Ohio State wins vs. Penn State, takes Big Ten East

COLUMBUS, OHIO » J.K. Dobbins rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns and No. 2 Ohio State locked up the Big Ten East title Saturday, surviving its first real test of the season with a 2817 victory over No. 9 Penn State.

The Buckeyes held on after Penn State (9-2, 7-2) took advantage of two secondhalf turnovers to climb back into the game in the third quarter after going down 21-0. This was a far different scenario for Ohio State, which blew out its first 10 opponents.

The Buckeyes (10-0, 8-0 Big Ten) were clinging to a 21-17 lead early in the fourth quarter when Justin Fields threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave to create some breathing room.

The Ohio State defense, with Chase Young back from a two-game suspension, then shut down two late Penn State drives on fourth down. The last drive included back-to-back sacks of backup quarterback Will Levis by Young and linebacker Baron Browning.

NO. 4 GEORGIA 19, NO. 24 TEXAS A&M 13 » George Pickens scored Georgia’s only touchdown, Rodrigo Blankenship booted four field goals and the defense stymied Texas A&M.

Georgia (10-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 4 CFP) wrapped up its conference schedule and stayed on course to make a run at the College Football Playoff.

While the Bulldogs struggled offensively, the defense turned in another dominating performance. Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3) was held to just minus-1 yards rushing and 274 yards overall, one week after piling up 319 yards on the ground in a rout of South Carolina.

NO. 1 LSU 56, ARKANSAS 20 » Joe Burrow passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns, Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for a careerhigh 188 yards and three TDs and LSU clinched its first trip since to the Southeastern Conference championship game since 2011.

LSU (11-0, 7-0) can finish no worse than a tie for first with Alabama (10-1, 6-1) and owns the tiebreaker by virtue of the Tigers’ 46-41 triumph in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 9.

NO. 5 ALABAMA 66, WESTERN CAROLINA 3 » Mac Jones passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns in little more than a half and Alabama began life without Tua Tagovailoa with a romp over Western Carolina.

With Tagovailoa watching much of the game from a cart behind the bench, the Crimson Tide (10-1) treated its injured quarterback to a one-sided show against the Catamounts (3-9). Alabama is ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings and hoping to somehow make the field despite failing to win the SEC West.

This one was about taking care of business five days after Tagovailoa underwent surgery on his right hip. It wasn’t the type of game for impressing the selection committee.

ARIZONA STATE 31, NO. 6 OREGON

28 » Freshman Jayden Daniels completed 22 of 32 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns and Arizona State intercepted two of Justin Herbert’s passes in the fourth quarter, helping the Sun Devils upset No. 6 Oregon.

Arizona State (6-5, 3-5 Pac-12) ended Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes and its nine-game winning streak. The Sun Devils snapped a four-game losing streak with their first victory over a top-five team since Oct. 14, 2017, against then No. 5 Washington.

Oregon (9-2, 7-1) has clinched the Pac-12 North title and a place in the conference championship game.

NO. 8 OKLAHOMA 28, TCU 24 » Jalen Hurts passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more and No. 8 Oklahoma beat TCU to clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

Hurts ran for 173 yards and passed for 145. He became the third Oklahoma quarterback to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season.

Kennedy Brooks added 149 yards rushing for the Sooners (10-1, 7-1, No. 9 CFP), who kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Max Duggan rushed for 92 and a touchdown for the Horned Frogs (5-6, 3-5), who missed a chance to become bowl eligible.

Oklahoma won its 20th consecutive November game dating to 2014. The Sooners outgained the Horned Frogs 511 yards to 204, but turned the ball over three times.

NO. 11 MINNESOTA 38, NORTHWESTERN 22 » Tanner Morgan led Minnesota to scores on its first three possessions and finished with four touchdown passes, and the Gophers bounced back from their first loss of the season.

The Gophers (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP), who lost at Iowa last week, strengthened their grip on first place in the West Division.

NO. 12 MICHIGAN 39, INDIANA 14 » Shea Patterson threw five touchdown passes and Nico Collins scored a career-high three times for Michigan.

The Wolverines (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 13 CFP) have won four straight overall and 24 straight in the series since 1987.

Patterson was 20 of 32 with 366 yards and one interception.

Peyton Ramsey and Stevie Scott III each scored on 1-yard runs for the Hoosiers, but the offense stalled as Patterson started heating up and Indiana (7-4, 4-4) never had a chance. The Hoosiers have lost two in a row since clinching its first winning season in 12 years.

NO. 13 BAYLOR 24, TEXAS 10 » Charlie Brewer accounted for 296 yards and two touchdowns and Baylor wrapped up a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

The Bears (10-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) have their sixth 10-win season, and fifth since 2011. This one comes just two years after the school’s only 11-loss season in coach Matt Rhule’s debut when he took over in the aftermath of a sprawling sexual assault scandal that led to two-time Big 12 champion coach Art Briles getting fired 3 1/2 years ago.

NO. 14 WISCONSIN 45, PURDUE 24 » Jonathan Taylor ran for 222 yards — the 12th time he has at least 200 in his career —and a touchdown for Wisconsin.

Wisconsin (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 12 CFP)extended its winning streak over the Boilermakers to 14 games. Jack Coan completed 15 of 19 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns against one interception.

The Boilermakers (4-7, 3-5) dropped their seventh straight at Camp Randall Stadium and failed to qualify for a bowl game. Aidan O’Connell finished with a career-high 289 yards passing with two scores.

NO. 15 NOTRE DAME 40, BOSTON COLLEGE 7 » Ian Book threw three touchdown passes and Notre Dame corralled Boston College star running back AJ Dillon.

The fourth straight victory by the Fighting Irish (9-2, No. 15 CFP) completed their second straight unbeaten season (7-0) at Notre Dame Stadium, where they have won 18 straight. But for the second straight week, the stadium was not filled after a streak of 273 sellouts since 1973. The announced crowd of 71,827 was 5,795 short of capacity.

NO. 16 AUBURN 52, SAMFORD 0» Auburn held Samford to 114 yards and forced four turnovers, JaTarvious Whitlow scored twice and the Tigers tuned up for the Iron Bowl against Alabama with a rain-drenched rout.

Auburn (8-3) forced and recovered a fumble on a fourth-and-4 on Samford’s opening drive, the first of three turnovers and a trio of three-and-outs across Samford’s first six possessions. The Tigers had 13 tackles for loss and held Samford to 2 yards per play, 2 of 13 on third down as Auburn’s defensive starters were benched a few minutes into the third quarter.

Samford (5-7) had scored in 213 straight games.

NO. 17 CINCINNATI 15, TEMPLE 13 » Michael Warren II ran 13 yards for a touchdown on a cold, raw night, Coby Bryant went 98 yards with a blocked extra-point attempt and Cincinnati clinched a spot in the American Athletic title game.

The Bearcats (10-1, 7-0) secured the AAC East title and remained the only unbeaten team in league play. They would host the title game if they win next week at No. 18 Memphis, which shares the AAC West lead.

Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder played despite a sore passing shoulder and was only 9 of 25 for 62 yards. Warren finished with 106 yards rushing.

NO. 18 MEMPHIS 49, SOUTH FLORIDA 10 » Brady White threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns and Memphis shrugged off two early turnovers to beat South Florida and retain a share of first place in the American Athletic Conference West Division.