AP Top 25 Takeaways: Georgia, Ohio St make case to be CFP 1

AP

In their final games before the first College Football Playoff rankings are released, Georgia and Ohio State made compelling cases to start the race for the national championship in pole position.

Save for about six sleepy minutes in the third quarter, the AP top-ranked Bulldogs romped past rival Florida. Georgia shrugged off the Gators' third-quarter uprising and cruised home.

The second-ranked Buckeyes faced a tougher test at No. 13 Penn State and found themselves down in the fourth quarter — for about 35 seconds. Ohio State ripped off 28 points in a little more than six minutes to leave Happy Valley with its best win of the season.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day called it a “matchup” game, his way of saying Penn State is one of the few teams with the talent and athleticism to line up with Ohio State.

“When you play these types of of games you have to look at the entire body of work for four quarters,” Day said.

Day probably wasn't talking directly to the CFP selection committee, but it did seem notable he was speaking their language with “body of work.”

The selection committee weighs in for the first time this season on Tuesday night with the first of six top 25s. The only one that really matters is the last on Dec. 4, of course.

The first rankings are frequently filled with teams that never come all that close to entering the postseason with a chance to play of the national title. Famously, the very first CFP No. 1 in 2014 was Mississippi State. The Bulldogs did not make the playoff.

But that was the only team to be No. 1 in the first CFP rankings of the season and not reach the final four.

So starting first seems to have its benefits.

The Bulldogs, the defending national champions, seem like a good bet to be on top Tuesday night. Georgia's had one tight spot to get out of against Missouri this season, but has otherwise done a pretty good impression of last season's dominant team.

The Bulldogs' victory against No. 8 Oregon to start the season is aging nicely a s the Ducks have been rolling ever since leaving Atlanta.

The Buckeyes have rarely been tested this season, too, though the competition hasn't been particularly daunting.

Notre Dame gave them a good game for about three quarters and Penn State did the same. But when C.J. Stroud and Ohio State get rolling they seem impossible to stop.

Ohio State has scored at least 40 points in seven straight games, the most by a Big Ten school since 1936, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

No. 3 Tennessee was playing Saturday night against No. 19 Kentucky with a chance to make its case to be No. 1. The Volunteers are already in possession of maybe the season's best victory, a 52-49 win against No. 6 Alabama.

No. 4 Michigan was playing Michigan State.

No. 5 Clemson and No. 6 Alabama were off this week.

Don't forget about No. 7 TCU. The Horned Frogs stayed unbeaten in yet another wild Big 12 game at West Virginia.

“Some crazy stuff happened in this game today,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said.

As the season heads into its final month, we'll see if the crazy keeps up or if the playoff contenders fall into place.

AROUND THE COUNTRY

The back end of the top 10 was blown out in surprising fashion. No. 9 Oklahoma State was shut out by No. 22 Kansas State and No. 10 Wake Forest turned it over eight times — six (!) in the third quarter — against Louisville. It was the first time since 2009 that Oklahoma State was blanked. As for Wake, this was only the second time it has played as a top-10 team. The Demon Deacons are now 0-2. ... Maybe Notre Dame is better off playing away from home. The Fighting Irish (5-3) are 3-1 outside of South Bend, Indiana, after beating No. 16 Syracuse and have looked far more functional in almost every way ... UCF snapped No. 20 Cincinnati's 19-game American Athletic Conference winning streak at the Bounce House, leaving No. 23 Tulane as the lone unbeaten team in conference play. ... Break up that Iowa offense. The Hawkeyes broke out of a season-long fog against Northwestern, with season highs of 33 points and 393 yards. Northwestern still hasn't won a game in the United States after starting the season with a win over Nebraska in Ireland. ... This week's offensive debacle was brought to you by Miami and Virginia, which needed four overtime periods to reach 26 points. The Hurricanes (4-4) avoided yet another embarrassing loss. ... Who's up for an Iowa-Miami Pinstripe Bowl?

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com

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Georgia-Ohio St: Perennial powerhouses who've met just once

AP

ATLANTA (AP) — They are titans of the college gridiron, a pair of perennial powerhouses that, amazingly enough, have faced each other only once in their long histories.

Three decades ago, a quaint era before playoffs and RPOs and NIL, Georgia beat Ohio State in a bowl game that meant little more than intersectional bragging rights.

They’ll be playing for a whole lot more on New Year's Eve in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff — a berth in the national title game.

The top-ranked Bulldogs (13-0) are looking to take the penultimate step toward their second straight national championship, having barely broken a sweat on the way to the Southeastern Conference crown.

No. 4 Ohio State (11-1) is a bit more fortunate to be in this position, having slipped into the final playoff spot without winning its division in the Big Ten.

A resounding loss to Michigan in the regular-season finale knocked the Buckeyes out of contention for their conference title, but they made the playoff when Southern California lost in the Pac-12 championship game.

All of it adds up to a thoroughly intriguing semifinal between schools with so much tradition — from Georgia's Uga mascot to the Ohio State band's dotting of the “i” — but hardly any face time with each other.

Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg was asked what he knew about the Bulldogs.

“Before playing them, no familiarity,” he replied. “I mean, I’ve seen them play, but obviously this past week studying them now. I don’t know anyone who went there. Nothing really.”

Eichenberg's ignorance is understandable.

On New Year's Day in 1993, the Bulldogs completed the best season of the mostly forgettable Ray Goff era with a 21-14 Citrus Bowl victory over the John Cooper-led Buckeyes. It was a smash-mouth game that featured Georgia's Garrison Hearst and Ohio State's Robert Smith each rushing for more than 100 yards and two TDs.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, they had a quarterback (Eric Zeier) who could throw the ball, too. The Buckeyes, with now-ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit taking the snaps, completed just 8 of 24 passes for 110 yards with an interception.

“It was a good win for the Dawgs,” recalled Will Muschamp, Georgia's co-defensive coordinator who played in that game for his alma mater. “We had a luncheon, and Herbstreit got up and threw a pass across the room.

"I knew we had a shot to win."

Joking aside, there are no Herbstreits in this one. But both teams feature Heisman Trophy finalists at quarterback — Georgia's Stetson Bennett vs. Ohio State C.J. Stroud — and plenty of firepower.

The Buckeyes rank second in the nation at 44.5 points a game, while Georgia checks in at No. 10 with a 39.2-point average.

The big question for Ohio State: Can they match up physically with the bruising Bulldogs?

Georgia is just as comfortable pounding an opponent into submission with its deep group of running backs as it is opening things up for Bennett and a talented collection of pass catchers led by tight end Brock Bowers.

Ohio State faced such a test against Michigan — and failed miserably. Now, the Buckeyes get the reigning national champs.

“It’s football, and you have to play physical,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “Certainly it’s going to be the most physical game you’ve played all season.”

QUARTERBACK DUEL

Bennett, a former walk-on, could go down as one of the best big-game quarterbacks in college football history.

He has earned offensive MVP honors in his last three postseason contests, completing a cumulative 60 of 85 passes for 811 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions in this year's SEC championship game and last season's two playoff victories.

Stroud, who was heavily recruited by Georgia before landing at Ohio State, will be facing a Bulldogs defense that gave up 502 yards passing in a 50-30 victory over LSU for the SEC title.

He views that as nothing more than an anomaly in a game that Georgia led comfortably most of the way.

“I’m pretty sure they’re not going to let us drop back and do what we want to do,” Stroud said. “I’m pretty sure they’ve been watching film on us and make sure that’s something they stop.”

INJURY REPORT

After being a no-show much of the week, Ohio State running back Miyan Williams finally turned up at practice Thursday.

Day said his player has been dealing with a stomach bug but would be ready to go Saturday.

It remains to be seen how effective Williams will be after sustaining an ankle injury against Indiana last month. He missed one game and had only eight carries for 34 yards in the loss to Michigan.

The Buckeyes sure could use him against Georgia, which has allowed a nation-low 77 yards rushing per game.

Speaking of injuries, the Bulldogs could be missing a couple of key players.

In the SEC title game, offensive lineman Warren McClendon sustained a knee injury, while Ladd McConkey (51 catches, 675 yards, five TDs) had to come out because of knee tendinitis.

Smart played it coy all week, merely saying he hopes both can play after four weeks to recover.

EYE ON THE TIGHT ENDS

Georgia has two huge weapons at tight end, and the Buckeyes aren't too shabby at that position, either.

Bowers is the Bulldogs' top receiver with 52 catches for 726 yards and six TDs, while 6-foot-7, 270-pound Darnell Washington presents an imposing physical challenge.

Ohio State counters with Cade Stover, who has 35 catches for 399 yards and five scores. He calls the tight end position “a very key piece to a good offense.”

DAWG FRONT

A deep defensive front — even after losing three players in the first round of the NFL draft — has allowed Georgia to keep the heat on opposing quarterbacks without the need for a lot of blitzing.

That will be a key against Stroud and the Buckeyes, who feature a pair of 1,000-yard receivers (Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka).

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE

It figures to be a pro-Bulldogs crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is about 75 miles from Georgia's Athens campus.

This is Georgia's third appearance of the season at the stadium that is home to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. The Bulldogs opened with a 49-3 rout of Oregon and romped again in the conference title game.

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Paul Newberry is a national sports writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org

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Top 25 Capsules

AP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Jameis Winston drove top-ranked Florida State 66 yards to put Roberto Aguayo in position for a 26-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining, and the Seminoles remained perfect with a 20-17 victory over Boston College on Saturday.

Florida State (11-0, 8-0 ACC, No. 3 CFP) has been plagued by slow starts throughout the season and the Seminoles went into the fourth quarter tied 17-all with the Eagles (6-5, 3-4). But with less than five minutes left, Winston helped engineer another game-winning drive.

The Seminoles have won a school-record 27 consecutive games.

Florida State took over on its own 26-yard line after Boston College missed a 43-yard field goal with 4:37 left, and the Seminoles drove to the Eagles 8-yard line. Rashad Greene caught back-to-back passes for 11 and 15 yards to move the Seminoles within field-goal range.

Winston had 281 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. He has thrown at least one touchdown in 24 consecutive games.

No. 2 ALABAMA 48, WESTERN CAROLINA 14

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Derrick Henry rushed for two touchdowns and scored a third on a catch, all in the first half, to lead Alabama over Western Carolina.

The Crimson Tide (10-1) recovered from a slow start to score the final 31 points in its first game since rising to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. FCS member Western Carolina (7-5) scored a touchdown on the opening drive and trailed just 17-14 early in the second quarter.

