Washington: 2024 Sugar Bowl Champions

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The remarkable comeback story of Michael Penix Jr. is a victory away from a perfect ending for Washington.

Penix passed for 430 yards and two touchdowns, and the Huskies held off Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night to advance to the College Football Playoff title game, earning both the sixth-year quarterback with two surgically repaired knees and the beleaguered Pac-12 a chance to go out a champion.

The second-ranked Huskies (14-0) will face No. 1 Michigan next Monday night in Houston with a 21-game winning streak, looking for their first national championship since 1991 and the Pac-12's first since Southern California in 2004.

Washington is one of 10 schools fleeing the Pac-12 for other Power Five conferences next season, with the Huskies headed to join Michigan in the Big Ten. The conference is not going away, but its days as a potential football power are likely done.

But first, the final season of the four-team playoff before expansion to 12 in 2024 comes down to a Pac-12-Big Ten matchup, just like the first when Ohio State beat Oregon.

"Huskie Nation stand up," Penix told the UW crowd in the postgame trophy ceremony. "We goin' to the natty!"

No. 3 Texas (12-2) had four shots at the end zone after getting to the Washington 12 with 15 seconds left, but Quinn Ewers missed on the last three passes. The final throw was a fade to Adonai Mitchell that was knocked away by Washington's Elijah Jackson.

"Those guys are the most resilient guys I have ever been around," Washington coach Kalen DeBoer said.

In Texas' first CFP appearance and final football game as a member of the Big 12 before it goes to the Southeastern Conference, Ewers passed for 318 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn't enough against Penix and his array of talented receivers.

"They were a second away from playing for a national championship," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "They should be proud of themselves. Penix got hot and (Washington) made some big plays down the field."

Penix spent his first four college seasons at Indiana, suffering three season-ending injuries, one to each knee and one to his throwing shoulder.

When his former offensive coordinator at Indiana, DeBoer, took over at Washington, Penix didn't think twice before moving to Seattle, and then decided to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility and returned for a second year.

"He's been on a mission since he chose to come back, and a lot of the other guys followed his lead," DeBoer said

The left-hander stayed healthy and blossomed into a star, the Heisman Trophy runner-up this year, and now has a chance to win a national championship after another brilliant performance.

"It was the tough times. I feel like everything I've been through built me for this," Penix said.

Penix went 29 for 38 with no turnovers. He completed 12 straight at one point, the longest on-target streak in the CFP's 10-year history.

And he did it attacking down field as usual. He completed six passes of at least 20 yards, connecting with Rome Odunze six times for 125 yards and Ja'Lynn Polk five times for 122.

It was in some ways a perfect CFP semifinal for the last season before massive changes in college football: two teams switching conferences next season, led by star quarterbacks who transferred in.

A wild first half included a 77-yard connection with Polk on Penix's second pass of the game, Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II plunging into the end zone for a 1-yard TD run, a Penix-to-Polk TD pass when the receiver tipped the ball to himself and the Longhorns capping the second quarter with a long touchdown drive to tie it at 21-all at intermission.

There was a fourth-and-1 stop by Texas of Washington deep in Longhorns territory, which didn't deter DeBoer from going for a fourth-and-1 at his own UW 33, and converting.

Penix had 255 yards in the first half alone, and then kept it rolling on the first drive of the second half, throwing a dart down the middle to Jalen McMillen for a 19-yard score.

Washington added two field goals by Grady Gross to take a 34-21 lead early in the fourth quarter. Holding the Huskies to field goals kept Texas in the game, and when Ewers found Mitchell, the Georgia transfer with two national titles, for a 1-yard score with 7:23 left, it was a one-possession game.

The Superdome sounded like Darrell K. Royal Stadium east, with Texas fans easily outnumbering the visitors from the Pacific Northwest.

Penix calmly went back to work, hitting Odunze over the shoulder for 32 yards down the sideline to set up a first-and-goal that led to the third field goal of the day for Gross, a former walk-on who was put on scholarship after hitting a walk-off winner in the Apple Cup.

That put Washington up 37-28 with 2:40 left, and had its purple-clad fans doing its best to drown out the Longhorns with a "Let's go Huskies!" chant.

Texas kicked a field goal with 1:09 left cut the lead to six. Washington recovered an onside kick, but couldn't kill the clock. Texas flew down the field and had an improbable comeback in sight.

"Just was looking to give my guys an opportunity to go make a play," Ewers said of his final throws. At the end of the day, that's all you can really do.

Washington came through in the clutch — again.

"They've done it all year, coming up with big-time stops in big-time moments," Penix said.

The Huskies' last 10 victories have all been decided by 10 points or fewer. The close games have brought doubters.

"We're always disrespected, always made the underdogs," said defensive end Bralen Trice, another upperclassman who returned this season to make title run.

