northwestern at 3 p.m. Saturday. In men’s college basketball, Michigan will take on Michigan State University in East Lansing at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday will be even warmer with mostly sunny skies and daytime temps reaching the low 60s. Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation.

9 Wisconsin on Tuesday night, Michigan became the first team in college basketball history to stack such a dominant trio of ranked blowouts. 19 Northwestern, which came into the matchup after victories against Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State and a close road loss to Iowa. 4 Iowa and beaten Michigan State and Ohio State by a combined 42 points. 9 team in the country and a proven contender atop the Big Ten, came in sporting victories over Michigan State, Minnesota and Iowa. Saturday will bring a different kind of test, as Michigan hits the road against a ranked team for the first time this season.

Ohio State running back Master Teague III, left, runs with the ball past Northwestern linebacker Chris Bergin (28) during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Ohio State will be without starting guard Harry Miller, second-leading rusher Master Teague and defensive ends Zach Harrison and Tyler Friday in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson. Ohio State released a list of 16 players who are unavailable for the College Football Playoff semifinal. The Buckeyes had 22 unavailable players that day. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

15 Northwestern’s defense made it stand up in a 35-19 victory over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl on Friday. Ramsey, a graduate transfer, totaled 291 yards passing and 50 yards rushing for Northwestern (7-2), which won its fourth straight bowl game. Auburn was led by interim coach Kevin Steele following the Dec. 13 firing of Gus Malzahn and was missing several key players. The Tigers got within 14-13 when Nix hit Elijah Canion for a 57-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. Ramsey put Northwestern ahead 14-0 on first-quarter TD passes of 35 yards to Chiaokhiao-Brown and 6 yards to Raine.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Southfield police believe father killed in carjacking was targetedIn a press conference Tuesday, Southfield Chief of Police Elvin Barren said Hudson died protecting his wife and two children. “We do not believe that this crime was a random act of violence,” Barren said. “We believe that Mr. Hudson was targeted and followed home where he was fatally assaulted.”

Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at 5:Father of 2 killed in carjacking, shooting outside homeA mother was at home with her children when her husband was killed in the driveway of their Southfield home. The father of two was shot and carjacked. It happened Sunday night around 8 p.m. at their home near Northwestern and Franklin. Police are still looking for the shooter.

Fields led Ohio State to a 6-0 record and the No. 7 Indiana (6-1) to its highest ranking since 1967, knocking off three ranked teams along the way. Its only loss was 42-35 at Ohio State in a game that went down to the final play. u-QB — Justin Fields, Ohio State, 6-3, 228, Jr., Kennesaw, Georgia. C — Josh Myers, Ohio State, 6-5, 312, Jr., Miamisburg, Ohio.

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)EVANSTON, Ill. – Boo Buie scored a career-high 30 points and Northwestern beat Michigan State for the first time in almost a decade, topping the No. Northwestern (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) stopped a 12-game slide in the series with its first victory over Michigan State since Jan. 14, 2012. 4 Michigan State on Jan. 27, 1979. Aaron Henry scored 11 points for Michigan State (6-1, 0-1), and Malik Hall finished with 10 points and nine boards. Michigan State looked rusty early on and a fired-up Northwestern team took advantage.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shortened schedule and all, Ohio State is headed back to the College Football Playoff and a familiar foe will be waiting. Barta, the Iowa athletic director, said “there was no dissension in the room” over putting Ohio State in. Clemson coach Dabo Sweeney said he wasn't surprised Ohio State got in with fewer games “because that’s what the committee has demonstrated over the past few weeks. We all know Ohio State is an incredibly talented team.”The loss to Clemson in the playoff last year landed hard and lingered for the Buckeyes, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on ESPN. It'll be different this time with less than two weeks between the conference championship game and the semifinal.

3 Ohio State rally for a 22-10 victory over Northwestern for a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship. It's the first time Ohio State has won four consecutive outright conference crowns. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was 12 of 27 with 114 yards and ran 12 times for 35 yards. Ohio State: Whatever happens in the polls this week, the Buckeyes really only care about one thing — making the playoff. Ohio State: Will wait to see if it has earned one of the precious four playoff spots.

The Atlantic Coast Conference hired Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips on Monday to be the league’s next commissioner, replacing the retiring John Swofford. Phillips has been Northwestern’s AD since 2008, leading the athletic department through a period of success in competition and growth in facilities. The Chicago native has also worked at Notre Dame under current Duke athletic director Kevin White and was athletic director at Northern Illinois before taking over at Northwestern in the Big Ten. “As I’ve said many times before, having been an athletic director prior to sitting in this chair is a tremendous benefit, and that will serve him well. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the ACC had not released terms of Phillips' deal.