Blake Sims was 17 of 25 passing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception in the end zone to snap a 158-pass streak without one. Henry had touchdown runs of 10 and 23 yards, and a 9-yard scoring reception.

Neither played in the second half.

The Tide can clinch a spot in the SEC championship game with a victory next weekend at home over No. 16 Auburn.

No. 3 OREGON 44, COLORADO 10

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Marcus Mariota threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 73 yards and another score as Oregon beat Colorado in perhaps his last game at Autzen Stadium.

Freshman Royce Freeman ran for 105 yards and two scores for the Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12, CFP No. 2). Oregon has already clinched the North Division's berth in the conference championship game on Dec. 5.

It was the seventh straight loss for Colorado (2-9, 0-8).

Mariota, a Heisman Trophy front-runner who has thrown a touchdown pass in every game of his career at Oregon, has not yet said whether he will forgo his final year of eligibility next season and declare for the NFL draft, although most expect him to.

Mariota has thrown 32 touchdown passes this season with just two interceptions and leads the nation in quarterback rating. With 42 total touchdowns this season (32 passing, 9 rushing and 1 TD catch), he passed former USC quarterback Matt Barkley (41) for the Pac-12 single-season record.

No. 4 MISSISSIPPI STATE 51, VANDERBILT 0

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes and ran for another to lead Mississippi State over Vanderbilt.

It was a dominant performance by the Bulldogs (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 4 CFP), who finished undefeated at Davis Wade Stadium for the first time since 1999.

Prescott threw touchdown passes of 9, 27 and 14 yards, and Christian Holmes ripped the ball out of Vanderbilt receiver Latevius Rayford's hands before returning it 51 yards for a touchdown as the Bulldogs built a 37-0 lead by halftime.

It was the largest halftime lead for Mississippi State against an SEC opponent in program history. The Bulldogs have 10 wins in the regular season for the first time.

Vanderbilt (3-8, 0-7) had three turnovers in the first half.

No. 6 BAYLOR 49, OKLAHOMA STATE 28

WACO, Texas (AP) — Bryce Petty threw touchdown passes on Baylor's first two drives that took a minute combined, putting the Bears ahead to stay in a comfortable victory over Oklahoma State.

Playoff-contending Baylor (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP) won its 15th consecutive home game on a dreary and rainy night along the banks of the Brazos River, staying in a three-way tie with No. 5 TCU and No. 12 Kansas State for the Big 12 lead with two games left.

Devin Chafin ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns, while Shock Linwood had 113 yards rushing with a score for Baylor. Corey Coleman extended his nation's best streak with a TD catch in his seventh consecutive game.

Oklahoma State (5-6, 3-5) has lost five in a row.

No. 7 OHIO ST. 42, INDIANA 27

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jalin Marshall returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown to give Ohio State the lead late in the third quarter and added three late insurance scores to lead the Buckeyes past Indiana, the Hoosiers' sixth loss in a row.

The surprisingly tight game for most of the day could impact the playoff hopes of the Buckeyes (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP), who clinched the East Division title and a berth in the conference title game.

They trailed the 34-point underdogs 20-14 after Tevin Coleman sped 90 yards for a TD midway through the third quarter. A week after rushing for 307 yards, Coleman went for 228 yards on 27 carries for three scores for the Hoosiers (3-8, 0-7).

Marshall caught fourth-quarter scoring passes of 6, 15 and 54 yards to put the game out of reach.

The Hoosiers' last chance at a tying score ended with Tyvis Powell picking off a pass from Zander Diamont with 4:25 left, deep in Indiana territory.

ARKANSAS 30, No. 8 MISSISSIPPI 0

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Rohan Gaines returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, and Arkansas' defense forced six turnovers against Mississippi.

The win earned the Razorbacks (6-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference), losers of 17 straight SEC games until a victory over LSU last week, bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons.

Led by Martrell Spaight's 11 tackles, Arkansas also earned back-to-back conference shutouts for the first time since joining the SEC in 1992.

Bo Wallace led the Rebels (8-3, 4-3) with 235 yards passing — but he also threw two interceptions as Ole Miss lost its third straight SEC game.

No. 9 GEORGIA 55, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 9

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia scored two touchdowns on its first three snaps, including an 83-yard touchdown run by Nick Chubb, and the Bulldogs rolled past Charleston Southern.

Hutson Mason played only the first half and threw three touchdown passes, including two to Chris Conley. Mason's 35-yard scoring pass to Conley came on Georgia's first play following a fumble recovery by Ramik Wilson. Mason added touchdown passes of 19 yards to Justin Scott-Wesley and 23 yards to Conley.

Chubb recorded his sixth straight 100-yard game, with 113 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only nine carries in the first half for Georgia (9-2). The Bulldogs, who have completed their Southeastern Conference schedule, would land in the SEC championship game if Missouri loses one of its final two games.

Charleston Southern (8-4), hoping for a spot in the FCS playoffs, was held to 211 total yards.

No. 10 MICHIGAN STATE 45, RUTGERS 3

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Langford and Tony Lippett celebrated senior day in style as Michigan State smashed Rutgers for its 40th win in four seasons and 51st in five.

Langford, who played cornerback and wide receiver before returning to running back, rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns. That stretched his streak of 100-yard games in conference play to 15, the longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the last 10 years.

Lippett, another fifth-year player who switched positions multiple times, had five catches for 72 yards and his 10th score this season. He became the eighth receiver in school history to pass the 1,000-yard mark and also played well in a surprising stint at cornerback.

The Spartans (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) scored on five on their first six possessions and finished with a 520-234 edge in total offense, including 254 through the air from Connor Cook.

Gary Nova threw for just 108 yards on 11-for-26 passing for the Scarlet Knights (6-5, 2-5).

No. 11 UCLA 38, No. 24 USC 20

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Brett Hundley passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, leading UCLA past Southern California for the Bruins' third straight victory in the annual crosstown showdown.

Devin Lucien, Thomas Duarte and Eldridge Massington caught scoring passes as the Bruins (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) confirmed their Los Angeles supremacy and closed in on the Pac-12 South title with a one-sided romp over their biggest rivals at a festive Rose Bowl.

Paul Perkins rushed for 93 yards and a score for UCLA, which hadn't won three straight over USC since 1998.

After five consecutive wins down the stretch of a slow-starting season, UCLA can advance to the Pac-12 title game against No. 3 Oregon with a victory over Stanford on Friday.

Cody Kessler passed for 214 yards for the Trojans (7-4, 6-3), who struggled mightily against UCLA's inspired defense.

No. 13 ARIZONA ST. 52, WASHINGTON ST. 31

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Taylor Kelly threw for four touchdowns in his last home game and Arizona State dominated the second half against Washington State.

D.J. Foster rushed for three scores and the Sun Devils converted all five Cougars turnovers into touchdowns.

Cameron Smith caught six passes for a career-best 131 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12), who can still win the Pac-12 South title with some help.

Redshirt freshman Luke Falk, in his second start after Connor Halliday went down with a season-ending injury, passed for 601 yards for Washington State (3-8, 2-6) but was intercepted four times and fumbled the ball away once. Vince Mayle caught 15 for 265 yards.

Sun Devils defensive end Marcus Hardison had an interception, forced fumble and sack.

No. 14 WISCONSIN 26, IOWA 24

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Melvin Gordon surpassed 2,000 yards rushing with 200 yards and two touchdowns, and Wisconsin held off Iowa for its sixth straight win.

Gordon became the 17th FBS player with a 2,000-yard rushing season. The Badgers (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) still have to beat Minnesota in Madison next weekend to earn a shot at Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Gordon's performance came only hours after Oklahoma's Samaje Perine broke his week-old FBS record with 427 yards rushing in a win over Kansas. But Gordon was sensational in his own right, cracking the 2,000-yard mark on an 88-yard run midway through the third quarter.

Jake Rudock had 311 yards passing and two TDs for the Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-3), who rallied from 16 down to get to 26-24 with just more than 5 minutes left.

No. 15 ARIZONA 42, No. 20 UTAH 10

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Freshman Nick Wilson ran for 218 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona overcame an injury to quarterback Anu Solomon and pulled away from Utah.

In heavy rain at times, Wilson topped the 1,000-yard mark this season. Arizona led 21-10 in the fourth quarter before Wilson scored on a 75-yard run.

Arizona (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) reached nine wins for the first time since its 1998 Holiday Bowl team went 12-1 and was ranked No. 4. The Wildcats retain slim hopes for a berth in the conference championship game as a matchup with rival Arizona State looms next week.

The Wildcats ran for 298 yards, the most allowed by Utah (7-4, 4-4) this season.

No. 16 AUBURN 31, SAMFORD 7

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, Nick Marshall passed for 171 yards and a score, and Auburn snapped a two-game skid with a victory over Samford.

Auburn (8-3) used the game against an FCS opponent to tune up for next week's Iron Bowl showdown at No. 2 Alabama.

The Tigers, who upset Alabama last year before narrowly losing the national title game to Florida State, needed a morale boost after dropping from third to 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings with consecutive losses to Texas A&M and Georgia.

Samford (7-4), coached by former Auburn quarterback and 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan, had its four-game winning streak snapped.

No. 18 MARSHALL 23, UAB 18

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Defensive lineman Ra'shawde Myers recovered a fumble in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown with 8:20 left, and Marshall stayed unbeaten by rallying past UAB.

Marshall (11-0, 7-0 Conference USA) had its closest game yet and was held to its fewest points all season. Still, the Thundering Herd held off the Blazers (5-6, 3-4) in the final minute and took another step toward a possible New Year's Day bowl.

UAB drove to the Marshall 10 with time running down, but Jermaine Holmes tackled Jordan Howard for a loss to end the threat and preserve the win.

Marshall led 17-6 at halftime after Rakeem Cato's 28-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Shuler and a 43-yard scoring pass to Angelo Jean-Louis. UAB came back on TD runs of 1 and 10 yards by Howard to lead 18-17 in the fourth quarter. It was the first time all season that Marshall had trailed so late.

No. 19 MISSOURI 29, TENNESSEE 21

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Maty Mauk threw a pair of touchdown passes and Marcus Murphy ran for two scores as Missouri defeated Tennessee to maintain control of the SEC East race.

The Tigers (9-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) set a school record with their 10th straight road win.

Missouri can clinch the East Division and earn a second straight trip to the SEC championship game by winning at home Friday over Arkansas. A loss would send No. 9 Georgia to Atlanta instead. Georgia is 10th and Missouri 20th in the College Football Playoff standings.

Andrew Baggett's 43-yard field goal broke a 13-all tie midway through the third quarter. Mauk threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Hunt and a 13-yard scoring strike to Bud Sasser in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee (5-6, 2-5) must win next week at Vanderbilt to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010.

