College Football Hall of Famer Bob Babich dies at 74

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Bob Babich, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame who played linebacker in the NFL for the Chargers and Browns, has died. He was 74.

Babich died April 3 at his home in Clairemont, California. His death was reported by the National Football Foundation on Wednesday.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Babich played for coach Bo Schembechler at Miami (Ohio) University. He was a captain and a first-team All-American at linebacker in 1968, subsequently voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He is still the only player from the Mid-American Conference school in Oxford, Ohio, to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

“An exceptional hard hitting linebacker, Bob Babich made his mark in Oxford as one of the best in the country,” National Football Foundation chairman Archie Manning said. “He was great guy to be around with a great sense of humor and full of great stories.”

Babich was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft. He spent three years with the Chargers and six more in Cleveland, mostly playing middle linebacker.

After his playing days, he operated his own firm for more than two decades in the insurance, financial services and real estate lending industry.

Desmond Ridder, No. 8 Cincinnati beat Miami of Ohio 49-14

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CINCINNATI — Desmond Ridder was 20 of 25 for 295 yards and four touchdowns and No. 8 Cincinnati beat Miami of Ohio 49-14 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.

The Bearcats tied the series that began in 1888 at 59-59-7.

Ridder threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Scott on the second play from scrimmage. It was the longest TD toss of his career.

“I saw them go into a two high like they did on film,” Ridder said. “There was a smile on my face when they did. I just threw the ball up for Todd to go get. I was able to see things a lot better. I think a lot of guys saw things a lot better.”

Ridder also ran six times for 31 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown carry. The fifth-year senior had one interception.

“Desmond was really poised,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. “He was ready. It isn’t only he has improved as a player but he’s improved as a leader. ”

Jerome Ford added 121 yards rushing yards on 12 carries, scoring on a 21-yard run in the second quarter.

“They were very well-prepared,” Miami coach Chuck Martin said about Cincinnati. “They executed on both sides of the ball.”

Backup quarterback AJ Mayer started for the Redhawks. Mayer played in place of Brett Gabbert, who injured a knee in the preseason. Gabbert returned only to suffer an injury to his thumb that prevented his participation.

“When you’re less talented and you don’t execute, you’re looking at 35-0 by halftime,” Martin said.

Miami scored on its 11th possession with 3:20 left in the game on a 19-yard run by Kenny Tracy. Prior to breaking the shutout, the Redhawks had 10 possessions, six ended in punts. Four possession ended on downs, with two of them inside the Cincinnati 20. Miami head coach Chuck Martin passed up field goal opportunities.

John Saunders picked off Cincinnati backup quarterback Evan Prater‘s pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown.

Mayer was 9 of 29 attempts for 109 yards. Keyon Mozee rushed 15 times for 80 yards for the Redhawks.

Cincinnati scored five touchdowns in the first half. Miami got no closer than the Cincinnati 32 on six possessions.

FIT TO BE TIED

Miami tied or led the series since 1916. The last time it was tied was 1953. The series has been played every year since 1945 when Covid limited Miami to three games in 2020. The teams did not meet in 1943 or 1944 but played every year from 1909 – 1942. The initial meeting on Dec. 8, 1888, was a 0-0 tie.

UP NEXT

Miami: At Minnesota on Saturday.

Cincinnati: Hosts Murray State on Saturday.

Alabama’s Jones, Smith, Harris lead 6 Tide AP All-Americans

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Heisman Trophy finalists Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith have been selected to The Associated Press All-America team, leading a contingent of five Alabama players on the first-team offense.

Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris, tackle Alex Leatherwood and center Landon Dickerson are also first-team selections. No. 1 Alabama is the first team since 1980, when the AP All-America team began featuring two wide receivers and two running backs, to place a quarterback, running back and receiver on the first team.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain II gives the Crimson Tide six first-team selections, the most in the nation. No. 4 Notre Dame, Alabama’s College Football Playoff opponent this weekend, has two first-team All-Americans in offensive guard Aaron Banks and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Florida’s Kyle Trask was selected second-team quarterback and fellow Heisman finalist Trevor Lawrence of Clemson was the third-team quarterback on the AP teams released Monday. Lawrence, the likely first pick in the next NFL draft, made AP All-America for the first time in his career.

No. 2 Clemson, which will face No. 3 Ohio State in the CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night, had only one other player selected to the All-America teams: Running back Travis Etienne made the first-team as all-purpose player. The senior has been a second-team All-American at running back the last two seasons.

Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis is the only player to repeat as a first-team All-American after making it in 2020. Davis is one of two Buckeyes on the first team along with cornerback Shaun Wade.

The 2020 AP All-America team:

FIRST TEAM

Offense

Quarterback – Mac Jones, junior, Alabama.

Running backs – Najee Harris, senior, Alabama; Breece Hall, sophomore, Iowa State.

Tackles – Brady Christensen, junior, BYU; Alex Leatherwood, senior, Alabama.

Guards – Aaron Banks, senior, Notre Dame; Wyatt Davis, junior, Ohio State.

Center – Landon Dickerson, senior, Alabama.

Tight end – Kyle Pitts, junior, Florida.

Receivers – DeVonta Smith, senior, Alabama; Elijah Moore, junior, Mississippi.

All-purpose player – Travis Etienne, senior, Clemson.

Kicker – Jose Borregales, senior, Miami.

Defense

Ends – Rashad Weaver, senior, Pitt; Tarron Jackson, senior, Coastal Carolina.

Tackles – Daviyon Nixon, junior, Iowa; Darius Stills, senior, West Virginia.

Linebackers – Zaven Collins, junior, Tulsa; Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, senior, Notre Dame; Joseph Ossai, junior, Texas.

Cornerbacks – Patrick Surtain II, junior, Alabama; Shaun Wade, senior, Ohio State.

Safeties – Talanoa Hufanga, junior, Southern California; Brandon Joseph, redshirt freshman, Northwestern.

Punter – Pressley Harvin III, senior, Georgia Tech.

SECOND TEAM

Offense

Quarterback – Kyle Trask, senior, Florida.

Running backs – Jaret Patterson, junior, Buffalo; Javonte Williams, junior, North Carolina.

Tackles – Liam Eichenberg, senior, Notre Dame; Christian Darrisaw, junior, Virginia Tech.

Guards – Cain Madden, junior, Marshall; Kenyon Green, sophomore, Texas A&M.

Center – Tyler Linderbaum, sophomore, Iowa.

Tight end – Hunter Long, junior, Boston College.

Receivers – Jaelon Darden, senior, North Texas; Jonathan Adams Jr., senior, Arkansas State.

All-purpose player – Kadarius Toney, senior, Florida.

Kicker – Cade York, sophomore, LSU.

Defense

Ends – Jaelen Phillips, senior, Miami; Patrick Jones, senior, Pitt.

Tackles – Alim McNeil, junior, North Carolina State; Haskell Garrett, senior, Ohio State.

Linebackers – Mike Rose, junior, Iowa State; Nik Bonitto, sophomore, Oklahoma; Nick Bolton, junior, Missouri.

Cornerbacks -Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, sophomore, TCU; Ahmad Gardner, sophomore, Cincinnati.

Safeties – Trevon Moehrig, junior, TCU; James Wiggins, senior, Cincinnati.

Punter – Lou Hedley, junior, Miami.

THIRD TEAM

Offense

Quarterback – Trevor Lawrence, junior, Clemson.

Running backs – Michael Carter, senior, North Carolina; Mohamed Ibrahim, junior, Minnesota.

Tackles – Darian Kinnard, junior, Kentucky; Samuel Cosmi, junior, Texas.

Guards – Ben Cleveland, senior, Georgia; Tommy Kraemer, senior, Notre Dame.

Center – Creed Humphrey, junior, Oklahoma.

Tight end – Charlie Kolar, junior, Iowa State.

Receivers – Dyami Brown, junior, North Carolina; Ty Fryfogle, senior, Indiana.

All-purpose player – Avery Williams, senior, Boise State.

Kicker – Jake Oldroyd, sophomore, BYU.

Defense

Ends – JaQuan Bailey, senior, Iowa State; Kayvon Thibodeaux, sophomore, Oregon.

Tackles – Christian Barmore, sophomore, Alabama; C.J. Brewer, senior, Coastal Carolina.

Linebackers – Zion Tupuola-Fetui, junior, Washington; Micah McFadden, junior, Indiana; Dylan Moses, senior, Alabama.

Cornerbacks – Greg Newsome, junior, Northwestern; Eli Ricks, freshman, LSU.

Safeties – Kyle Hamilton, sophomore, Notre Dame; Tykee Smith, sophomore, West Virginia.

Punter – Jake Camarda, junior, Georgia.