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas: Came in with a vaunted defensive line led by All-America defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat and second-team All-American Murphy. They were tough to run against, as usual, but they didn't get much pressure on Penix through an offensive line that was named the best in the country. Throughout the week both sides seemed a little tired of talking about the line matchup when the Huskies had the ball. Ultimately, the Huskies' big guys came out on top, not allowing a sack.

Washington: On the Huskies' final offensive play as they tried to burn clock, star running back Dillon Johnson was shaken up, which stopped the clock and gave Texas an extra 30 seconds or so for their own drive. There was no word on Johnson's status for the matchup with Michigan.

UP NEXT

Texas: Will Ewers be back for the Longhorns or is it Arch Manning time in Austin? Stay tuned.

Washington: The Huskies are 5-8 all-time against Michigan, including 2-2 in Rose Bowls.

Michigan: 2024 Rose Bowl Champions

 It was an up-and-down game but the final result was euphoric for the Michigan Wolverines against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Michigan won 27-20 in overtime and is headed to the national championship in Houston.

Here are key takeaways from Michigan’s win.

Michigan’s defense was ferocious and had an epic goal-line stand in OT

Michigan’s defense made Alabama’s offense one-dimensional. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe had limited success through the air, throwing for just 116 yards on the day. While Milroe made some great plays with his legs, he also turned the ball over on a fumble and was sacked a whopping six times by Michigan’s defense. Five of those sacks came in the first half, which is tied for the most in a half in the Nick Saban era. Michigan held Alabama to just 3-of-13 on third down and to 288 total yards. And with Michigan up 27-20 in overtime, the defense had an incredible goal-line stand which ended on a 4th and goal from the three-yard line where Milroe was stuffed on a run up the middle. There were many heroes on defense — Junior Colson had 10 tackles, Michael Barrett had nine and a sack, Mike Sainristil had some big hits and great coverage, Braiden McGregor had two sacks, Jaylen Harrell had a sack, Josaiah Stewart had a sack, Kris Jenkins and Derrick Moore both had sacks. It took cohesion from the defense for Michigan to win, and it was an epic performance down the stretch.

Michigan’s offense gets going late and turns the tide

Michigan took a 13-10 lead into halftime, but after neither team scored in the third quarter Alabama scored ten unanswered points to go up 20-13 on the Wolverines. Things were getting dire for Michigan, time was running out, and they had to score with time ticking down. A 35-yard pass from J.J. McCarthy to Blake Corum on 4th and 2 with 3;19 left in the game kept Michigan’s hopes alive. Then McCarthy rushed for 16 yards, Roman Wilson had a 29-yard reception and Wilson would score two plays later on a four-yard TD to tie the game at 27-7. In overtime, it was a quick and heavy dose of ground and pound from Blake Corum to give Michigan a 27-20 lead on a 17-yard rushing TD.

For every play that didn’t generate positive yardage, for every third-down Michigan didn’t convert (2-off-11 on the day), the offense made incredible plays happen and played inspired football, including McCarthy, who threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns. Roman Wilson had just four catches, but they were huge ones and totaled 73 yards. Blake Corum had a gritty 83 yards rushing and had heroic runs. The offensive line allowed just one sack after giving up four sacks to Iowa in the Big Ten Championship. Tyler Morris had the first touchdown of his career on a 38-yard reception. Just like Michigan’s defense, it took huge plays from multiple players on Michigan’s offense to get the job done.

The win silences the haters

Pundits have picked against Michigan in every big matchup this season. Penn State. Ohio State. And now against Alabama. It hasn’t turned out very well for them, and they have egg on their face, to say the least. Michigan hadn’t won a bowl game since 2015 until the Rose Bowl win on Monday. Michigan lost in the College Football Playoff semifinal in back-to-back years heading into the Rose Bowl. There was the narrative that the SEC would steamroll Michigan. There was the dynamic that Nick Saban was the best head coach ever and Jim Harbaugh had no chance of beating him. At some point, Michigan’s biggest detractors who have prestigious jobs in the media should own up to their bias against Michigan and admit they underestimated not only the talent of the Michigan team but the brotherhood within the locker room as well.

The job is not finished

Michigan’s accomplished a whole heck of a lot this season, but they still haven’t won their biggest game of the season. Sorry Ohio State, that Michigan-OSU rivalry is huge, but the national championship is substantially bigger. Multiple Michigan players spoke about the team having a Houston or bust mentality the entire season. Houston is where the national championship is being held. Well, now the Wolverines are headed to Houston on a business trip. This week of preparation is huge, as their opponent, Washington, has a prolific offense and a good defense as well. Washington’s undefeated and presents a huge challenge, a challenge Michigan gladly accepts.

Oregon: 2024 Fiesta Bowl Champions

 

Oregon QB Bo Nix set the single-season completion percentage record in the No. 8 Ducks’ overwhelming 45-6 win over No. 23 Liberty on Monday.