MINNESOTA 28, No. 21 NEBRASKA 24

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Briean Boddy-Calhoun ripped the ball out of Nebraska receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El's hands at the Minnesota 2-yard line after Mitch Leidner scored the go-ahead touchdown, and the Golden Gophers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Nebraska.

The Gophers (8-3, 5-2) can win the Big Ten West and go to the conference championship game on Dec. 6 with a victory at Wisconsin next week.

The Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3), humiliated at Wisconsin a week ago, lost back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2009 and were eliminated from the West race.

Nebraska started its final possession with 3:25 to play and drove to the Minnesota 30. Pierson-El caught Tommy Armstrong's third-and-9 pass at the 2, but Boddy-Calhoun stripped him of the ball with 1:19 left.

Minnesota ran out the clock and secured its first road win against a Top 25 opponent in 21 games since 2000. It also was the Gophers' second straight win over the Huskers and their first in Lincoln after seven straight losses since 1960.

Leidner ran 22 times for a season-high 110 yards and two touchdowns.

No. 22 COLORADO STATE 58, NEW MEXICO 20

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Dee Hart matched a school record with six touchdowns and Colorado State amassed a program-best 698 yards of offense in routing New Mexico to extend its winning streak to nine games.

The Rams (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West) are off to their best start since 1994. Hart led the way against New Mexico (3-8, 1-6) by rushing for 230 yards and five TDs. He also hauled in a TD pass to tie Kapri Bibbs' school mark of six scores set last season against the Lobos.

Garrett Grayson threw for 389 yards to become the school's all-time offensive leader. The senior threw two of his TD passes to Rashard Higgins, who was back after missing a game with a sore shoulder.

No. 23 OKLAHOMA 44, KANSAS 7

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma freshman Samaje Perine set a major college record by running for 427 yards in a driving rainstorm, scoring five touchdowns and leading the Sooners over Kansas.

A week after Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set the mark by rushing for 408 yards against Nebraska, Perine ran past him. He broke the 7-day-old record on his 34th and final carry, a 42-yard run with 12:16 left.

Perine got off a fast start, running for a 49-yard TD on his first carry. He added TD runs of 33 and 34 yards in the second quarter and scored on runs of 66 and 27 yards in the third.

In a game that started 90 minutes late because of lightning, Perine shattered the school rushing record of 294 yards set by Greg Pruitt in 1971.

The Sooners (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) held Kansas to 103 yards to win their second straight. Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight sat out with a neck injury

The Jayhawks (3-8, 1-7) lost their 29th straight true road game and 32nd in a row outside of Lawrence.

No. 2 Miami rallies to beat Virginia for 15th straight win

AP

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Malik Rosier threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score and No. 2 Miami pulled off its biggest comeback in five years, by holding off Virginia 44-28 on Saturday to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 15 games.

Jaquan Johnson had an interception return for a touchdown for Miami (10-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 3 CFP), which went on a 30-0 run in the second half to remain unbeaten.

The Hurricanes erased a pair of 14-point deficits, and had lost 15 consecutive games in which they trailed at any point by such a margin. But they got a pair of fourth-down stops in Virginia territory in the fourth quarter, and the Hurricanes finished their first 7-0 home regular season since 1988.

Travis Homer rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown for Miami, which looks to close out a perfect ACC regular-season slate at Pittsburgh on Friday. The Hurricanes already had a spot in the ACC championship game against Clemson on Dec. 2 secured.

Kurt Benkert completed 28 of 37 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns for Virginia (6-5, 3-4).

NO. 1 ALABAMA 56, MERCER 0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jalen Hurts passed for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a little more than a quarter and Alabama beat FCS team Mercer.

The Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0 SEC, No. 1 CFP) raced to a 35-0 halftime lead in what amounted to a tuneup for the team's biggest game. Now, Alabama heads to No. 6 Auburn with the winner of the Iron Bowl facing No. 7 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta.

The Bears (5-6) also lost to Auburn 24-10 early in the season, when the Tigers committed five turnovers.

Hurts led Alabama to touchdowns on each of his four possessions, completing all seven of his attempts and running for 30 yards. He hit a wide-open Calvin Ridley for a 66-yard touchdown, giving Ridley 103 yards on three catches before the half.

It was an FBS record 73rd consecutive win against unranked teams.

NO. 3 OKLAHOMA 41, KANSAS 3

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns after getting dissed by the Kansas captains before kickoff.

Mayfield had tried shaking hands with Daniel Wise, Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Joe Dineen Jr. after the coin toss, but they stared stoically back at him. Mayfield quickly pulled his hand away, clapped a couple of times and set about burnishing his Heisman Trophy candidacy.

He threw TD passes to Rodney Anderson and Marquise Brown in the first half, then founded Mark Andrews late in the third quarter, which prompted more insults between Mayfield and the Jayhawks.

At one point, Mayfield lewdly grabbed his crotch while cursing across the field, and another time he yelled to fans behind his bench: "You have one win! Go cheer on basketball!"

The histrionics added at least some interest to a game that figured to be a blowout. The Sooners (10-1, 7-1) are fourth in the College Football Playoff ranking and clinched a spot in the revived Big 12 title game, while the Jayhawks (1-10, 0-8) have yet to beat a Football Bowl Subdivision foe.

Mayfield got most of the fourth quarter off as the defensive-minded Sooners won their 17th straight road game and 15th in a row in the Big 12, setting a league record. It was also their 12th consecutive win over the Jayhawks, their longest winning streak against any opponent.

NO. 4 CLEMSON 61, CITADEL 3

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Kelly Bryant threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns and was out of the game before halftime for Clemson against the lower-division opponent.

After Bryant's 14-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Chase on the offense's 26th play, Clemson (10-1, No. 2 College Football Playoff) led 28-0. Bryant completed 17 of 22 passes.

Freshman receiver Tee Higgins caught six passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns and fellow freshman Travis Etienne ran eight times for 62 yards and two TDs as Clemson scored on nine of its first 10 possessions. The Tigers finished with 662 yards, their third game over 600 yards this season.

The Citadel (5-6) ran for 155 yards.

NO. 5 WISCONSIN 24, NO. 19 MICHIGAN 10

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Alex Hornibrook threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Taylor in third quarter to break open a defensive slugfest, and Kendric Pryor scored on an end-around to help Wisconsin remain undefeated.

The Badgers (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP) padded their playoff resume by winning a grinding, physical matchup against the Wolverines (8-3, 5-3, No. 24 CFP).

Hornibrook finished 9 of 19 for 143 yards, but bounced back from an interception early in the third quarter with some of his best throws of the season. He connected with Taylor through a tight window in the end zone for a 14-10 lead with 3:31 left in the third quarter.

NO. 6 AUBURN 42, LOUISIANA-MONROE 14

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Darius Slayton caught a 50-yard touchdown pass late in the first half and Auburn pulled away to set up next week's visit from No. 1 Alabama.

Kam Martin scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, in the third quarter. Nick Ruffin scored on a 45-yard interception return in the fourth. Despite a sluggish first half, Auburn's final production was still impressive: 317 yards rushing and 552 total yards.

Auburn (9-2, No. 6 CFP) can earn a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game by beating Alabama next week. ULM dropped to 4-6.

NO. 7 GEORGIA 42, KENTUCKY 13

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Nick Chubb and Sony Michel led a dominant running game and Georgia bounced back from its first loss of the season.

In the final home game of their careers, Chubb and Michel went out with a bang on Senior Day between the hedges. Chubb rushed for 151 and two touchdowns, including a 55-yard burst down the sideline to seal the victory early in the fourth quarter. Michel rambled for 87 yards and three scores of his own, most notably a 37-yard TD that sent the Bulldogs into the half with a 21-6 lead.

Georgia (10-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 7 CFP) returned to form after getting stuffed on the ground in a 40-17 loss to Auburn, a dismal performance that knocked the Bulldogs out of the top spot they held for two weeks in the College Football Playoff standings.

Georgia finished with 381 yards rushing against the Wildcats (7-4, 4-4).

NO. 8 OHIO STATE 52, ILLINOIS 14

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — No. 8 Ohio State scored on its first six possessions — including J.T. Barrett's 100th career touchdown pass — and the Buckeyes wrapped up the Big Ten East title.

Barrett, playing in his last game at Ohio Stadium, threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score to help the Buckeyes (9-2, 7-1, CFP No. 9) dominate from the opening kick.

Barrett became the Ohio State leader in rushing yards among quarterbacks (3,070), eclipsing Braxton Miller. He holds 35 Big Ten and school records.

Ohio State's defense limited the Illini (2-9, 0-9) to a season-low 105 yards in handing them a ninth straight loss. They didn't record a first down until near the end of the first half.

Barrett was 11 for 19 for 141 yards, with backups Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow playing most of the second half. Running back Mike Weber picked up 108 yards on 11 carries and scored twice, including on a 43-yard breakaway romp in the first quarter.

NO. 9 NOTRE DAME 24, NAVY 17

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Brandon Wimbush threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score as Notre Dame rallied in the rain and wind to beat Navy.

Wearing throwback uniforms with the name Rockne on the back of every player's jersey and helmets designed to evoke the leather tops from the era of Knute Rockne, one of the Fighting Irish's most famous names, Notre Dame (9-2, No. 8 College Football Playoff) kept its slim national championship hopes alive heading into the regular-season finale next Saturday at Stanford.

Wimbush, who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in Notre Dame's 41-8 loss at No. 2 Miami two Saturdays ago, connected with Kevin Stepherson twice and added his 14th rushing TD of the year as the Irish scored on three straight possessions late in the longest-running matchup between teams from different regions of the country, dating to 1927.

The Irish outgained the Midshipmen (6-4) 327-318, but Navy outrushed Notre Dame 277-163 and had a huge advantage in time of possession, 42:42 to 17:18.

KANSAS STATE 45, NO. 10 OKLAHOMA STATE 40

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Byron Pringle caught three touchdown passes and returned a kickoff for another score to help Kansas State stun Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State nearly erased a 29-point deficit in the second half, but Kansas State (6-5, 4-4 Big 12) held on to become bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season.

Pringle caught four passes for a career-high 166 yards. His kickoff return for a score covered 89 yards. The junior entered the game with eight career touchdowns, and he had never scored more than two in a game. Freshman Skylar Thompson threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 93 yards and a score in his second start for the injured Jesse Ertz.

Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph passed for 425 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. James Washington caught eight passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (8-3, 5-3, No. 13 CFP).

