Notre Dame gets past USC to reach title game

Notre Dame is heading to the BCS championship game to play an SEC team to be determined.

The Fighting Irish stuffed Southern California 22- 13 on Saturday night to finish a perfect season and lock up a spot in the national championship game.

The SEC title game next Saturday in Atlanta will most likely determine Notre Dame’s opponent. No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia will play in that game, though Florida will make a case that it deserves to be playing the Fighting Irish. No. 1 NOTRE DAME

22, USC 13 LOS ANGELES ( AP) —

Notre Dame’s hard- nosed defense appropriately made the decisive stand in the final minutes, keeping USC out of the end zone on four plays from the 1 with 2: 33 to play No. 2 ALABAMA 49,

AUBURN 0 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ( AP) — AJ McCarron passed for four touchdowns and Eddie Lacy ran for 131 yards and two scores in the most lopsided Iron Bowl in 64 years.

The Crimson Tide ( 10- 1, 7- 1 Southeastern Conference) clinched the Western Division title outright and a spot in the conference title game against No. 3 Georgia.

None of that will come as easily as this one. Auburn ( 3- 9, 0- 8) completed the worst season for any team within two years of winning an Associated Press national title in what might have been the last game for embattled coach Gene Chizik.

The biggest Iron Bowl margin was Alabama’s 55- 0 victory in 1948. No. 3 GEORGIA 42, GEORGIA TECH 10 ATHENS, Ga. ( AP) — Aaron Murray threw two touchdown passes, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall each ran for a pair of TDs, and Georgia stayed right in the thick of the national championship race.

The Bulldogs ( 11- 1) extended the domination of the Yellow Jackets, beating their state rival for the 11th time in 12 meetings. This one was a laugher from the start as the home team scored just over a minute into the game, built a 28- 3 halftime lead and was up 42- 3 before Georgia Tech ( 6- 6) scored its lone TD. No. 5 OREGON 48, No. 16 OREGON

STATE 24 CORVALLIS, Ore. ( AP) — Kenjon Barner ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns despite leaving the game for a time with an injury and the Ducks kept alive their hopes for a spot in the Pac- 12 title game and even an outside chance at the national championship.

De’Anthony Thomas, who helped picked up the slack while Barner was on the sidelines, ran for 122 yards and three scores for the Ducks ( 11- 1, 8- 1).

After Oregon’s undefeated season was thwarted by a 17- 14 overtime loss to Stanford last weekend, the Ducks had to wait for UCLA’s game against the Cardinal later Saturday to see who would be headed to the conference championship game. Both Oregon and Stanford started the day with one conference loss in the league’s northern division.

Sean Mannion threw for 311 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted four times for the Beavers ( 8- 3).