Clemson puts best paw forward in ACC
No. 1 Clemson emphatically claimed its spot in the College Football Playoff with a 38- 3 victory over No. 7 Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Tigers ( 12- 1) should remain atop the CFP rankings in Sunday’s final poll after their decisive showing against the Hurricanes ( 10- 2) left little doubt that the defending national champs are looking to go back- to- back.
Kelly Bryant set a championship- game record by completing his first 15 passes. He finished with 252 yards passing and a 27yard TD pass to Deon Cain on the way to Clemson’s third consecutive ACC crown. Bryant had one of Clemson’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Tigers’ defense made it stand up.
UCF 62, Memphis 55 ( 2 OT)
The No. 15 Knights needed to win another shootout to keep their unbeaten season alive. When it was over, UCF found out its coach, Scott Frost, won’t be around much longer.
In one of the wildest FBS conference championship games, the Knights ( 12- 0) captured the American Athletic Conference title by beating the No. 20 Tigers ( 10- 2) in double overtime in Orlando, Florida.
It is UCF’s third AAC crown in the last five years and comes eight days after it won the East Division with a 49- 42 win over South Florida. Less than two hours after the game, Frost, the Knights’ secondyear coach and Nebraska native, was announced as the Cornhuskers’ next coach.
“The hard thing about all of this is they should give you time after the season to make decisions and they don’t,” Frost said. “These things happen at the wrong time.”
Athletic director Danny White said that there is a possibility that Frost would coach the Knights in their bowl game. Offensive coordinator Troy Walters has been named the interim coach to handle day- to- day matters.
Oklahoma 41, TCU 17
Baker Mayfield threw four touchdowns and No. 3 Oklahoma ( 12- 1,) staked claim to a playoff spot after rolling over the No. 11 Horned Frogs ( 10- 3) in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas. With their 11th Big 12 title, Oklahoma will get in the CFP for the second time in three seasons.
Toledo 45, Akron 28
Logan Woodside threw four touchdown passes and Terry Swanson rushed for 180 yards and two scores as the Rockets ( 11- 2) shot past the Zips ( 7- 6) in the MidAmerican Conference championship game at Ford Field in Detroit.
Fla. Atlantic 41, N. Texas 17
Devin Singletary ran for 164 yards and three touchdowns and Owls ( 10- 3) beat the Mean Green ( 9- 4) in Boca Raton, Florida, to win their first Conference USA championship in coach Lane Kiffin’s first season.