NO. 11 TCU 27, TEXAS TECH 3

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — True freshman quarterback Shawn Robinson ran for 84 yards and threw a key second-half touchdown in his first career start to help TCU to stay in contention for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

Robinson, who won a Texas Class 6A state high school championship last season, filled in for Kenny Hill. The senior didn't even make the trip to Lubbock because of an unspecified injury.

While Robinson was only 6-of-17 passing for 85 yards, his 12-yard TD to Jalen Reagor came late in the third quarter as the Horned Frogs (9-2, 6-2 Big 12, No. 12 CFP) took a 17-3 lead. The Red Raiders (5-6, 2-6) got their only score on their opening drive of the game.

NO. 12 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 28, UCLA 23

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sam Darnold passed for 264 yards and ran for a touchdown and Southern California persevered for its third consecutive victory over crosstown rival UCLA.

Ronald Jones II rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Pittman Jr. returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown on a spectacular trick play in the first quarter of the regular-season finale for the Pac-12 South champion Trojans (10-2, 8-1).

Josh Rosen passed for 421 yards and hit Jordan Lasley for three touchdowns in the first — and probably only — collegiate meeting between Los Angeles' star quarterbacks.

Rosen found Lasley for a 27-yard score with 2:43 to play for UCLA (5-6, 3-5), but his 2-point conversion pass was too high for Lasley.

USC recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock with gutsy carries by Jones, setting off a celebration on the Coliseum field. USC retained the Victory Bell in the final home game for the Trojans' seniors — and possibly for their NFL-caliber underclassmen including Darnold and Jones.

NO. 13 PENN STATE 56, NEBRASKA 44

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Saquon Barkley broke Penn State's career touchdown record with three scores and had 208 of 224 total yards in the first half.

Barkley passed Lydell Mitchell for the record with his 39th touchdown.

Trace McSorley ran for a touchdown and threw for 325 yards on 24-of-36 passing with three touchdown passes for Penn State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten). Mike Gesicki caught two scoring passes and became Penn State's career touchdowns leader by a tight end with 13, and DeAndre Thompkins also had a touchdown catch.

Backup quarterback Tommy Stevens added a touchdown pass to tight end Nick Bowers to help the Nittany Lions go unbeaten at Beaver Stadium for the second straight season.

Nebraska's Tanner Lee returned from concussion protocol to complete 26 of 41 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns. Morgan Stanley Jr. had seven passes for 185 yards and a touchdown for Nebraska (4-7, 3-5).

NO. 14 UCF 45, TEMPLE 19

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — McKenzie Milton threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score and Central Florida stayed unbeaten heading into a showdown with rival USF.

The Knights (10-0, 7-0 American Athletic conference, CFP No. 15) turned three Temple turnovers inside the Owls 25 into 17 first-half points, taking a 31-10 lead when Gabriel Davis stretched across the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown reception with 2:36 left in the second quarter.

The AAC East Division will be decided on Black Friday in Orlando, Florida, when No. 23 South Florida (9-1, 6-1) visits UCF. Temple dropped to 5-6 and 3-4.

NO. 16 WASHINGTON 33, UTAH 30

SEATTLE (AP) — Tristan Vizcaino hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired and No. 16 Washington scored 10 points in the final 58 seconds to stun Utah.

Washington (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12, No. 18 CFP) pulled even at 30-all on Myles Gaskin's 2-yard TD run with 58 seconds remaining. After Utah punted, Washington got the ball back with 29 seconds at its own 28. Washington QB Jake Browning hit Dante Pettis for 18 yards to near midfield, and then the big play was a 31-yard strike to Andre Baccellia to the Utah 22 with 8 seconds left. Washington took one shot at the end zone that was incomplete before Vizcaino made his second field goal of the game. Vizcaino had missed from 30 yards and missed an extra point.

Browning was 26-of-35 passing for 354 yards and two touchdowns while Gaskin had two TD runs.

Utah's Tyler Huntley threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns, ran for another 48 yards and a touchdown, and his big second half had the Utes (5-6, 2-6) in position for an upset and bowl eligibility.

NO. 17 MISSISSIPPI STATE 28, ARKANSAS 21

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Nick Fitzgerald threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Deddrick Thomas with 17 seconds remaining, and No. 17 Mississippi State survived a lackluster performance and four fumbles.

The Bulldogs (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) won at least eight games in a season for the fourth time in coach Dan Mullen's nine years.

The Razorbacks (4-7, 1-6) led by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Fitzgerald tied it with 4:07 remaining with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Todd.

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema then went for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Razorbacks 44, and the Bulldogs held. Nine plays later, Thomas scored to give Mississippi State its fifth win in six games against Arkansas.

NO. 18 MEMPHIS 66, SMU 45

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Darrell Henderson rushed for 147 yards, including two long touchdowns, and Riley Ferguson threw for 320 yards and two scores to help Memphis wrap up the American Athletic Conference West Division championship.

Ferguson scored on three runs as Memphis (9-1, 6-1, No. 21 CFP) won its sixth straight and claimed a spot in the conference's Dec. 2 championship game. Patrick Taylor had 112 yards rushing, while Anthony Miller had 163 yards receiving. Both scored two touchdowns each.

Xavier Jones rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns for the Mustangs (6-4, 3-4).

NO. 20 STANFORD 17, CALIFORNIA 14

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Bryce Love ran for 101 yards and a touchdown despite missing most of the fourth quarter after aggravating an ankle injury, and Stanford kept its Pac-12 title hopes alive.

K.J. Costello completed 17 of 26 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, Ben Edwards made a key interception in the fourth quarter and Cameron Scarlett rushed for 49 yards on the final drive in place of Love to help the Cardinal (8-3, 7-2 Pac-12) milk the clock and win its eighth straight Big Game.

Stanford can earn a spot in the Pac-12 championship game against USC but needs some help.

Patrick Laird ran for 153 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries while Ross Bowers passed for 182 yards and a touchdown for California (5-6, 2-6).

NO. 21 LSU 30, TENNESSEE 10

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams combined to run for 165 yards and three touchdowns and LSU beat Tennessee in stormy conditions.

Guice ran 24 times for 97 yards and one touchdown to help LSU win for the fifth time in its last six games. Williams rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.

LSU (8-3, 5-2 SEC, No. 20 College Football Playoff) scored 10 points after recovering two fumbled punt returns by Tennessee's Marquez Callaway in the red zone. The Tigers also began a touchdown drive after making a fourth-down stop at Tennessee's 21.

Tennessee (4-7, 0-7) was playing its first game under interim head coach Brady Hoke after the firing of Butch Jones. The Volunteers must beat Vanderbilt next week to avoid their first eight-loss season in school history.

NO. 22 MICHIGAN STATE 17, MARYLAND 7

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — LJ Scott ran for 147 yards and a touchdown to lead Michigan State to a snowy victory over Maryland.

The Spartans (8-3, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 17 CFP) rushed for 271 yards, and that was about the only way they could move the ball in yet another Michigan State game affected by the elements. Quarterback Brian Lewerke was 2 of 14 for 20 yards, and one of his completions was a shovel pass late in the third quarter.

Maryland (4-7, 2-6) wasn't much better through the air until the fourth quarter. Max Bortenschlager finished 13 of 25 for 121 yards.

TEXAS 28, NO. 24 WEST VIRGINIA 14

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Sam Ehlinger threw two touchdown passes and Texas became bowl eligible under first-year coach Tom Herman with victory over West Virginia.

The Longhorns (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) qualified for a bowl for the first time since 2014, which was former coach Charlie Strong's first season.

Texas entered the game with 13 touchdown passes all season, and Ehlinger got two in the second quarter. His 50-yard pass to Reggie Hemphill set up Ehlinger's 4-yard TD toss to Kendall Moore.

The Mountaineers (7-4, 5-3) lost quarterback Will Grier to a broken finger on his throwing hand, He left the game in the first quarter after landing awkwardly as he dove for the end-zone pylon on a run.

WAKE FOREST 30, NO. 25 N.C. STATE 24

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — John Wolford threw his third touchdown of the game to Tabari Hines with 8:03 remaining, and Wake Forest held on to upset North Carolina State.

Wolford finished 19 of 28 for 247 yards for the Demon Deacons (7-4, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). They have won three of four and had their first regular-season victory over a Top 25 opponent since 2011.

Wolford hit Hines for scores covering 21 and 4 yards before they connected for the go-ahead 18-yarder.

Ryan Finley drove the Wolfpack (7-4, 5-2) inside the Wake Forest 20 in the final minutes and hit Emeka Emezie inside the 5. Emezie made a move on Ja'Sir Taylor but was hit by Demetrius Kemp and fumbled inside the 1. The ball squirted into the end zone and Kemp recovered it with 1:51 remaining for a touchback. The call stood after a brief review by the replay official.

N.C. State got the ball back with 41 seconds left but Finley's deep throw to Harmon in the end zone was intercepted by Essang Bassey with a second left.

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Saturday's best

AP

STARS

—J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State, ran for 211 yards and four TDs to help the No. 2 Buckeyes rout No. 10 Michigan 56-27 for a school-record eighth straight win in the series.

—Joe Burrow, LSU, padded his Heisman Trophy resume with 352 yards and three touchdowns passing and the No.1 Tigers beat Texas A&M 50-7.

— Lynn Bowden, Kentucky, set an SEC record by a quarterback with 284 yards rushing and scored four TDs as the Wildcats blew out rival Louisville 45-13 in the Governor’s Cup showdown.

—Jaylen Waddle, Alabama, caught three TD passes and scored on a 98-yard kickoff return in the No 5 Crimson Tide’s 48-45 loss to No. 16 Auburn.

—Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, threw for 295 yards and three TDs to lead the No. 3 Tigers to their 27th straight victory and second consecutive 12-0 regular season with a 38-3 victory over rival South Carolina.

—Jake Fromm, Georgia, threw four TD passes and the No. 4 Bulldogs cruised into the Southeastern Conference championship game with a 52-7 victory over Georgia Tech.

—Brant Kuithe, Utah, scored three TDs and the No. 6 Utes locked up a spot in the Pac-12 championship game for the second consecutive season with a 45-15 victory over Colorado.

—Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma, rushed for 160 yards and a TD to help the No. 7 Sooners beat No. 21 Oklahoma State 34-16.

—James Robinson, Illinois State, rushed for 297 yards in a 24-6 win over Southeast Missouri in a first-round FCS playoff game.

—Chason Virgil, SE Louisiana, threw for 474 yards and three TDs in a 45-44 win over Villanova in the FCS playoffs.

