Buckeyes power to Big Ten crown
INDIANAPOLIS — Dwayne Haskins added five more touchdown passes to his single-season record Saturday and No. 6 Ohio State relied on its staunch defense to hold off a second-half charge from No. 21 Northwestern for a 45-24 victory to claim its second straight Big Ten championship.
The Buckeyes (12-1, 9-1 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP) won their third title in five years and their fifth consecutive game — but it’s unlikely to get the Buckeyes into the four-team College Football Playoff.
Haskins finished 34 of 41 with 499 yards and one interception. It’s the fifth time he topped 400 yards this season.
Clayton Thorson went 27 of 44 with 267 yards, one TD and two interceptions as he helped Northwestern trim a 24-7 halftime deficit to 24-21 midway through the third quarter. The Wildcats (8-5, 8-2) couldn’t get any closer, though, as they lost only their second conference contest in their last 17 league games.
It still turned out to be a more intriguing game than many expected, especially after the Buckeyes’ fast start.
Haskins eluded a couple of defenders on third-and-11, buying just enough time to find Terry McLaurin for a 16-yard TD pass on the game’s opening possession.
Northwestern tied the score when little-used running back John Moten IV outran Ohio State’s defense for a 77-yard scoring run. It matched Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins for the secondlongest run in title game history. Dobbins had a 77-yard run in last year’s title game.
Then the Buckeyes answered with what appeared to be knockout flurry. Dobbins scored on a 2-yard run, Blake Haubeil made a 42-yard field goal and McLaurin caught a 42-yard TD pass from Haskins to make it 24-7 at the half.
The Wildcats opened the second half with Thorson’s 18-yard scoring run and made it 24-21 when he found Cameron Green on a 2-yard TD pass with 8:03 left in the third quarter.
After Haskins connected with Chris Olave for a 29-yard TD pass, Charlie Kuhbander made a 21-yard field goal to get the Wildcats within go.
But Haskins sealed it with two more TD passes — a 9-yarder to Johnnie Dixon and a 17-yarder to Olave.
The Buckeyes’ performance was reflective of this season. They played like one of the nation’s top teams in a dominant first half and when they were in closeout mode late. In between, they put on a mystifying performance.
Eventually, Haskins closed out the win that will likely send them to the Rose Bowl. 31-24 with 10:34 to
Clemson gets 4th straight ACC title
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Travis Etienne ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns, Trevor Lawrence threw two short scoring passes to Tee Higgins and No. 2 Clemson beat Pitt 42-10 on Saturday night to become the first team to win four straight Atlantic Coast Conference championships.
Clemson (13-0, CFP No. 2) is expected to face thirdranked Notre Dame, which was idle Saturday, in the College Football Playoffs on Dec. 29.
The Tigers ran for 301 yards and four touchdowns and averaged 9 yards per carry on a dreary rainsoaked night in which Lawrence was limited to 118 yards passing.
Clemson forced three turnovers, including two in the first half that gave the offense the ball inside the Pitt 10 and led to 14 points. The Tigers limited Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett to 8 yards passing and had nine tackles for a loss.
The Tigers joined the Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators (1993-96) as the only Power Five teams to win four straight conference titles. The historic win comes exactly 10 years after Dabo Swinney was hired as Clemson head coach.
The Tigers entered the game as a 27-point favorite and Swinney’s team looked as if it would put Pitt away early after Etienne scored on his first two carries.
The ACC player of the year took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage, ran to the right, cut back and raced 75 yards for his 20th touchdown of the season — the quickest TD in the conference championship history. Oklahoma coach Lincoln