STANFORD, Calif. — Kevin Hogan threw four touchdown passes and drove the 13th-ranked Cardinal to the winning 45-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina on the last play of a 38-36 victory over No. 4 Notre Dame in a playoff elimination game Saturday night.
Hogan threw for 269 yards and led the winning drive in the final 30 seconds for the Cardinal (10-2, No. 9 CFP). Stanford needs to beat Southern California in the Pac-12 championship game next week and then get help in the other title games to make the four-team playoff.
DeShone Kizer gave the Irish (10-2, No. 6 CFP) a one-point lead on his 2-yard run with 30 seconds left only to see Hogan drive Stanford to the winning score.
The drive was aided by a facemask penalty on Isaac Rochell on the first play. Hogan connected on a 27-yard pass to Devon Cajuste to get Stanford in field goal range. After a short run by Christian McCaffrey, Ukropina came on and made the field goal, setting off a wild celebration with the fans rushing the field.
McCaffrey gained 228 all-purpose yards to become the third FBS player top 3,000 in a season, but was held to 94 on the ground to have a nine-game streak of 100-yard games snapped.
Kizer threw for 234 yards and ran for 128 more for the Irish. Josh Adams added 168 on the ground but it wasn’t enough. Notre Dame now awaits its bowl bid, but the Irish’s hopes of making the playoff are gone after being dealt their second loss.
NO. 2 ALABAMA 29, AUBURN 13
AUBURN, Ala. — Derrick Henry ran 46 times for 271 yards, Adam Griffith kicked five field goals and Alabama beat rival Auburn to win the Southeastern Conference’s West title.
Griffith emerged as an Iron Bowl hero for the Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 2 CFP) two years after his last-play attempt touched off the Tigers’ winning Kick-Six play. Henry, meanwhile, just did more of the same against Auburn (6-6, 2-6).
The Heisman Trophy contender had his fourth 200-yard game of the season against an SEC defense. He helped put it away with 19 runs in the fourth quarter, then extended his school-record streak of games with a rushing touchdown to 17 in the final minute.
The Tigers 6-6, 2-6) stayed close into the fourth, aided by Jason Smith’s 77-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that he twice tipped back to himself.
NO. 1 CLEMSON 37, SOUTH CAROLINA 32
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Deshaun Watson ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth and Clemson held off rival South Carolina to cap an undefeated regular season.
Watson came through with another stellar performance, passing for 279 yards and running for 114 to keep the Tigers on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Clemson is 12-0 for the first time since winning the 1981 national championship.
Clemson extended its nation’s best winning streak to 15 games. Next up is No. 11 North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Dec. 5 and a win would send the Tigers, who are first in the CFP ranking, to the national semifinals.
Watson had a 5-yard scoring run and threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cain to put the Tigers up 14-0 lead. The quarterback added 30 and 3-yard touchdown runs in the second half.
The Tigers fumbled three times as their 18-point lead was cut to 28-25 with 12:19 left on Shon Carson’s 1-yard touchdown run and Lorenzo Nunez’s 2-point conversion. Watson, though, followed series with a 60-yard scoring drive that he ended with a 3-yard burst around the left side.
South Carolina finished the season at 3-9.
NO. 5 OKLAHOMA 58, NO. 9 OKLAHOMA STATE 23
STILLWATER, Okla. — Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State to take the Big 12 title and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Mayfield was knocked out of the previous game with a concussion, but he was fearless against the Cowboys, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Sooners (11-1, 8-1 Big 12, No. 3 CFP) gained 524 yards, including 344 on the ground, to claim their third win over a ranked opponent in three weeks.
Joe Mixon ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, Samaje Perine had 131 yards and two scores, and Jordan Thomas intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown for the Sooners.
J.W. Walsh passed for 325 yards and two scores, and James Washington caught seven passes for 169 yards for the Cowboys (10-2, 7-2, No. 11 CFP).
NO. 6 MICHIGAN STATE 55, PENN STATE 16
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Connor Cook threw three touchdown passes in his return from a shoulder injury, and No. 6 Michigan State wrapped up a spot in the Big Ten championship game.
The Spartans (11-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) will play unbeaten Iowa for the conference title next weekend, with the winner in good position to advance to the College Football Playoff.
The Spartans tied atop the Big Ten East with Ohio State, and Michigan State upset the Buckeyes last weekend with Cook on the sideline. The senior came back Saturday and was brilliant against Penn State (7-5, 4-4). Cook went 19 of 26 for 248 yards.
NO. 8 OHIO STATE 42, NO. 12 MICHIGAN 13
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ezekiel Elliott ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns for Ohio State
The Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 8 CFP) have won 11 of the last 12 games against Michigan (9-3, 6-2, No. 10 CFP).
