Michigan Adds Alex Bauman and Jeremiah Earby After Judge’s Ruling: What It Means for Wolverines Odds vs. Penn State
A Michigan judge cleared ex-Miami TE Alex Bauman and ex-Boise State DB Jeremiah Earby to play this season. Here is how the move could affect the Wolverines' line and futures.
Michigan is about to get reinforcements in the middle of a season that has gone sideways. A Washtenaw County judge on Tuesday granted temporary restraining orders to former Miami tight end Alex Bauman and former Boise State defensive back Jeremiah Earby, ruling that both fifth-year players are eligible to compete this season. Both are enrolled at Michigan, and first-year head coach Kyle Whittingham is expected to add the pair ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten game against Penn State.
The timing matters. The Wolverines are 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, having lost one-score games to Iowa and Minnesota before a bye week. A third straight defeat would effectively end any realistic playoff hunt, which makes the addition of two experienced players a storyline with real market implications.
What the Judge Ruled and Who Michigan Is Getting
Judge Julia B. Owdziej of the 22nd Washtenaw County Circuit Court granted each player a temporary restraining order against the NCAA. In her ruling, she wrote that denying the players eligibility would be “irreparable and severe,” while the harm to the NCAA would be “negligible.” Court records show both players filed on Sept. 25, and a preliminary injunction hearing is set for Nov. 4, meaning the eligibility question is not fully settled. The cases stem from the continuing wave of lawsuits from members of the high school class of 2022 seeking a fifth season of competition.
Bauman is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end who spent three seasons at Tulane before moving to Miami. Last year he caught 18 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown for the Hurricanes, and he carries 63 career receptions for 610 yards and 13 touchdowns into his final year. He was part of the Miami team that played for the national championship against Indiana.
Earby is a 6-foot-2, 186-pound defensive back who started for two seasons at Boise State after beginning his career at California. He earned All-Mountain West second-team honors last fall and intercepted four passes. Michigan has reportedly held roster spots open in anticipation of a favorable ruling, and as of Wednesday afternoon neither player had officially signed, with the school declining to comment until the paperwork is complete.
Why These Two Fit Michigan’s Needs
Whittingham has pointed to turnovers as the biggest problem for his team. Michigan turned the ball over three times in its 20-14 loss at Minnesota on Oct. 3, a game that also cost the Wolverines the Little Brown Jug for the first time in 49 years. His message for Penn State week was simple: do not turn the ball over, play sound and play physical.
A veteran tight end can help in two ways. Bauman’s size adds a blocking presence for a team that has struggled to move the football, and he gives the passing game a proven target in the middle of the field. Earby brings ball-hawking production to the secondary, which is valuable for a defense trying to win the turnover battle. Neither player can fix a 0-2 conference start alone, but experience could help in the close games Michigan has been losing.
Betting Market Impact: Michigan’s Line and Futures
The Penn State matchup is where the market will react first. Michigan opened as a 6.5-point favorite at home, with the total at 42.5 points. Moneylines have been posted around Michigan -245 and Penn State +198, with some books showing the spread at 6 or 5.5 depending on the shop. Michigan is 2-3 against the spread this season, while Penn State is 2-4. The Nittany Lions, under first-year coach Matt Campbell, are 3-3 and 0-3 in the Big Ten after losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern and USC, and they carry a positive turnover margin that makes them a more dangerous underdog than their record suggests.
Whether the two transfers actually suit up Saturday is the key variable. Because they have not officially signed, bettors should expect any line movement to hinge on confirmation of the signings and the depth chart. A tight end and a secondary piece are unlikely to change a power rating dramatically, so the effect on a number that already sits close to a touchdown is likely to be modest.
On the futures board, the damage from the conference start is already priced in. Published numbers vary widely by book, but Michigan’s Big Ten title odds sit in long-shot territory, and projection models that simulate the season give the Wolverines only a sliver of a chance at the conference championship game or a playoff berth. The Penn State result is the first real test of whether the market should adjust: a win moves Michigan to 4-2 and into a final stretch that includes Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State, while a loss would leave little to price.
The Nov. 4 preliminary injunction hearing adds a layer of uncertainty that handicappers should keep in mind. If the court reverses course, the two players’ availability for the stretch run could be in question, which makes their impact on Michigan’s win total and the later lines in the schedule harder to project. For now, the market is treating this as a modest roster upgrade, not a season-saving move.