—Jamale Carothers, Navy, rushed for career highs of 188 yards and five TDs as the No. 24 Midshipmen beat Houston 56-41.

—Zach Smith, Tulsa, threw a career-high five TD passes in a 49-24 win over East Carolina.

—Pete Guerriero, Monmouth, ran for 220 yards and TDs as the Hawks beat Holy Cross 44-27 for the program’s first FCS playoff victory.

—Ian Book, Notre Dame, threw for 255 yards and four TDs and the No. 15 Fighting Irish reached double-digit wins for the third straight season by beating Stanford 45-24.

—Frankie Hickson, Liberty, ran for career-bests of 196 yards and four TDs to lead the Flames to a 49-28 victory over New Mexico State.

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BUCKEYES BIG HOUSE BLOWOUT

Ohio State has turned what’s known as The Game into ITS Game, making one of the greatest rivalries in sports a one-sided series with little suspense.

Chasing a national championship, not simply beating the Wolverines, is how the Buckeyes measure a successful season.

And under first-year coach Ryan Day, they have put themselves in a position to potentially win it all for the second time since the 2014 season and third time this century.

J.K. Dobbins ran for four touchdowns and Justin Fields threw four TD passes, providing plenty of firepower for No. 2 Ohio State to rout No. 10 Michigan 56-27 for a school-record eighth straight win in the series.

The Buckeyes will head to the Big Ten championship game to face No. 13 Wisconsin next Saturday with a spot in the College Football Playoff in sight.

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SIZZLING IRON BOWL

Auburn delivered the final blow to Alabama’s playoff chances. No surprised the Tigers did it home.

Shaun Shivers scored on an 11-yard run with 8:08 left to put No. 16 Auburn ahead and another failed field goal by Alabama in the Iron Bowl wiped away the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes in a wild 48-45 victory for the Tigers.

Auburn survived a final, marathon Crimson Tide drive when Joseph Bulovas’ 30-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright with 2:00 left.

Auburn couldn’t get a first down on JaTarvious Whitlow’s three runs while Alabama burned its final two time outs. But the Tide was called for illegal substitution after the Tigers lined up for a punt, setting off a fist-pumping celebration for coach Gus Malzahn.

Auburn fans stormed the field to celebrate another Iron Bowl thriller, filling it from end zone to end zone as they did in the 2013 Kick-Six game, when the Tigers’ returned a missed Tide field goal for a game-winning touchdown.

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NUMBERS

3_Times No. 11 Baylor has won 11 games in a season since the program was founded in 1899, including this year.

517_Rushing yards by Kentucky in its 45-13 win over rival Louisville, a school record.

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UTES ROLL IN PAC-12 TITLE GAME

After Utah’s lone stumble this season, at Southern California in September, quarterback Tyler Huntley called a players-only meeting.

Huntley is known for his short answers with media and he didn’t need to long to get his message across that day. He told his teammates they were a team of destiny and that loss wouldn’t define the season.

It didn’t.

No. 6 Utah clinched the Pac-12 South title and remained in the hunt for the College Football Playoff with a 45-15 victory over Colorado.

The Utes needed a quarter to get rolling in 25-degree temperatures, but romped to their eighth straight victory as Brant Kuithe scored three touchdowns. Huntley was 14-for-17 for 165 yards and connected with Kuithe twice for scores.

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Georgia marks return to No. 1 with 55-0 rout of Vanderbilt

AP

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Stetson Bennett grimaced when told the news.

The Atlanta Braves were knocked out of the Major League Baseball playoffs Saturday.

After No. 1 Georgia romped to a 55-0 victory over Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs' veteran quarterback pointed to his favorite baseball team — the reigning World Series champions — as an example of how fleeting a title can be.

“Are we gonna cash our chips in after so-and-so games, or are we gonna keep going, keep going, and know this isn't over until its over?” asked Bennett, whose team is seeking its second straight national championship.

Unlike the Braves, the Bulldogs are still on track.

Bennett threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns — his first scoring passes in nearly a month — and Georgia stamped its return to the No. 1 ranking with a blowout of the lowly Commodores.

Georgia (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) led 28-0 at halftime and shook off three straight weeks of rather lackluster performances.

Those games provided a valuable lesson in what it takes to repeat as a champion.

“It's tough,” Bennett said. "We are not King Kong standing atop the Empire State Building. We've gotta work and execute each week, go out there and expect a dog fight until it's not one."

Bennett was nearly perfect in the first half, completing 18 of 20 for 211 yards. Darnell Washington, the 6-foot-7 tight end who usually plays a supporting role to Brock Bowers, came up big with four catches for 78 yards, including a one-handed dazzler.

“It's like throwing to the Pacific Ocean,” Bennett quipped.

Bennett hooked up with Kenny McIntosh on an 11-yard scoring play — the quarterback's first TD pass in four weeks — and followed with a 10-yard scoring toss to Dominick Blaylock.

“It was good to get in the end zone," Bennett said. "But it was better to score 55."

McIntosh added a 7-yard scoring run, while Daijun Edwards powered in from the 1 to spark a second-half exodus of red-clad Georgia fans looking to beat the traffic.

Carson Beck took over for Bennett in the final quarter, throwing two more touchdown passes that merely added to Vandy's pain.

The Commodores (3-4, 0-3) dropped their 24th straight game in the SEC. They last won a conference game on Oct 19, 2019, beating Missouri 21-14.

At the halftime break, Georgia held a commanding 296-72 edge in total yards and 16-4 advantage in first downs.

“A very frustrating afternoon,” coach Clark Lea said. “We were never able to get a drive going. For us, it's been this way all year It's just where we are. It's a recipe for disaster.”

The Bulldogs defense posted its second shutout of the season, limiting Vandy to just 45 yards rushing and 150 overall.

Georgia piled up 579 total yards.

The Bulldogs moved back to No. 1 in The Associated Press rankings this week, having spent a single week in the second spot behind Alabama.

After starting the season with three dominant victories, which led some to speculate that this team was better than last season's national champions, the Bulldogs had a tougher time against Kent State, Missouri and Auburn.

Georgia returned to early season form in its homecoming game against the overmatched Commodores.

That was nothing new in this series. Georgia won 62-0 last year and has outscored Vandy 233-33 over the last four meetings.

The Commodores last scored a TD against Georgia in 2018. They have gone three full games since then without reaching the end zone.

BECK IMPRESSES

Beck usually gets in the game during garbage time, but there's every reason to believe he can step into the starting role next season.

Beck completed 8 of 11 for 98 yards against the Commodores. For the season, the third-year backup is 23 of 30 for 276 yards, with four TDs and no interceptions.

“He keeps getting better,” Bennett said “He's been in this offense the same amount of time I have. He knows it just as well as I do."

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Georgia certainly did nothing to endanger its No. 1 ranking, but the schedule looks a lot tougher the rest of the way. Three of the last five regular-season opponents are ranked in the Top 25.

THE TAKEAWAY

Vanderbilt: Lea keeps talking optimistically about the improvement of his downtrodden program. He's apparently the only one who can see it. The Commodores went three-and-out on six of their 11 possessions and crossed midfield only two times. One drive ended with a fumble, the other a missed field goal.

Georgia: Sure, the blowout came against the SEC's worst program, but there wasn't much for coach Kirby Smart to complain about. All three phases of the game were highly efficient, especially an offense that got off to a much-needed quick start. “I was really impressed with the performance early,” Smart said.

UP NEXT

Vanderbilt: Hits the road again next Saturday to face Missouri, the last SEC team to lose to the Commodores.

Georgia: Heads into an off week that will give the Bulldogs extra time to prepare for their “Cocktail Party” game in Jacksonville against the Florida Gators on Oct. 29.

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College football Week 1 winners and losers: Georgia rolls, Oregon ...

You might need a program to get a handle on No. 3 Georgia's depth chart. Five players from last year's team went in the first round of the NFL draft and nine were taken within the first 102 picks, part of a record-setting 15 players selected overall from the defending Bowl Subdivision national champions.

New cast, same story. Saturday's 49-3 win in the season opener against No. 12 Oregon saw last year's dominance continue, only reinforcing the widely held belief that Georgia will be one of the teams to beat in the race for the College Football Playoff.

New Oregon quarterback Bo Nix averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt and the Ducks' defense did just about nothing right under first-year head coach Dan Lanning, formerly Georgia's defensive coordinator.

Facing off against Lanning's defense, the Bulldogs ripped off 5.3 yards per carry and scored four rushing touchdowns spread across four different players: running backs Kendall Milton and Kenny McIntosh, wide receiver Ladd McConkey and quarterback Stetson Bennett. McIntosh also led the Bulldogs with 117 receiving yards, nearly tripling his previous career high.

Bennett should appear on some early-season Heisman Trophy lists after completing 25 of 31 attempts for 368 yards and three total scores before exiting in the third quarter with the Bulldogs ahead 42-3.

WEEK 1 OBSERVATIONS:Impressive starts for Oklahoma, Arkansas

ROUGH DEBUT:Kelly's first game with LSU is spectacular flameout

SATURDAY RUNDOWN:Scores and details from all the Top 25 games

For the Ducks, getting bullied is less than an embarrassment than a sign of reality: Oregon is in the fourth tier of championship contenders, a couple thousand miles off from the top group of the Bulldogs, Alabama and Ohio State.

Would it have been nice not to be run out of the building by the midpoint of the second quarter? Yeah, but Georgia's going to put more opponents than not into a blender and hit puree — Oregon's just the first of many to get this sort of treatment.

The Bulldogs and Ducks lead the list of college football's biggest winners and losers from the Week 1 of the 2022 season:

Winners

Ohio State

Bogged down by No. 5 Notre Dame's defense, the No. 2 Buckeyes finally relied on the running game to key a strong second half and secure a very important 21-10 win. While the Irish were able to keep quarterback C.J. Stroud in check — he averaged a career-low 6.6 yards per attempt — running backs Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson took over, combining for 175 yards and a score to avoid the upset. While the Buckeyes' offense will search for some answers, the defense delivered behind new coordinator Jim Knowles. In his first game since coming over from Oklahoma State, Knowles' unit gave up just 253 yards overall and 2.5 yards per carry.

Arkansas

The No. 23 Razorbacks justified the preseason ranking and made a case for second place in the early SEC West projections by handing No. 22 Cincinnati its first regular-season loss since Dec. 7, 2019. While Arkansas never trailed in the 31-24 win, the Bearcats did overcome a 14-0 halftime deficit and a 21-7 hole in the second half to draw within as few as four points, 21-17, in the third quarter. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson threw for 223 yards, ran for 59 yards and had four touchdowns; if he keeps this up, the biggest secret in the SEC won't stay under wraps for long.