3 Ohio State to play in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 19 against No. 3 Ohio State to take on No. Ohio State finished the regular season with only five games after Michigan had to pull out of Saturday's showdown because of COVID-19 issues. Ohio State — No. Though Ohio State is already in the top four of the CFP rankings, a win against Northwestern could be important in seeding.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Here is the new eight-game schedule for Michigan State football as the Big Ten prepares to start its 2020 season in late October. Oct. 24: vs. RutgersOct. 31: at MichiganNov. 7: at IowaNov. 14: vs. IndianaNov. 21: at MarylandNov. 28: vs. NorthwesternDec. 5: vs. Ohio StateDec. 12: at Penn StateThe Spartans are scheduled to begin the season Oct. 24 against Rutgers. Michigan State will play all six of its fellow East Division foes: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana, Maryland and Rutgers. Iowa and Northwestern will be the two crossover games. The Big Ten announced earlier this week that fall football was being reinstated, about a month after the league’s presidents voted to push the season to the spring.

Indiana brings a three-game win streak into the first November night game in Memorial Stadium history Saturday evening against struggling Big Ten opponent Northwestern in Bloomington, Ind. LINE: Indiana -11.5A win over Northwestern would give Indiana its fourth consecutive Big Ten victory, which the program hasn't achieved since that 1993 season. Indiana has experienced much more success on offense than Northwestern, which was shut out last week in a 20-0 home loss to Iowa. Northwestern has won five straight meetings, but the teams haven't faced off since 2016 or played in Bloomington since 2011. PREDICTION: Indiana 27, Northwestern 14

Wisconsin, 2018Final score: Michigan 38, Wisconsin 13When Wisconsin came to Ann Arbor last season, it was ranked No. Penn State, 2018Final score: Michigan: 42, Penn State 7Unlike Wisconsin, Penn State was actually a pretty good team last year. The Nittany Lions lost to Ohio State by a point, Michigan State by four points and Kentucky by three points. Michigan State, 2018Final score: Michigan 21, Michigan State 7So far during the Harbaugh era, Michigan has lost to good MSU teams and beaten the not-so-good MSU teams. Last year's Michigan State team was a mess offensively, but the two teams were ranked when they met in East Lansing.

The Cornhuskers attempt to bounce back from a disheartening loss and keep the Wildcats winless in conference play Saturday when the schools meet in Lincoln. Dedrick Mills, who ranks third in Big Ten with six rushing scores, was responsible for Nebraska's only touchdown versus the Buckeyes. Northwestern has passed for no more than 165 yards in any game this season and has been held to 265 total yards or fewer in all three of its losses. The Cornhuskers (14 turnovers, 128th in FBS) and Wildcats (11, 118th) rank first and second, respectively, in the Big Ten in turnovers. PREDICTION: Nebraska 27, Northwestern 17More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

- Ninth-ranked Wisconsin looks to continue its sizzling start to the season when it hosts Northwestern on Saturday. The Badgers shut out South Florida (49-0) and Central Michigan (61-0) in non-conference play before trouncing No. "We just focus on ourselves and play as well as we possibly can," Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan told reporters. Northwestern is heading in the wrong direction following a 31-10 home loss to Michigan State in Week 4. PREDICTION: Wisconsin 42, Northwestern 17More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Hunter Johnson #15 of Northwestern is brought down by (L-R) Drew Beesley #86, Xavier Henderson #3 and Josiah Scott #22 of the Michigan State Spartans . Michigan State lost 10-7 to Arizona State last week after an apparent game-tying field goal was negated by penalty. The win was the 110th for coach Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, which makes him the winningest coach in program history. Quarterback Hunter Johnson completed 15 of 26 passes for 88 yards with an interception before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Running back Drake Anderson had 86 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown.

Michigan State Spartans players walk around the field with locked arms prior to the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Spartan Stadium on September 14, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten)The frustration around the Michigan State program had to do with more than just the officiating in the loss to Arizona State after the Spartans nearly doubled up the Sun Devils in total offense, 404-216. Michigan State LB Antjuan Simmons recorded a career-high nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, against Arizona State. As good as Michigan State has been over the last few seasons, Northwestern has won three straight meetings, averaging 40.7 points in those victories. PREDICTION: Michigan State 31, Northwestern 17More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Did this Lions win make up for Arizona tie? That ugly tie against lowly Arizona still could very well come back to haunt the Lions. Was this the worst loss in Mark Dantonio's tenure at Michigan State? Big Ten play is hereThe start of Big Ten play finally arrives for Michigan and Michigan State on Saturday, and neither team will ease into conference action. Campbell went 17-of-29 passing for 271 yards and three touchdowns in a 62-28 Ferris State win at Central Washington.