Coaches Malzahn and Smith are fired

Auburn f ired coach Gus Malzahn on Sunday, ending an eight- year run that began with a trip to the national championship game.

Illinois fired Lovie Smith with a game left in its ninth consecutive losing season.

Auburn is 6- 4 in a pandemic- shortened season of all Southeastern Conference opponents, losing by double digits to highly ranked teams Alabama, Georgia and Texas A& M. The Tigers also were upset by a struggling South Carolina.

Malzahn went 68- 35 in eight seasons and was 39- 27 against SEC opponents. He led the Tigers to an SEC title in 2013, his f irst season, losing to Florida State in the national title game.

Auburn will owe Malzahn a $ 21.45- million buyout for the remaining four years of a seven- year, $ 49- million deal.

Smith became Illinois’ f irst Black football coach when he was hired in 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17- 39 in five seasons.

Big Ten additions

The Big Ten announced the undercard to Saturday’s conference title game between Ohio State and Northwestern. Wisconsin is set to host Minnesota on Saturday, and Indiana hosts Purdue on Friday night. Rutgers hosts Nebraska in Friday’s other game. The rest of the Saturday slate includes Illinois at Penn State, Michigan at No. 18 Iowa and Michigan State at Maryland.

QBs transferring

McKenzie Milton will transfer to Florida State as the former Central Florida quarterback tries to come back from a leg injury. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer tweeted he will play elsewhere as a graduate transfer next season.

AP poll

The f irst top- 10 shakeup in more than a month pushed Coastal Carolina to No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, the f irst Sun Belt team to crack the top 10.

Alabama was a unanimous No. 1, followed by Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson and Texas A& M for a sixth straight week. USC is up to No. 13 and No. 25 San Jose State is ranked for the first time since 2012.

Etc.

Virginia will end its season without a bowl game. ... Ball State will play Friday’s Mid- American Conference title game without running back Caleb Huntley, who is opting out the rest of this season. ... Memphis and Florida Atlantic will play in the Montgomery Bowl. Appalachian State and North Texas will play in the f irst Myrtle Beach Bowl.