Houston

Down 21-7 heading into the fourth, No. 25 Houston surged back to take a 24-21 lead on upset-minded Texas-San Antonio before the Roadrunners forced overtime with a 37-yard field goal with no time in regulation. After the two teams traded field goals and touchdowns in the first two extra frames, Houston quarterback Clayton Tune converted the two-point attempt in the third overtime to lift the Cougars to a 37-35 win. While a closer shave than expected, the win keeps UH on track to become this year's Cincinnati — a Group of Five team that makes a run at an undefeated regular season and a place in the top four of the final playoff rankings.

Oklahoma

The Brent Venables era kicked off with a 45-13 win against overmatched Texas-El Paso that doubled as the debut for former Central Florida quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who hit on 15 of 23 throws for 233 yards and three combined scores. Defensively, the No. 9 Sooners held the Miners to just 3.8 yards per play and 28 rushing yards, the fewest Oklahoma has allowed in a game since giving up 25 yards to Baylor in 2020.

Southern California

Meanwhile, former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley's debut went almost perfectly: USC beat Rice 66-19 behind big efforts from former OU quarterback Caleb Williams, who hit on all but three of his 22 attempts for 249 yards, and former Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison, who had two touchdown grabs. Williams added a team-leading 68 rushing yards and showed a grasp of Riley's system that could lift the Trojans and their rebuilt roster to the top of the conference.

Florida

And for good measure, one last first-year head coach hit the ground running in a major way: Florida's Billy Napier led the Gators to a 29-26 upset of No. 8 Utah behind a Heisman-level show from quarterback Anthony Richardson — 168 yards passing, 104 rushing and three scores — and a bend-but-don't-break defense that gave up 446 yards of offense but delivered the game-clinching interception with less than a minute left. If you're doing the math at home: Utah, the preseason favorite in the Pac-12 and a playoff contender, lost to a team picked to finish fourth in the SEC East. Fourth! In the weaker of the league's two divisions!

North Carolina

UNC scored 34 straight points in the second and third quarters to take a 41-21 lead on Appalachian State, and then things went crazy. The two teams combined for 62 points in the fourth, one off the FBS record of 63 points in one quarter, with the Tar Heels only surviving after stopping the Mountaineers' two-point attempt with nine seconds left to win 63-61. There's plenty to worry about over the state of the Tar Heels' defense but reason for optimism at quarterback: Drake Maye went for 352 yards and five total scores, giving Sam Howell's replacement nine touchdowns without an interception through two weeks.

J.J. McCarthy

Jim Harbaugh announced a unique plan for his quarterbacks heading into No. 6 Michigan's season opener: Cade McNamara, the incumbent starter, would get the nod on Saturday against Colorado State, while J.J. McCarthy would draw the starting assignment next week against Hawaii. While McNamara threw for 136 yards and a score in the Wolverines' easy 51-7 win against the Rams, McCarthy managed to steal the show by completing all four of his attempts for 30 yards with another 50 yards on the ground, including a 20-yard touchdown run. Will Harbaugh give McNamara snaps next week?

James Madison

JMU made its debut as a member of the FBS with an easy 44-7 romp of Middle Tennessee State, foreshadowing the Dukes' potential to win way more games than most expect as members of the Sun Belt. One thing that stood out was the Dukes' play at the line of scrimmage: MTSU managed just 12 rushing yards on 28 carries but gave up 261 rushing yards. JMU quarterback Todd Centeio had 397 yards of total offense, 110 coming on the ground, and tossed six touchdowns.

Losers

Notre Dame

The energy and defensive game plan were there. The offense was not. What they need is more on the ground to help quarterback Tyler Buchner, who averaged 9.8 yards per throw and had three completions of at least 30 yards. But if OSU really is one of the top three teams in the country, shouldn't the Irish stay inside the top five? Down the road, hanging tight with the Buckeyes could factor into how the playoff field is decided. Whether the Irish are in the top four depends on what happens from here: Notre Dame now needs to run the table to have a good shot.

Oregon

Not even sniffing Georgia doesn't say too much about Oregon's odds of winning the Pac-12, since the Ducks won't run into any team even remotely resembling the Bulldogs in the nation's weakest Power Five league. Getting run out of the building by Georgia is going to leave a mark, though, and could color a season-long national perception of Oregon and, to a lesser extent, the Pac-12 at large. (The perception of that league already stinks.)

The Pac-12

It took one week to reinforce how the Pac-12 is a nonfactor. Oregon was walloped. Preseason favorite Utah couldn't get past Florida. With both preseason frontrunners already holding a loss, who will carry the flag for the conference? USC? UCLA, which beat Bowling Green? Arizona? The Wildcats pulled off one of the shocking results of the day by beating San Diego State 38-20. Oregon State, Stanford, Washington? Just like with Georgia, it's a new year and the same story for the Pac-12.

East Carolina

North Carolina State was lucky to escape with a 21-20 win against the upset-minded Pirates. Beyond playing the Wolfpack to a draw at the line of scrimmage and keeping N.C. State quarterback Devin Leary under wraps, ECU kicker Owen Daffer missed an extra point try that would've knotted the game at 21-21 with three minutes left and then pushed wide the potential game-winning field goal wide right in the final seconds.

Boston College

Up 21-12 late in the third quarter and 21-15 midway through the fourth, Boston College allowed Rutgers to march 92 yards across 12 plays and notch the go-ahead score with three minutes left in a 22-21 loss. With at least four games to come against ranked opponents, the loss deals a major blow to the Eagles' path back to bowl eligibility under third-year coach Jeff Hafley; the program has won at least six games but not more than seven in eight of the past nine seasons, illustrating the small room for error.

Iowa's offense

There's one easy path to seven points: the touchdown. Another way to seven, as Iowa showed against South Dakota State: one field goal (three), one safety (five) and then another safety (seven). Of course, Iowa still won 7-3. Only the Hawkeyes.

Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson top college football Week 13 winners ...

No. 3 Michigan pounded away at No. 2 Ohio State until the Buckeyes crumbled.

For the second straight season, the rivalry game painted the Wolverines as the tougher, stronger, better coached and more consistent team and program — and if once could be pitched as a fluke, two blowouts in a row strongly suggests a trend has developed.

Ahead 31-23 midway through the fourth quarter, Michigan scored on a 75-yard touchdown run by Donovan Edwards, who ran for a career-best 216 yards. After intercepting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, the Wolverines added an 85-yard run by Edwards to win 45-23.

For Michigan, another win in this series and the high possibility of another conference championship and College Football Playoff berth means it's time to redraw the Big Ten power structure. Until proven otherwise, the Wolverines are the league's best.

For the first time in decades, the Buckeyes and everyone else in the Big Ten is chasing Michigan. Eight seasons into his tenure and just two years after facing a very uncertain future at his alma mater, Jim Harbaugh has delivered on the lofty expectations placed onto the program upon his arrival in 2015.

ROLE REVERSAL:Harbaugh owns the Big Ten after Michigan transformation

BIG BONUS:Michigan's Harbaugh earns payday of $500,000 for Ohio State win

TIGERS FALL:Clemson's payoff hopes end with surprise loss to South Carolina

And for Ohio State, this loss opens up serious doubts about the program's place in the broader Bowl Subdivision. While the Wolverines spent most of this season under scrutiny for feasting on an unimpressive schedule, the Buckeyes escaped that spotlight and were celebrated as the team most capable of beating Georgia.

The final score matters for the Buckeyes, which might've pitched the playoff selection committee on making the semifinals with one competitive loss. The 22-point defeat ends those postseason hopes and opens up a series of questions about the state of the program, the play of both lines and, maybe most of all, whether coach Ryan Day has what it takes to wrestle back control of this rivalry.

If not, pencil in more of the same from the Buckeyes until Michigan says otherwise. With the victory, the Wolverines paint themselves as the top-ranked Bulldogs' biggest threat and top the list of winners and losers from rivalry weekend:

Winners

Southern California

The Trojans were not supposed to be this good, this soon — the thought that this team would be a win away from the playoff entering the Pac-12 championship game would've been laughed away in August, September and even early October. What's behind this smashing debut for coach Lincoln Riley? Don't look much farther than Caleb Williams, who continued one of the top runs by a quarterback in Pac-12 history and probably locked down the Heisman Trophy with 267 yards total offense and four touchdowns as No. 5 USC beat No. 15 Notre Dame 38-27. Instead of being tested physically by the Fighting Irish, the Trojans got into an early rhythm and controlled the pace of play with a balanced offense — 232 yards passing, 204 running — and some terrific work on third down. And as always, USC won the turnover battle. The Trojans were plus-two against Notre Dame and now a ridiculous plus-22 on the season.

J.J. McCarthy

Edwards delivered Michigan's knockout blow, but not until McCarthy loosened up the Ohio State defense. In the face of heavy criticism after a dreadful game last weekend against Illinois, the sophomore threw for 278 yards and three scores on 11.1 yards per attempt, delivering multiple explosive plays and avoiding any costly turnovers as the Wolverines racked up 530 yards of offense. McCarthy had three completions of 45 or more yards, including two long touchdowns to Cornelius Johnson, and ran for a touchdown to give Michigan a 31-20 lead in the fourth quarter.

TCU

After a regular season full of close calls and razor-thin wins, No. 4 TCU was able to stretch out and relax in a 62-14 win against Iowa State that concludes a perfect run into the Big 12 championship game. How rare is a 48-point win? That gap matches the combined margin of victory from the Horned Frogs' past seven wins. Up next is No. 13 Kansas State and the possibility of locking down a playoff berth, though the odds have risen dramatically that TCU could lose that game and still reach the semifinals.

South Carolina

Ranked among the middling also-rans of the SEC as recently as two weeks ago, South Carolina has spent the last seven days as the Bowl Subdivision's ultimate giant slayer. Last weekend, the Gamecocks poured 63 points on No. 11 Tennessee to knock the Volunteers out of the playoff. And against No. 8 Clemson, they climbed out of a 14-0 disadvantage in the first quarter and three different nine-point deficits — at 16-7, 23-14 and 30-21 — to beat the Tigers 31-30 and earn the program's first win in this series since 2013. This is how you win rivalry week: not just by beating your hated rival but by destroying your rival's season.

Kansas State

Running away from Kansas for a 47-27 win in this unpredictably meaningful rivalry sends Kansas State to the Big 12 championship game for the first time since 2003 — there was no such game when the Wildcats won the Big 12 in 2012 — and essentially locks down a spot in the New Year's Six. That's because the Wildcats will either beat TCU and earn the league's bid as the conference winner or lose to TCU and still land the league's automatic spot in the Sugar Bowl by virtue of the Horned Frogs reaching the playoff. No matter how you cut it, this has been the program's best year in a decade and a sign of the Wildcats' ultimate potential under coach Chris Klieman.

