Clemson keeps cruising; Oklahoma just escapes

Trevor Lawrence said he and his Clemson teammates aren’t focused on trying to make a point about their outside-looking-in position in the last week’s initial College Football Playoff rankings.

Maybe not, but the reigning national champion Tigers sure are playing with an overwhelming edge all the same — and that has, for now at least, secured their ticket to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Lawrence threw for two scores and ran for another in a dominating first quarter as the Tigers (10-0, 7-0, No. 5 CFP) rolled to a 55-10 victory over host North Carolina State (4-5, 1-4).

Since surviving a 21-20 scare at unranked North Carolina in September, the Tigers have won five straight by 31 or more points.

“I think with something like (the CFP ranking), it’s hard to just avoid it and not see it and not hear any of that,” Lawrence said.

“But we don’t really focus on it, especially now. I mean, after the 12th week or the ACC championship, that’ll be important for sure then. ... If we don’t win next week and the week after that and the week after that, it doesn’t really matter about the playoff if we lose a game.”

Starting that way was enough against the Wolfpack, as Clemson extended its school-record winning streak to 25 games.

In other games late Saturday (with CFP rankings):

(At) No. 9 Oklahoma 42, Iowa State 41: Parnell Motley intercepted Brock Purdy’s two-point conversion pass with 24 second left to help the Sooners (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) hold off the Cyclones (5-4, 3-3).

No. 15 Notre Dame 38, (at) Duke 7: Ian Book rushed for a career-best 139 yards and threw four touchdown passes to carry the Irish (7-2) past the host Blue Devils (4-5).

(At) No. 22 Boise State 20, Wyoming 17 (OT): A defensive stand in overtime secured the win for the Broncos (8-1, 4-0 Mountain West) as the Cowboys (6-3, 3-2) missed a 37-yard field goal attempt.