No. 11 Ohio State routs No. 13 MSU
COLUMBUS, OHIO » J.T. Barrett threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, and Mike Weber rushed for 162 yards and pair of scores as No. 11 Ohio State bounced back from a deflating loss last week to rout No. 13 Michigan State 48-3 on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 13) scored on five of their first six possessions, led 35-3 at the half and cruised the rest of the way to claim sole possession of first place in the Big Ten East with two games remaining.
In a season already marked by radical highs and lows, the Buckeyes took out their frustrations on the Spartans, using a run-heavy attack to dominate them on both sides of the ball.
Ohio State outgained Michigan State 524-195, and a Buckeyes defense that was smoked by unranked Iowa in the 55-24 loss limited Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke — who threw for 445 yards last week against Penn State — to 131 yards and forced two interceptions.
Barrett was 14 for 21 for 183 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. J.K. Dobbins, who split time with Weber, rushed 18 times for 124 yards.
Coach Urban Meyer faced questions this week about not using the talented tailbacks enough. He put those concerns to rest on Saturday, with Weber and Dobbins combining for 286 yards on the ground.
Auburn hammers No. 1 Georgia, 40-17
AUBURN, ALA. » Kerryon Johnson ran for 167 yards and caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham and No. 10 Auburn smothered No. 2 Georgia’s running game in a 40-17 victory Saturday.
The Tigers (8-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) remained in Western Division and potentially playoff contention after snapping a three-year losing streak to one of their top rivals. The Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1) came in with the top spot in the playoff rankings and could get a rematch if Auburn can beat No. 1 Alabama in two weeks.
The first go around wasn’t pretty for Georgia. Auburn held Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and the SEC’s top ground game to 46 yards, 233 below their season average.
Johnson ran 32 times and caught two passes for 66 yards. Stidham threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns, all of 30-plus yards.
Georgia special teams blunders helped set up three Auburn touchdowns, including a roughing the penalty flag in the first half. The Bulldogs fumbled away a punt return and had a 15-yard personal foul penalty in the third quarter when Auburn pulled away with two touchdowns.
Wisconsin stays undefeated
MADISON, WIS. » Receiver Kendric Pryor scored twice, and Wisconsin relied on stifling defense to overcome four turnovers and Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson’s two touchdowns en route to a 38-14 victory.
The win allowed the Badgers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, CFP No. 8) to clinch a trip to the league conference title game as West champions.
Credit their defense for another overpowering outing at chilly Camp Randall Stadium.
Leon Jacobs recovered two fumbles — one returned for a score — and fellow linebacker T.J. Edwards had an interception for the Badgers, who shut down an Iowa offense that had overwhelmed Ohio State last week.
The Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-4, CFP No. 20) were held to 66 total yards and five first downs, including just 15 yards and one first down in the first half.