Central Florida

Rivalry games are unpredictable. Case in point: UCF needed a miraculous touchdown grab by tight end Alec Holler with 20 seconds left to beat South Florida 46-39. The Knights had to win to earn a spot in the American Athletic championship game; the Bulls were playing out the string in a one-win that had already cost third-year coach Jeff Scott his job. By escaping the USF upset attempt, the Knights earn bragging rights and a second game in a month against Tulane, with the winner heading to the New Year's Six.

Other rivalry winners

If not at the same level as Ohio State and Michigan nor with the same national impact as Clemson and South Carolina, Saturday's slate included a run of meaningful rivalry games beginning with No. 1 Georgia's 37-13 win against Georgia Tech. And there's more. Take a deep breath ... Kentucky beat Louisville 26-13, No. 7 Alabama rolled Auburn 49-27 in the Iron Bowl, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin 23-16 to tie the all-time series at 62-62-8, Purdue topped Indiana 30-16 to win the Old Oaken Bucket and the Big Ten West, No. 10 Penn State got past Michigan State 35-16 to maybe book a New Year's Six bowl, UNLV held off Nevada 27-22 and No. 25 Texas-San Antonio sneaked in a late field goal to beat Texas-El Paso 34-31.

Nebraska

The program's most successful 24-hour stretch in years began with a win Friday afternoon against rival Iowa, snapping a seven-game losing streak in the series, and continued with Saturday morning's official hiring of former Temple and Baylor coach Matt Rhule. Since being fired by the Carolina Panthers in early October, Rhule had been the top coach on the open market and a contender for several current and projected FBS openings. The hire gives Nebraska a proven rebuilder with the recruiting connections and overall blueprint to bring the program back to respectability.

Losers

LSU

With a win against Texas A&M, the No. 6 Tigers would've entered the SEC championship game with a clear road to the playoff: win against the Bulldogs, go to the semifinals. But that equation changes after the 38-23 loss, which makes it difficult to see any realistic scenario where the committee can sell a three-loss team ahead of multiple one-loss or two-loss candidates from the Power Five. While the defeat doesn't change the sense of accomplishment in Brian Kelly's debut — this team did win the SEC West, after all — there is a sense of a missed opportunity. Luckily, similar opportunities almost certainly await LSU in the next few years.

Clemson

A bad day for Clemson doubles as a bad day for the ACC, which has been eliminated from playoff contention with the Tigers' second loss. What was on display against South Carolina has been lurking for most of this season, including ineffectiveness at wide receiver, unpredictability at quarterback and an unstoppable rash of turnovers. Another three giveaways against the Gamecocks gave the Tigers 15 in the past five games, compared to just five in the year's first seven. Worse yet was the play on defense: Clemson gave up 414 yards of offense, 360 through the air to Spencer Rattler. The only quarterbacks to throw for more yards on Clemson in the past decade are Justin Fields in 2020 (385 yards), Joe Burrow in 2019 (463), former South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley (510) in 2018, Jameis Winston in 2013 (444), former North Carolina State quarterback Mike Glennon in 2012 (493) and former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel in 2012 (380).

Oregon

Given the chance to get back on the playoff map against No. 22 Oregon State, the No. 9 Ducks blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost 38-34 in what ranks easily among the most painful losses in program history. Oregon outgained the Beavers by 142 yards, were plus-three in turnovers, held the ball for nearly 35 minutes but were guilty of legendarily bad game management: OSU had fourth-quarter touchdown drives spanning 36, 2 and 28 yards thanks to the Ducks' failures on special teams and two unsuccessful fourth-down tries deep in their own territory. Those baffling decisions to not punt the ball away will leave a stink on coach Dan Lanning well into the offseason.

Miami (Fla.)

The Hurricanes' season ended with a disaster worthy of Mario Cristobal's disastrous debut: Pittsburgh ran for 237 yards on 7.2 per carry, forced three turnovers and led 28-0 at halftime in a 42-16 romp. That drops Miami to 5-7 and out of bowl play for reasons unrelated to NCAA probation for the first time since 2007, and brings up a number of concerns about the state of the program and whether next season will yield a drastically different result. In Cristobal's defense, he's been given the job security to carefully build the Hurricanes back into an ACC contender; his track record as a head coach also says this year is an aberration. But he and Miami will be under pressure to deliver in 2023.

Other big disappointments

Mercifully, the regular season is over for some of college football's biggest disappointments. That includes Michigan State, which will fall short of bowl eligibility after competing for the Big Ten crown in 2021, and Wisconsin, which tried to jumpstart a new era under interim coach Jim Leonard but sputtered into a six-win finish. Also of note: Oklahoma State was crippled by injuries and fell from 5-0 to 7-5, Iowa State finished with a losing record for the first time since 2016 and Arkansas went 6-6 after beginning the year ranked No. 22 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. And you can't discuss this year's disappointments without mentioning Texas A&M, which despite the win against LSU ranks among the biggest flops in recent Power Five history.

Liberty

After popping onto the national radar with an 8-1 start and wins against Brigham Young and Arkansas, the Flames will limp into the postseason with losses to Connecticut, Virginia Tech and New Mexico State. Facing off against the Aggies, Liberty fell down 28-7 at halftime and eventually gave up 214 rushing yards in a 49-14 loss. And it gets worse: Hugh Freeze is expected to become the next coach at Auburn, ending an extremely successful run that included at least eight wins in each of his four years.

Ga Tech looks to mess up No. 5 Georgia's postseason plans

AP

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia has a looming showdown against the nation's top-ranked team, a game that seems destined to determine if the No. 5 Bulldogs get another shot at the College Football Playoff.

Georgia Tech would love nothing more than to mess up those plans.

The state rivals close out the regular season Saturday between the hedges, where Georgia (10-1) is a 17-point favorite to clear its final hurdle before the Dec. 1 Southeastern Conference championship game against No. 1 Alabama.

The Yellow Jackets (7-4) are sure playing up their role as underdog, even though they are in the midst of a four-game winning streak . With an ample amount of awe in his voice, coach Paul Johnson pointed to Georgia's 701-yard outburst last week in a 66-27 rout of UMass .

"I'm not sure we could do that to our scout team," Johnson said. "They looked unstoppable. Maybe they'll let us play with 12 on defense."

While it might be easy to look ahead, the Bulldogs insist their focus is firmly on this game.

"The other team calls themselves a Georgia team as well," receiver Terry Godwin said. "We've just got to let them know who the real Georgia team is around here."

Georgia is also driven by the memory of what happened in the Yellow Jackets' last two appearances at Sanford Stadium.

In 2014, the Yellow Jackets prevailed 30-24 after tying the game with a 53-yard field goal on the final play of regulation and preserving the victory with an overtime interception near the goal line. In 2016, the Bulldogs squandered a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost 28-27 .

Both times, Georgia Tech's players celebrated by gleefully snapping off branches of the famed hedges that surround the field.

"I definitely don't want them to win here ever again — especially while I'm here," Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta said. "I'm excited to attack this one and make sure those hedges don't get touched."

Some things to watch for when Georgia hosts Georgia Tech in the "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" rivalry:

SWIFT'S EMERGENCE

Georgia's running game has gotten a huge boost from sophomore D'Andre Swift.

Plagued by injuries much of the season, Swift finally got healthy and ripped off three straight 100-yard games to help Georgia clinch the SEC East title — including a career-best, 186-yard performance against Auburn two weeks ago . He was able to rest up a bit last week, playing sparingly against UMass.

Swift gives the Bulldogs a solid 1-2 punch out of the backfield. He leads the team with 857 yards rushing, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, while Elijah Holyfield has 817 yards and a 6.6-yard average.

BALANCED RECEIVING CORPS

No Georgia receiver has eye-popping numbers, but the Bulldogs have plenty of potential targets for quarterback Jake Fromm and his backup, touted freshman Justin Fields, who has played in all but one game.

Riley Ridley leads with 32 receptions, Mercole Hardman has 31 and Nauta is a frequent target with 21 catches. Godwin (15 receptions) has overcome injuries to give the Bulldogs another weapon in the passing game.

In all, Georgia has six players with double-figure receptions and 12 more players with at least one catch.

"You don't have to have a guy," coach Kirby Smart said. "You can do it by committee."

TECH'S QUARTERBACK DUO

The Yellow Jackets have two capable quarterbacks to run the triple-option — "run" being the operative word.

Senior TaQuon Marshall paces the Yellow Jackets in rushing with 857 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Tobias Oliver has come off the bench to run for 808 yards and lead the team with 12 touchdowns.

Neither has much of an arm, and the Yellow Jackets have largely abandoned the passing game during their current winning streak. But that part of the offense can't be totally ignored; Georgia Tech has averaged nearly 36 yards on its six completions in that span.

HOME FIELD DISADVANTAGE

Georgia Tech has won five of its last 10 games at Sanford Stadium.

Conversely, Georgia hasn't lost to its state rival in Atlanta since 1999. Last season, the Bulldogs romped to a 38-7 victory at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

ACCURATE KICKERS

Both teams feature extremely accurate kickers.

Ricardo Blankenship has been a huge weapon for Georgia over the last two seasons, connecting on 38 of 43 field-goal attempts and all 115 extra points.

Georgia Tech has gotten a boost from walk-on freshman Wesley Wells, who only took over the job heading into the fifth game of the season after two other kickers flopped. He is 8 for 8 on field goals and perfect on 35 extra-point attempts. Last week, he made four field goals against Virginia , including a career-best 48-yarder and a game-winning 40-yarder in overtime.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry

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AP Sports Writer Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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For more AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Top 25 Capsules

AP

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Amari Cooper tied his own school record with 224 yards receiving and caught three touchdown passes in No. 2 Alabama's 55-44 comeback victory over No. 15 Auburn on Saturday night in the highest-scoring Iron Bowl.

Quarterback Blake Sims and the Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) turned to the Heisman Trophy contender for touchdown strikes of 39 and 75 yards in the third quarter.

Alabama had already clinched a spot in the SEC championship game against No. 17 Missouri, and the top team in the College Football Playoff rankings scored 28 consecutive points heading into the final seconds.

Auburn (8-4, 4-4) surged ahead 36-27 before losing its third straight SEC game in a season that once also carried playoff hopes.

Sims passed for 312 yards and four touchdowns but was threw three interceptions. Auburn's Nick Marshall had 456 yards passing, 206 to Sammie Coates.

