Young, Alabama trip up Georgia

Bryce Young stunningly carved up the nation’s toprated defense, giving Nick Saban and Alabama a shot at another national championship.

Young threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide rolled over No. 1 Georgia 41-24 in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday in Atlanta, a result that likely sends both powerhouse programs to the four-team College Football Playoff.

Young set SEC championship records with 421 yards passing and 461 yards total offense.

Georgia (12-1, No. 1 CFP) cruised through the regular season, barely challenged and a unanimous choice as the nation’s No. 1 team for the past two months. The Bulldogs boasted a fearsome defensive unit that had allowed only 6.9 points a game.

Young made them look like a scout team, surely bolstering his Heisman Trophy chances as well as moving on to an even bigger game on the final day of 2021.

The playoff field will be announced today.

Alabama (12-1, No. 3 CFP) had six offensive scoring drives — five covering at least 75 yards, the other 62 — and finished with a staggering 536 yards against a team that was giving up just under 231 per game.

American Athletic

MO. 3 CINCINNATI 35, NO. 16 HOUSTON 20 >> Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes as the Bearcats broke open a close game in the third quarter and rolled past the Cougars in the AAC title game.

The Bearcats who are ranked No. 4 in the latest CFP rankings, are in position to become the first nonPower 5 team to qualify.

Cincinnati (12-0) which extended the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 27, scored three touchdowns in fewer than eight minutes to finish off its second straight AAC crown.

Cougars junior Clayton Tune passed for 250 yards with two TDs and an interception as Houston (11-2) lost for the first time since dropping its season opener to Texas Tech on Sept. 4.

Nathaniel Dell’s diving 16yard TD catch put the Cougars in front, 10-7. But on the first play of Cincinnati’s next possession, Ford broke free for a 79-yard TD run.

Cincinnati led 14-13 at halftime despite Houston having possession for more than 22 minutes.

After a pass interference penalty negated a fourthdown stop by the Cougars, Ridder tossed an 8-yard TD pass to Leonard Taylor in the third quarter.

On Houston’s next play, Bearcats linebacker Joel Dublanko intercepted Tune and Ridder hit Alec Pierce for a 21-yard TD. Just like that, it was 28-13 Bearcats.

Ford had another long touchdown run of 42 yards, and within fewer than eight minutes, Cincinnati turned a one-point lead into a 22-point advantage.

Big 12 NO. 9 BAYLOR 21, NO. 5 OKLAHOMA STATE 16 >>

Dezmon Jackson came up inches short on a desperate, fourth-down dive with 24 seconds remaining and the fifth-ranked Cowboys fell to the Bears in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas, knocking Oklahoma State out of contention for a playoff spot.

Blake Shapen threw three TDs while completing his first 17 passes as Baylor (11-2, CFP No. 9) took a 21-3 lead.

The Cowboys (11-2, CFP No. 5) rallied back, then went 89 yards on 17 plays on their final drive. But their Big 12 and national championship hopes came up just short.

On fourth down from the 1, Jackson tried to sweep wide left, but with Jairon McVea in pursuit, he barely missed while trying to reach the pylon in the front left corner of the end zone.

Spencer Sanders threw four interceptions, one by McVea, and the Cowboys were without leading rusher Jaylen Warren because of his lingering ankle and shoulder issues.

Shapen started his second game in a row for injured Gerry Bohanon, and the third-time Big 12 champion Bears won even with only 242 total yards of offense.

Mountain West UTAH STATE 46, NO. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE 13 >>

Brandon Bowling caught two touchdown passes from Logan Bonner during the decisive third quarter, and the Aggies won their first Mountain West Conference title.

Bonner passed for 318 yards and four TDs, while Bowling had eight catches for 154 yards. The Aggies (10-3) punctuated their inspiring turnaround under first-year coach Blake Anderson by blowing out the Aztecs (11-2) for their first win over an AP Top 25 opponent since 2015.

Jordon Brookshire passed for 117 yards before getting replaced by Jalen Mayden for San Diego State, which had its four-game winning streak snapped in the school’s most lopsided loss since a 35-point defeat at Ohio State in September 2013.

Mid-American NORTHERN ILLINOIS 41, KENT STATE 23 >>

Quarterback Rocky Lombardi ran for three touchdowns and Jay Ducker ran for 146 yards on 29 carries to power the Huskies (9-4) to a victory over the Golden Flashes (7-6) in the Mid-American Conference title game on Detroit.

Sun Belt NO. 20 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 24, APPALACHIAN STATE 16 >>

Levi Lewis scored on a 56-yard run and passed for another touchdown, and Louisiana-Lafayette (12-1) capped off soon-to-be Florida coach Billy Napier’s time with the Ragin’ Cajuns (10-3) by defeating the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt championship game.

Pac-12 NO. 14 UTAH 38, NO. 10 OREGON 10 >>

Devin Lloyd returned an interception for a TD, Cam Rising threw for another score and the Utes clinched the first Rose Bowl berth in school history with a rout of the Ducks in the Pac12 title game Friday night.

This game was a near carbon copy of the one in Salt Lake City two weeks ago when the Utes (103, No. 17 CFP) jumped out early and won 38-7.

While that game all but ended the playoff hopes for Oregon (10-3, No. 10), the rematch delivered coach Kyle Whittingham and the Utes the Rose Bowl prize they had been seeking since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.