Defense lifts Florida State to ACC title
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Florida State made things as difficult as possible on the College Football Playoff selection committee, using a dominant defensive performance to beat No. 14 Louisville 16-6 for the fourth-ranked Seminoles' first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 2014.
The Seminoles moved to 13-0, but even that doesn't guarantee a spot in the four-team playoff after Alabama knocked off No. 1 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference championship and Texas, which beat Alabama this season, won the Big 12 title.
No Power Five team has ever gone unbeaten, won its conference title and failed to make the playoff.
Seminoles fans held up signs reading “Win and we're in!” But Florida State's offensive performance created some doubt about whether it's one of the four best teams in the country.
Lawrance Toafili ran for 118 yards and a touchdown for the Seminoles, who stuck to a conservative game plan with third-string quarterback Brock Glenn behind center. Glenn finished 8-of-21 passing for 55 yards.
Starting QB and Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Travis is out for the season with a leg injury. Tate Rodemaker, Travis' backup, was sidelined with a concussion.
The difference for the Seminoles was their defense, which had a season-high seven sacks and a critical interception that kept Louisville out of the end zone.
Trailing 10-6 in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals (10-3) had a chance to take the lead after they tackled Seminoles punter Alex Mastromanno before he could get the kick away.
Louisville took over at the Seminoles 11, but three plays later, Tatum Bethune picked off Jack Plummer's pass in the end zone.
NO. 2 MICHIGAN 26 NO. 16 IOWA 0
Blake Corum scored twice, tying the school record for touchdown runs with 55, and the Wolverines beat the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten championship game to likely take the top seed in the College Football Playoff.
With coach Jim Harbaugh back on the sideline for the first time in four weeks, Michigan (13-0) routed Iowa (10-3) to win three straight outright conference crowns for the first time in school history.
And with No. 1 Georgia falling to No. 8 Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game, Harbaugh and the Wolverines are poised — finally — to claim the top playoff seed and reach No. 1. Harbaugh became the first coach in conference history to win three straight outright titles and he celebrated by running evasively to avoid getting doused in a Gatorade bath.
Michigan also extended its school record of consecutive wins over Big Ten foes to 25. Corum tied Anthony Thomas' school career rushing TD mark. Corum, the league's running back of the year, finished with 16 carries for 52 yards. J.J. McCarthy, who was selected the conference's best quarterback this week, was 22-of-30 through the air for 147 yards.
SMU 26, NO. 22 TULANE 14
Kevin Jennings threw a touchdown pass and accounted for 266 yards from scrimmage in his first career start, Collin Rogers kicked four second-half field goals and SMU beat No. 22 Tulane 26-14 on Saturday in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
The Mustangs (11-2) also turned in a stifling defensive performance, limiting Tulane (11-2) to a touchdown during the final 59 minutes to snap the defending league champs' 10-game winning streak.
TROY 49 APPALACHIAN ST. 23
Kimani Vidal rushed for 233 yards and five touchdowns and Troy scored twice in a sixsecond span of the fourth quarter in a home victory Saturday for the Trojans' second straight Sun Belt Conference title.
FLORIDA A&M 35 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 14
Jeremy Moussa threw for one touchdown and ran for another and Terrell Jennings scored twice as the Rattlers defeated the Panthers in a game held Tallahassee, Fla., to win the first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship title in school history.
BOISE ST. 44, UNLV 20
Taylen Green threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more and Ashton Jeanty rushed for 153 yards and a score as the Broncos won their fifth Mountain West title with a victory over the Rebels in Las Vegas.
MIAMI (OHIO) 23 TOLEDO 14
Rashad Amos ran for two touchdowns, Graham Nicholson kicked three field goals and the RedHawks upset the Rockets in the Mid-American Conference title game at Detroit.
FCS playoffs ALBANY 41, RICHMOND 13
Reese Poffenbarger threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more and the Great Danes mostly went unchallenged in beating the Spiders at Albany, N.Y.
SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 41 MERCER 0
Isaiah Davis ran for three touchdowns, and the top-seeded Jackrabbits turned in a dominant performance to shut out the Bears at Brookings, S.D.
VILLANOVA 45 YOUNGSTOWN ST. 28
Connor Watkins and Jalen Jackson both ran for two touchdowns and the eighth-seeded Wildcats defeated the Penguins at Philadelphia. Villanova (10-2) will face South Dakota State next.
SOUTH DAKOTA 34 SACRAMENTO ST. 24
Aidan Bouman threw two touchdown passes, Charles Pierre rushed for 123 yards and the Coyotes defeated the Hornets at Vermillion, S.D.
NORTH DAKOTA ST. 35, MONTANA ST. 34 (OT)
Hunter Poncius blocked Casey Kautman's extra point attempt in overtime and the Bison escaped with a win over the sixth-seeded Bobcats at Bozeman, Mont.
FURMAN 26 CHATTANOOGA 7
Dominic Roberto scored twice and Ian Williams kicked four field goals as the Paladins spotted the Mocs an early touchdown before going on to win at Greenville, S.C.
MONTANA 49 DELAWARE 19
The Grizzlies used a balance rushing attack to grind out 203 yards on the ground, taking down the FIghtin' Blue Hens in a snowy second-round playoff game in Missoula, Mont.