Elliott’s performance came a week after he had 33 yards in a loss to Michigan State, then criticized the play-calling and said he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. He had a 5-yard run that put Ohio State up 14-3 in the second quarter and a 10-yarder that made it 35-13 in the fourth.
J.T. Barrett, who had 19 carries for a season-high 139 yards, started the scoring with a 7-yard run late in the first quarter. His 13-yard run late in the third gave the Buckeyes an 18-point cushion and his 17-yarder midway through the fourth ended the scoring.
Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock was knocked out of the game when he was sacked and slammed onto his left shoulder.
NO. 14 FLORIDA STATE 27, NO. 10 FLORIDA 2
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dalvin Cook ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns, Roberto Aguayo kicked two long field goals and Florida State upended Florida.
The Seminoles (10-2, No. 13 CFP) won their third consecutive game at Florida Field — the first time that’s happened in the history of the storied rivalry — and ended any chance the Gators (10-2, No. 12 CFP) had of making the College Football Playoff.
Florida avoided its first shutout in the Swamp since 1988 when FSU quarterback Sean Maguire recovered a fumble in the end zone for a safety with 8:58 remaining.
It was little consolation for the Gators, who will be huge underdogs next week for the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta against second-ranked Alabama.
NO. 11 NORTH CAROLINA 45, N.C. STATE 34
RALEIGH, N.C. — Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan ran for touchdowns in a dominating first quarter and North Carolina beat North Carolina State.
Logan scored on runs of 42 and 40 yards, and Hood had a 39-yard run of his own before scoring from a yard out in a 35-point spreed for the Tar Heels (11-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 14 CFP).
North Carolina also got TD catches from Quinshad Davis and Mack Hollins, tying the program’s single-quarter scoring record by rolling to a 35-7 lead. That was too big of a hole for the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-5).
Hood had a career-high 220 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead North Carolina, which had already wrapped up the Coastal Division title and a spot against No. 1 Clemson in the ACC championship game.
NO. 17 NORTHWESTERN 24, ILLINOIS 14
CHICAGO — Justin Jackson rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown for Northwestern.
Freshman Clayton Thorson threw for 146 yards and a score to help Northwestern (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 16 CFP) avenge last year’s 47-33 home loss to Illinois. It was the fifth consecutive win for the Wildcats, putting them in position for a Jan. 1 bowl game.
A few hours before Illinois (5-7, 2-6) took the field, the school announced interim coach Bill Cubit had agreed to a two-year contract. Cubit took over for the fired Tim Beckman right before the season.
NO. 19 MISSISSIPPI 38, NO. 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE 27
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Chad Kelly threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Mississippi past Mississippi State.
Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 18 CFP) led 28-3 at the half and was never in serious trouble during the second half. Kelly threw two touchdown passes — both to Damore’ea Stringfellow — and ran for another score, and Tony Bridges returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
It’s just the second time the road team has won the Egg Bowl in 12 years.
Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4, No. 21) struggled in quarterback Dak Prescott’s final home game at Davis Wade Stadium. Prescott completed 31 of 42 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked seven times and rarely looked comfortable in the pocket.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 40, NO. 22 UCLA 21
LOS ANGELES — Cody Kessler threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Southern California won the Pac-12 South title with a victory over UCLA.
Darreus Rogers and Taylor McNamara caught TD passes while the Trojans (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) scored 20 consecutive points in the second half before raising the Victory Bell in the frenzied Coliseum.
USC improved to 5-2 under interim coach Clay Helton and snapped its three-year losing streak in the annual city rivalry game.
USC will face Stanford next Saturday in the Trojans’ first trip to the Pac-12 title game.
Paul Perkins rushed for two touchdowns for the Bruins (8-4, 5-4, No. 22 CFP). They lost to USC for the first time in coach Jim Mora’s tenure.
NO. 25 TEMPLE 27, UCONN 3
PHILADELPHIA — Jahad Thomas ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, P.J. Walker threw for 160 yards and a score and Temple beat UConn to secure a spot in the American Athletic Conference’s inaugural championship game.
Romond Deloatch caught a touchdown for the Owls, who will play at No. 21 Houston for the AAC title on Saturday with a New Year’s Six bowl bid possibly at stake.
Temple (10-2, 7-1, No. 25 CFP) reached 10 wins for just the second time in program history, capping a three-year turnaround under coach Matt Rhule that includes winning the AAC East Division.
UConn (6-6, 4-4), playing without starting quarterback Bryant Shirreffs, struggled offensively. The Huskies had just 138 yards of offense, including only 9 rushing yards.