Nix entered the game less than two-tenths of a percentage point behind Alabama QB Mac Jones for the best completion percentage in a college football season. Jones finished the 2020 season 311-of-402 passing for 4,500 yards and 41 TDs to just four interceptions and broke former Texas QB Colt McCoy’s 2008 record of 76.7% with a completion percentage of 77.36%.

Monday, the Heisman finalist from Oregon was 28-of-35 passing for 363 yards and five touchdowns before leaving the game just after the start of the fourth quarter. The six incompletions mean Nix finishes the 2023 season 364-of-470 passing for 4,504 yards with 45 touchdowns, three interceptions and a completion percentage of 77.44%.

Four of Nix’s five TD throws came in the second quarter after Liberty had a moment of hope to start the game. The Flames opened the game with the ball and promptly went 75 yards on a possession capped off by a 17-yard TD pass from Kaidon Salter to Bentley Hanshaw. Oregon (11-2) responded with a field goal and Liberty led 6-3 after the first quarter.

It got ugly from there.

Nix found four different receivers for those TD throws in the second period as Oregon made it a laugher by halftime. Liberty’s defense was no match for the Ducks’ offense and Oregon’s defense quickly shut down Liberty’s offense. The Flames punted on each of their next four drives after their opening TD and ran just 18 plays on those possessions. Their sixth possession ended in an interception that was turned into an Oregon touchdown with 3 seconds to go before halftime and a 31-6 lead for the Ducks.

Bo Nix's career renaissance

Nix came to Oregon ahead of the 2022 season after spending the first three seasons of his career at Auburn. He was the Tigers’ starting quarterback in all three of his seasons there, but had thrown just 23 TDs over the last two seasons of his career and averaged less than seven yards an attempt with the Tigers.

He arrived in Eugene with head coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham (now the head coach at Arizona State) and immediately had the best season of his career. A season ago, Nix completed nearly 72% of his passes for almost 3,600 yards and threw 29 TDs and seven interceptions.

He was even better in 2023 as Oregon made a run at the Pac-12 title. Undefeated Washington was the only team to beat Oregon over the course of the season as the Ducks outscored their opponents by over 27 points per game.

Nix’s stellar years at Oregon could make him a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Liberty's first New Year's Six game

The previously undefeated Flames (13-1) snuck into their first New Year’s Six bowl game thanks to SMU’s win over Tulane in the AAC title game.

The Green Wave were ahead of the Flames entering conference championship weekend but lost at home to the two-loss Mustangs. The win without starting QB Preston Stone wasn’t good enough for SMU to jump ahead of undefeated Liberty, and the Flames ended the season as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

There were reasons to be suspicious of Liberty’s chances against the Ducks, however. The Flames had the weakest schedule in the country and didn’t play a single Power Five team. Liberty allowed nearly 23 points per game during the regular season and gave up at least 25 points in seven of its 13 wins.

But Monday’s blowout also doesn’t diminish the growth of the football program. Liberty joined the top level of college football in 2018 and has posted a winning season in all six of its years at the FBS level. The school’s ability to spend money on its football program was a big reason why it lured former Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell to Lynchburg to replace Hugh Freeze after the 2022 season.

With those vast resources and a relatively weak Conference USA around it, Liberty has a real chance to be a part of the 12-team playoff in 2024 with another undefeated season.

Georgia: 2023 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Georgia football dropped a boulder on the remnants of Florida State’s team in Hard Rock Stadium Saturday.

The Seminoles did not at all resemble the bunch that went 13-0 and were left out of the College Football Playoff. Its roster was decimated by players that pulled out of playing after being crushed to not be able to play for a national title.

Georgia took advantage in a 63-3 shellacking of the No. 5 Seminoles in the Orange Bowl.

Coming off an SEC championship game loss to Alabama that knocked it out of the playoff, the Bulldogs rolled to a 42-3 halftime lead behind 383 yards of total offense and finished the season 13-1.

Here are three things we learned about the Bulldogs after its second win in this bowl game in the last three seasons:

Georgia footballs shows no mercy in the Orange Bowl

Georgia’s offense played without two projected NFL first-round draft picks in tight end Brock Bowers and offensive tackle Amarius Mims.

The Bulldogs still had way too much firepower for a Florida State missing eight defensive starters to opt outs and injuries. That included three new names that came to light on gameday: defensive linemen Joshua Farmer and Braden Fiske and linebacker Tatum Bethune. The Seminoles had 14 starters out in all.

Georgia set a program record for most points in half in a bowl game with 42 and the 39-point first halftime lead was its largest ever in a bowl.

Kendall Milton rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on 9 carries, all in a first half as Georgia rolled up 180 rushing yards on 16 carries. