AUBURN, Ala. — Jarrett Stidham and No. 6 Auburn dominated top-ranked Alabama 26-14 Saturday, earning a berth in next week’s Southeastern Conference title game.
The Tigers quarterback passed for 237 yards and ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown to set up a rematch with No. 7 Georgia in the SEC championship game Dec. 2 with a playoff spot almost certainly on the line.
Auburn (10-2, 7-1 SEC, No. 6 CFP) mostly shut down the league’s top scoring offense for their second win in three weeks over the top team in the playoff rankings. They won the Western Division a week after dispatching the Bulldogs with similar precision.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn didn’t shy away from a question about his team’s chances of making the playoffs with two losses. One of the defeats was to defending national champion Clemson, No. 3 at the time.
“We’ve got to win next week and that’s going to be a handful,” Malzahn said. “I don’t know, them experts got it figured out. I don’t think anybody else has played two No. 1 teams and a No. (3) team.”
The Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1) made a rare assortment of mistakes for a team that had appeared to be headed toward a shot at a fourth consecutive SEC title and playoff berth.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said his team deserves a playoff shot after playing for the national title the past two years and scarcely getting challenged.
“I don’t think one game defines who you are,” Saban said. “It certainly doesn’t define this team for who they are. I’m sorry that I could not do a better job as a coach and as a leader.”
Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson delivered a jump pass for a touchdown and ran 30 times for 104 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with an injury.
Malzahn said after the game Johnson has “a shoulder issue,” but didn’t elaborate on his status for the rematch with Georgia in Atlanta. Johnson had earlier appeared hurt on a run toward the pylon but stayed in for a 1-yard touchdown run on the next play.
“I mean, he’s as tough as it gets,” Malzahn said. “He dived right there and we gave him the football on the next play and he was banged up.”
The SEC’s leading rusher crumpled to the ground before being hit after a carry and walked off the field holding his right arm close to his body with a towel draped over his head. Fans chanted, “Kerryon!” ”Kerryon!”
Auburn fans stormed the field after the final play, creating a scene similar to 2013 when the fourth-ranked Tigers beat No. 1 Alabama on a last-play, 109-yard return of a missed field goal.
With No. 2 Miami losing Friday night to Pittsburgh, it’s the first time the top two teams in the AP poll have fallen on the same regular-season weekend since Nov. 17, 2012.
Then, No. 1 Oregon lost to No. 14 Stanford and No. 2 Kansas State went down to Baylor.
Stidham completed 21 of 28 passes and ran for 50 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown scamper early in the fourth quarter. Ryan Davis caught 11 passes for 139 yards.
Alabama’s Jalen Hurts passed for 177 yards and a touchdown while running 17 times for 80 yards, but neither he nor the Tide offense ever really seemed to get going.
Alabama had a devastating sequence after Auburn took the lead late in the third on Johnson’s 1-yard run.
Trevon Diggs’ 55-yard return set the Tide up for a potential go-ahead score, and a pass interference against Auburn helped. Hale Hentges nearly caught a tipped pass in the end zone but replay overturned the touchdown call.
Then the Tide botched a field goal attempt with a bad snap.
Alabama had two straight botched snaps on a promising drive in the fourth quarter, failing to make good on a do-over after an Auburn penalty on the second.
NO. 8 OHIO STATE 21, MICHIGAN 20
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Dwayne Haskins replaced injured star J.T. Barrett in the third quarter and No. 8 Ohio State rallied to beat Michigan, the Buckeyes’ sixth straight win in the rivalry.
The Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1 Big Ten) head to the conference championship game next week to face No. 5 Wisconsin, with hopes of making the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines (8-4, 5-4) have lost 13 of 14 to Ohio State, including the last three with coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan was relegated to starting John O’Korn because Brandon Peters wasn’t cleared to play after having a concussion and Wilton Speight is still out with cracked vertebrae. The fifth-year senior O’Korn simply didn’t make the most of the opportunity, completing fewer than half of his passes. He threw an interception with about two minutes left and the Buckeyes ahead 24-20.
Mike Weber sealed it for Ohio State with a 25-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left.
Haskins, a redshirt freshman, was 6 of 7 for 94 yards and had a 22-yard run that set up J.K. Dobbins’ 1-yard touchdown gave Ohio State a 21-20 lead late in the third quarter.
Barrett appeared to hurt his right knee on a run midway through the third quarter. He limped off the field and toward the locker room before returning to watch the rest of the game from the sideline.
NO. 3 OKLAHOMA 59, WEST VIRGINIA 31
NORMAN, Okla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns after being punished for directing a lewd gesture toward the Kansas bench last week, and Oklahoma routed West Virginia to maintain its momentum heading into the Big 12 Championship game.
Mayfield was stripped of his captaincy and starting job for the game, his final home game as a Sooner. He received the loudest cheers when the seniors were announced, then more loud cheers when he entered the game on Oklahoma’s second possession.
Rodney Anderson ran for 118 yards and four touchdowns for the Sooners (11-1, 8-1 Big 12, No. 4 CFP). They will play TCU for the Big 12 title next Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
The Sooners gained 646 yards in their seventh straight win. It was the most points Oklahoma has scored against the Mountaineers.
West Virginia’s Chris Chugunov passed for 137 yards in his first start. He stepped in for Will Grier, who injured a finger the previous week against Texas. Kennedy McKoy ran for 137 yards and three touchdowns for the Mountaineers (7-5, 5-4).
NO. 4 CLEMSON 34, SOUTH CAROLINA 10
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kelly Bryant threw two touchdowns to Hunter Renfrow and Clemson kept on track for a third straight trip to the College Football Playoff with the victory over rival South Carolina.
The Tigers (11-1, No. 3 CFP) won their fourth straight game in the Palmetto State’s most cared-about sporting event, tying their second-longest run of dominance in the series.
The win was the 100th in Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s career. And combined with the CFP’s top teams — Alabama and Miami — losing this weekend, the Tigers solidified their position among the top four heading into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game next week.
The Tigers entered wary of a rejuvenated South Carolina (8-4, No. 24 CFP), which finished second in the Southeastern Conference East and had its most victories in a season in four years. But Clemson’s defense bottled up the Gamecocks and quarterback Jake Bentley for a second consecutive season.
NO. 5 WISCONSIN 31, MINNESOTA 0
MINNEAPOLIS — Alex Hornibrook threw three touchdown passes without an interception and Wisconsin, remained unbeaten by overwhelming rival Minnesota for its 14th straight victory over the Gophers.
Jonathan Taylor rushed for 149 yards on 20 carries, including a 53-yard scoring sprint on the first play of the fourth quarter that gave the Badgers (12-0, 9-0, No. 5 CFP) their largest winning margin in a Big Ten game this season. The only other time Wisconsin completed the conference slate without a loss was in 1912, when there were only five contests on the schedule.
With help from Miami’s stunning loss at Pittsburgh on Friday, the Badgers headed to the Big Ten championship game weekend next against Ohio State in prime position to crack the top four spots in the College Football Playoff.
Rodney Smith rushed 16 times for 82 yards for the Gophers (5-7, 2-7). They finished coach P.J. Fleck’s first season by suffering the program’s first consecutive shutouts since 1950.
NO. 7 GEORGIA 38, GEORGIA TECH 7
ATLANTA — Sony Michel ran for 85 yards and a touchdown, Jake Fromm threw two touchdown passes and Georgia protected its playoff hopes.
The Bulldogs had 247 yards rushing. Michel, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift ran for touchdowns. Fromm threw scoring passes of 21 yards to Javon Wims and 78 yards to Ahkil Crumpton.
Georgia (11-1, No. 7 CFP) will play in the Southeastern Conference championship game next week against the winner of the game Saturday between No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Auburn.
Georgia Tech (5-6) was denied the win it needed to become bowl-eligible. The Yellow Jackets now must hope for a bowl waiver based on their academics if there is a shortage of bowl-eligible teams.
NO. 20 STANFORD 38, NO. 9 NOTRE DAME 20,
STANFORD, Calif. — K.J. Costello threw two of his career-high four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and Stanford rallied to beat Notre Dame.
The night couldn’t have gone much better for the Cardinal (9-3, No. 21 CFP), who got the help they needed when Washington beat Washington State 41-14 in the Apple Cup to send Stanford to the Pac-12 title game. The Cardinal finished tied for first in the North with the Huskies but won the head-to-head matchup to take the tiebreaker.
Bryce Love ran for 125 yards but Costello was the star of the offense for a change by throwing for 176 yards and delivering the four scores. Stanford has won seven of nine in the series, including the last five at home against the Fighting Irish (9-3, No. 8).
NO. 12 PENN STATE 66, MARYLAND 3
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Trace McSorley threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to cap an outstanding regular season and carry Penn State past Maryland.
The Nittany Lions (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) built a 31-0 halftime lead and cruised to their third straight victory. The streak began after successive losses at Ohio State and Michigan State by a combined four points.
McSorley went 22 for 33 for 237 yards and ran seven times for 36 yards. The junior has thrown for 3,228 yards and 26 touchdowns this season and run for 589 yards and 11 TDs.
McSorley left with 5:46 left in the third quarter, after Saquon Barkley made it 45-0 with two third-quarter touchdown runs. Backup quarterback Tommy Stevens completed the rout, running for 113 yards and three scores. enn State has won 10 games in successive seasons for the first time since 2008-09.
The one bright spot for Maryland (4-8, 2-7) was the record-setting play of DJ Moore, who had eight catches for 100 yards. Moore set the school single-season mark of 80 receptions, breaking the record of 77 held by Geroy Simon in 1984, and became only the third Maryland receiver to have a 1,000-yard season.
NO. 15 WASHINGTON 41 NO. 14 Wash. STATE 14
SEATTLE — Myles Gaskin ran for 192 yards and four touchdowns, Washington forced four turnovers, and the Huskies ended Washington State’s hopes for a Pac-12 North title.
The Apple Cup remained decorated in purple for the fifth straight year thanks to a thorough domination by Washington (10-2, 8-2 Pac-12, No. 17 CFP) that was punctuated by Gaskin’s runs and a suffocating defense that made the night miserable for Luke Falk in his final regular season game.
It was a major flop for Washington State (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12, No. 13 CFP), needing only a victory to win its first Pac-12 North title and earn a spot in the conference title game Friday against Southern California. Washington State had memorable Apple Cup wins over the Huskies in 1997 and 2007 in Seattle.
Falk, the Pac-12 record-holder in a number of passing categories, threw three interceptions and had a costly fumble. He was under pressure all night as Vita Vea and the rest of defensive front was able to get pressure while rushing just three defenders and closed off gaps in the secondary. Falk was 37-of-55 passing for 369 yards and a late TD to Tay Martin, helping continue coach Mike Leach’s streak of never being shut out.
NO. 17 MEMPHIS 70, EAST CAROLINA 13
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Riley Ferguson threw for three touchdowns, Darrell Henderson scored twice and rushed for 122 yards and Memphis dominated in a tuneup for the American Athletic Conference title game.
Patrick Taylor ran for 127 yards and scored twice for Memphis.
The Tigers (10-1, 7-1, No. 20 CFP) completed their first undefeated home season at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium since it opened in 1965. Memphis won its sixth straight, the lone loss coming Sept. 30 against No. 13 Central Florida, which the Tigers will face in next Saturday in Orlando, Florida.
Memphis scored on its first play from scrimmage on an 89-yard pass from Ferguson to Anthony Miller.
Even when the Pirates (3-9, 2-6) were able to reach the end zone — the first time on a 33-yard pass from Gardner Minshew to Jimmy Williams in the third quarter — the ensuing extra point was blocked. And to make things worse, when the Pirates kicked off, Memphis’ Tony Pollard returned it 100 yards for his fourth kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
NO. 18 OKLA. St. 58, KANSAS 17
STILLWATER, Okla. — Mason Rudolph passed for 438 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores in his final home game to lead Oklahoma State.
James Washington, Dillon Stoner and Marcel Ateman each went over 100 yards receiving for Oklahoma State (9-3, 6-3 Big 12).
Peyton Bender was 17 of 32 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas (1-11, 0-9). The Jayhawks lost their 45th consecutive road game.
Oklahoma State’s big-play offense delivered again, scoring on five consecutive first-half possessions en route to a 34-10 lead at halftime. The Cowboys then made it 41-10 a minute into the third quarter on Rudolph’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Washington. Randolph has been responsible for 45 touchdowns this season, breaking the school record of 44 set by Barry Sanders in his 1988 Heisman Trophy season.
NO. 19 LSU 45, TEXAS A&M 21
BATON ROUGE, La. — Danny Etling passed 347 yards and three touchdowns and LSU beat Texas A&M in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Etling, a senior playing his final game in Tiger Stadium, completed 19 of 30 passes and had six completions longer than 25 yards, including a 56-yarder on a short pass to running back Darrel Williams and a 49-yarder deep downfield to D.J. Chark.
Etling’s touchdowns went for 11 yards to Russell Gage, 10 yards to J.D. Moore and 6 yards to D.J. Chark as LSU (9-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) won for the sixth time in seven games to finish with its best SEC record since 2012.
The Aggies (7-5, 4-4) entered the game with questions swirling about the future of coach Kevin Sumlin, who has never had a losing season since taking over at A&M in 2012, but who will go a fourth straight year without as many as nine victories.
NO. 21 MICH. ST. 40, RUTGERS 7
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Brian Lewerke threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Michigan State held the ball for more than 47 minutes against Rutgers.
Redshirt freshman Matt Coghlin kicked a career-best four field goals and Gerald Holmes ran 2 yards for a touchdown as Michigan State (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) flipped its overall record from a year ago.
This was a dominant performance by Mark Dantonio’s team. Michigan State had the ball for 47:50, had a 431-112 advantage in total yards and limited Scarlet Knights’ running game to a season-low 14 yards in sending Rutgers (4-8, 3-6) to its third straight loss.
Still, this was a better season for Rutgers coach Chris Ash, who endured a 2-10 overall record and an 0-9 conference record in his first season.
NO. 23 NORTHWESTERN 42, ILLINOIS 7
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Justin Jackson ran for 144 yards and a touchdown and Northwestern won its seventh straight, beating Illinois.
The bowl-bound Wildcats (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) held Illinois scoreless after giving up a first-quarter touchdown, and put 42 straight points on the board.
Jackson finished the regular season with 1,154 yards, one of two Big Ten players along with former Wisconsin star Ron Dayne to top 1,000 yards for four straight seasons. Clayton Thorson was 13 of 21 for 140 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
In a quiet stadium where the Illinois band far outnumbered the student section, the Illini (2-10, 0-10) lost their 10th straight and finished winless in the Big Ten for the first time since 2012.
FRESNO STATE 28, NO. 25 BOISE STATE 17
FRESNO, Calif. — Marcus McMaryion threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns and Fresno State beat Boise State in a preview of the Mountain West title game.
West champion Fresno State (9-3, 7-1) and Mountain winner Boise State (9-3, 7-1) had already wrapped up the division titles. They will meet Saturday in the MWC championship game at a site to be determined.
A summer transfer from Oregon State, McMaryion was 23 of 36 with no interceptions. He put away the game with an 81-yard strike to KeeSean Johnson midway through the fourth quarter.
Fresno State held Boise State’s to its fewest points of the season.