Auburn gained 630 yards against the SEC's top defense. Lane Kiffin's Alabama offense racked up 539 yards.

The previous high score in the Iron Bowl came in 1969, a 49-26 Auburn victory. This one trounced that total.

Cooper, who had 13 catches, gained 141 yards in the third quarter alone. Coates scored on touchdowns of 34 and 68 yards on five catches for Auburn. Teammate D'haquille Williams, who had missed the past two games with a knee injury, gained 121 yards on seven catches.

Alabama's T.J. Yeldon ran for 127 yards and a pair of scores.

NO. 1 FLORIDA STATE 24, FLORIDA 19

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Dalvin Cook ran for a career-high 144 yards and Florida State survived Jameis Winston's struggles to beat Florida in Will Muschamp's final game as the Gators' coach.

The defending national champion Seminoles have won 28 games in a row, and completed consecutive undefeated regular seasons for the first time in school history. Florida State is the 16th team to accomplish the feat since 1950.

The Seminoles (12-0, No. 3 CFP) will face Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Dec. 6.

Winston threw a career-high four interceptions, including three in the first quarter. He finished 12 of 24 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Nick O'Leary had two second-quarter touchdown catches to give Florida State a 21-9 lead.

The Gators (6-5) jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the offense struggled. Treon Harris threw for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Florida's Austin Harder missed two second-half field goals that would have given the Gators the lead.

NO. 3 OREGON 47, OREGON STATE 19

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Marcus Mariota threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 39 yards and two more scores to lead Oregon past Oregon State in the 118th Civil War game.

Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12, No. 2 CFP) will face Arizona in the Pac-12 championship game Friday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Freshman Royce Freeman ran for 135 yards and also caught one of Mariota's touchdown passes. Fellow freshman Charles Nelson caught two passes — both touchdowns — for 56 yards, and Byron Marshall had six catches for 131 yards and a score.

It was Oregon's seventh straight win overall and seventh in the series against the rival Beavers (5-7, 2-7), who lost six of their last seven games and failed to become bowl eligible.

Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion finished his college career as the Pac-12's career leader in passing yards with 13,600 and the school record-holder with 83 touchdown passes. Mannion threw for 162 yards, with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Jarmon in the third quarter.

NO. 18 MISSISSIPPI 31, NO. 4 MISSISSIPPI ST. 17

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Jaylen Walton had a 91-yard touchdown run and running back Jordan Wilkins threw a 31-yard scoring pass to lead Mississippi past Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

Bo Wallace threw for 296 yards despite completing just 13 of 30 passes.

Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) led 7-3 at halftime before its offense got going in the second half. It's the 10th time in 11 seasons the home team has won the Egg Bowl.

Wilkins' touchdown pass to Cody Core — with 9:14 remaining — came on the second throw of his career after a pitch from Wallace, pushing the Rebels ahead by two touchdowns.

The loss by Mississippi State (10-2, 6-2, No. 4 CFP) gave Alabama the SEC Western Division title. Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and a touchdown.

It's the first time both teams came into the Egg Bowl ranked since 1999.

NO. 5 BAYLOR 48, TEXAS TECH 46

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bryce Petty threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns before getting knocked out of the game with a concussion and playoff hopeful Baylor held off Texas Tech.

Shock Linwood ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (10-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP), who are guaranteed at least a share of their second consecutive conference title if they win at home over No. 11 Kansas State next Saturday.

The Bears are also hoping for a much bigger prize, but the close game against Texas Tech (4-8, 2-7) likely won't help in that quest. They were already two playoff ranking spots behind Big 12 co-leader TCU, which is coming off an impressive 48-10 Thanksgiving night romp at Texas.

Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes set a Big 12 freshman record with his 598 yards passing that included six touchdowns, the last with 1:42 left before getting sacked on a two-point try.

NO. 7 OHIO STATE 42, MICHIGAN 28

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott scored untouched on a 44-yard run on fourth-and-1 with 4:58 left to help Ohio State, without injured star quarterback J.T. Barrett, beat Michigan.

With no postseason, the only thing left to be decided for Michigan (5-7, 3-5 Big Ten) is the future of coach Brady Hoke. Interim athletic director Jim Hackett will make the call on whether the coach stays or goes.

Barrett threw for a score and ran for two before his right leg crumpled underneath him when he was tackled on a run on the first play of the fourth quarter. He broke his right ankle and will have surgery Sunday.

Cardale Jones came in for the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-0, CFP No. 6) to lead the drive that culminated in Elliott's long run. Darron Lee returned a fumble 33 yards late to add to the lead.

Ohio State will face Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.

Hoke's job status has been in question as the Wolverines have sagged since his 11-2 start at Michigan in 2011. The Wolverines have gone 8-5, 7-6 and 5-7 to give him a 31-20 record.

Before the game, walk-on defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge, who has been missing since earlier in the week, was recognized along with 23 other Buckeyes scheduled to appear at their final game in Ohio Stadium. A police poster showing Karageorge, with the word MISSING stamped across it in vivid color, was shown on the large video board at the south end of the field.

NO. 10 MICHIGAN STATE 34, PENN STATE 10

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — R.J. Shelton returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and Jeremy Langford ran for 118 yards and two scores in Michigan State's victory over Penn State.

The Spartans (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 10) won their third straight game and hit the double-digit win mark for the fourth time in the last five seasons under coach Mark Dantonio. The Spartans have four of their six 10-plus win seasons in school history under Dantonio.

Shelton doused the enthusiasm of the emotional senior day festivities at Beaver Stadium when he used all of 14 seconds to dart through defenders for the score.

From there, the Spartans never really dazzled against the Nittany Lions (6-6, 2-6). Connor Cook threw a 10-yard TD pass and Langford chipped in with a 3-yard score in the third quarter to methodically put it away.

NO. 11 KANSAS STATE 51, KANSAS 13

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jake Waters threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to record-setting wide receiver Tyler Lockett, and Kansas State routed Kansas to move into a tie atop the Big 12 standings.

Lockett caught nine passes for 119 yards, passing father Kevin Lockett for the school record in career catches and matching his mark for touchdown receptions. Lockett has 222 catches and 26 TD grabs heading into next week's showdown at fifth-ranked Baylor.

Kansas State (9-2, No. 12 CFP) moved into a tie with TCU and Baylor at 7-1 in the conference.

Curry Sexton added nine catches for 141 yards and a score, and Waters and Charles Jones each had touchdown runs as the Wildcats beat the Jayhawks (3-9, 1-8) for the sixth straight time.

NO. 14 WISCONSIN 34, NO. 22 MINNESOTA 24

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Melvin Gordon ran for 151 yards and accounted for two scores, and Wisconsin overcvame a two-touchdown deficit to beat Minnesota and earn a spot in the Big Ten championship game.

Joel Stave threw for 215 yards, including 160 to receiver Alex Erickson. Stave's 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wheelwright with 4:41 left gave the Badgers (10-2, 7-1, CFP No. 14) a 10-point lead.

It was not easy. Physical Minnesota (8-4, 5-3) let a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter slip away. David Cobb ran for 118 yards on 25 carries, including a 40-yard score.

NO. 16 GEORGIA TECH 30, NO. 8 GEORGIA 24, OT

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal on the final play of regulation, and D.J. White picked off a pass in overtime to preserve Georgia Tech's victory over Georgia.

Georgia Tech (10-2, CFP No. 16) trailed 24-21 after Hutson Mason threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell on fourth down with 18 seconds left. But the Yellow Jackets wound up with good field position after a squib kickoff, Justin Thomas scrambled 21 yards into field goal range, and Butker's kick barely cleared the crossbar.

Zach Laskey put Georgia Tech ahead with his third touchdown run of the game in overtime, but Butker's extra point was blocked. The Bulldogs (9-3, CFP No. 9) had a chance to win it as they faced second-and-goal at the 9.

Mason again tried to hit Mitchell on a quick slant. This time, White stepped in to make the interception, ending a game that featured a bit of everything.

NO. 23 CLEMSON 35, SOUTH CAROLINA 17

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Artavis Scott had two long touchdown catches, Wayne Gallman ran for 191 yards and Clemson ended a five-game losing streak to rival South Carolina.

The Tigers (9-3) hadn't beaten the Gamecocks (6-6) since 2008, an unprecedented run of failure that overshadowed their 32-8 record the past three seasons. This time, Clemson showed off a perked up offense bolstered by the return of freshman starter Deshaun Watson at quarterback.

Watson threw two inside flip passes that Scott turned into touchdowns of 53 and 70 yards. The second one gave the Tigers a 28-10 lead that South Carolina couldn't overcome.

Watson finished 14 of 19 for 269 yards and two rushing TDs in first significant action since defeating North Carolina State on Oct. 4. Scott had seven catches for 185 yards.

NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 44, KENTUCKY 40

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Brandon Radcliff ran 4 yards for a touchdown with 2:47 remaining and safety Gerod Holliman had an NCAA record-tying 14th interception with 35 seconds left, helping Louisville beat Kentucky.

No lead was safe in a back-and-forth game between rivals that got physical before kickoff. Louisville coach Bobby Petrino grabbed the jacket of Wildcats assistant Daniel Berezowitz during one pregame scuffle.

The game was equally as charged. There were four fourth-quarter lead changes alone. The Cardinals (9-3) ultimately got the last word by driving 81 yards for the winning score that capped their fourth and final comeback against the Wildcats (5-7).

Kentucky's last possession ended with Holliman picking off Patrick Towles and returning it 65 yards to the 2 before Louisville ran out the clock and sparked a celebration.

No. 25 BOISE STATE 50, UTAH STATE 19

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Jay Ajayi ran for a career-high 229 yards and five touchdowns, and Boise State rolled past Utah State and secured a spot in the Mountain West title game.

The Broncos (10-2, 7-1), who kept alive their hopes of playing in a New Year's Day bowl game, won their 13th straight home game. They will host Fresno State for the conference championship on Saturday.

Utah State (9-4, 6-2) dropped its first November road game since 2009 and failed to return to the conference title game after representing the Mountain Division last year.

With the division title on the line in a game that boasted the Mountain West's top offense in Boise State and top defense in Utah State, the matchup was decisively one-sided.

Boise State racked up 498 total yards and scored touchdowns on its first five possessions against the nation's fifth-best scoring defense.

Ajayi, who eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the seventh consecutive game, ran for the most yards of any single runner this season against the Aggies' 17th-ranked run defense.

Boise State's Grant Hedrick turned in an 18-of-24 passing performance for 191 yards and two touchdowns.