Buckeyes’ title hopes end on final play
Michael Geiger kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and No. 9 Michigan State, playing without injured quarterback Connor Cook, beat No. 2 Ohio State 17-14 on Saturday to snap the Buckeyes’ 23-game winning streak.
The visiting Spartans (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) took control of the Big Ten East, jumped into the thick of the College Football Playoff race and very likely ended the Buckeyes’ chances to repeat as national champions.
Ohio State (10-1, 6-1, No. 3 CFP) managed just 132 yards against a rugged defense and lost for the first time to a Big Ten team in the regular season since Urban Meyer became coach four seasons ago.
Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott said he has played his last home game for the Buckeyes and strongly criticized the coaching staff after he ran for only 33 yards, snapping his streak of 15 straight games with 100 yards or more.
Quarterback Cardale Jones also suggested on Twitter that he would be leaving Ohio State at the end of the year. He posted a photo of himself walking into the stadium and said, “Last time walking down them steps and into The Shoe, wish the results were different tho.” #1 Clemson 33, Wake Forest 13: Deshaun Watson threw three touchdown passes and ran for a another score as the host Tigers (11-0, 8-0 ACC, No. 1 CFP) topped 500 yards of offense for the seventh straight game. It was the Tigers’ 14th straight victory and 700th in program history. The Demon Deacons (3-8, 1-6) have lost five straight and seven of eight.
#3 Alabama 56, Charleston So. 6: Cyrus Jones returned two punts for touchdowns and Derrick Henry also scored twice, tying Trent Richardson’s Alabama single-season record of 21 touchdowns, for the host Crimson Tide (10-1, No. 2 CFP), who led 49-0 by halftime against the Buccaneers (9-2), who are bound for the FCS playoffs.
#10 Baylor 45, #4 Oklahoma St. 35: Backup quarterback Chris Johnson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and the visiting Bears (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 10 CFP) climbed back into the College Football Playoff picture by knocking the Cowboys (10-1, 7-1, No. 6 CFP) out of the unbeaten ranks and likely out of the playoff conversation. Baylor quarterback Jarrett Stidham took several hard hits in the first half and did not play after the break. The Bears still gained 700 yards. #5 Notre Dame 19, Boston College 16: DeShone Kizer threw two touchdown passes — and three interceptions — and the Irish (10-1, No. 5 CFP) survived five turnovers to beat the Eagles (3-8) at Boston’s Fenway Park.
#6 Iowa 40, Purdue 20: C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes and the host Hawkeyes (11-0, 7-0) clinched a share of the Big Ten West title and a spot in the conference championship game.
#7 Oklahoma 30, #18 TCU 29: Steven Parker batted away Bram Kohlhausen’s two-point conversion attempt with less than a minute left as the host Sooners (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) held off the Horned Frogs (9-2, 6-2). After trailing 30-13 in the fourth quarter, TCU had a chance to tie the game after Kohlhausen’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Porter with 51 seconds remaining. Instead, the Horned Frogs went for the win.
#8 Florida 20, Fla. Atlantic 14: Treon Harris threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jake McGee in overtime to lift the host Gators (10-1, No. 8 CFP), who were favored by more than 30 points. #12 N. Carolina 30, Virginia Tech 27: Marquise Williams hit Quinshad Davis with a 5-yard pass in overtime and the Tar Heels (10-1, 7-0 ACC) wrapped up the Coastal Division title and spoiled retiring coach Frank Beamer’s final home game at Virginia Tech. The Hokies (5-6, 3-4) tied it on Michael Brewer’s 4-yard, fourth-down
pass to Isaiah Ford with 1:07 remaining, but had to settle for a field goal to begin the overtime.
UConn 20, #13 Houston 17: Noel Thomas caught two touchdown passes, including a 45-yarder on a trick play in the fourth quarter, and the host Huskies (6-5, 4-3 American Athletic) held the previously unbeaten Cougars (10-1, 6-1, No. 19 CFP) to 318 yards of offense, almost 200 below their season average.
#14 Michigan 28, Penn State 16: Jake Rudock threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns and De’Veon Smith ran for two TDs for the visiting Wolverines (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 12 CFP) against the Nittany Lions (7-4, 4-3).
#16 Florida St. 52, Chattanooga 13: Sean Maguire threw two touchdown passes and Dalvin Cook had his seventh 100-yard rushing game and added two more scores for the host Seminoles (9-2, No. 14 CFP). Chattanooga (8-3) has clinched a spot in the FCS playoffs.
#25 Mississippi 38, #17 LSU 17:
Chad Kelly threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns and the host Rebels gave the Tigers their first three-game losing streak since 1999. Ole Miss (8-3, 5-2 SEC, No. 22 CFP) took a 24-0 lead in the second quarter. LSU (7-3, 4-3, No. 15 CFP) rallied in the third quarter to cut it to 24-17, but the Rebels responded with two quick touchdowns.
#19 Navy 44, Tulsa 21: Quarterback Keenan Reynolds ran for 81 yards and a touchdown while directing an offense that rolled up 512 yards on the ground as the Midshipmen (9-1, 7-0 American Athletic) overwhelmed the host Golden Hurricane (5-6, 2-5). Reynolds, who also threw for a touchdown, became Navy’s all-time leading rusher with 4,195 yards, breaking Napoleon McCallum’s record of 4,179 yards. His 82 career touchdowns are one behind the career NCAA touchdown record of 83 set by Wisconsin’s Montee Ball. #20 Northwestern 13, #21 Wisconsin 7: Justin Jackson ran for 139 yards and a touchdown, and the visiting Wildcats (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten, No. 20 CFP) used a goal-line stand to hold off the Badgers (8-3, 5-2, No. 25 CFP).
Harvard 38, Yale 19: Scott Hosch threw four touchdown passes to lead the Crimson (9-1, 6-1) to a share of the Ivy League crown in the 132nd edition of The Game in front of 52,126 fans at Yale Bowl in New Haven, Conn. Dartmouth and Penn also earned a piece of the Ivy with wins earlier in the day.
CCSF 30, Butte College 13: Anthony Gordon passed for 375 yards and three touchdown for the host Rams (10-1), who will host Chabot College of Hayward for the Northern California championship next week for a berth in the California Community College Athletic Association final. Chabot College 76, College of San Mateo 55: Dru Brown threw for a school-record seven touchdowns but it wasn’t enough for the host Bulldogs (7-4). The Gladiators (9-2) got 269 rushing yards and four TDs from running back Ondre Rudolph.
Humboldt State 45, Augustana 31: Sophomore quarterback Robert Webber passed for 460 yards and four touchdowns and the host Lumberjacks (10-1) triumphed in their first postseason game since 1968. Three of Webber’s TD passes were caught by Chase Krivashei, who had a schoolrecord 18 completions in the win over the Vikings (9-3) in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Ja’Quan Gardner rushed for 246 yards and scored two touchdowns. The Lumberjacks, ranked 11th in Division II, will face No. 1 Northwest Missouri State (11-0) in a second-round game Saturday in Maryville, Mo.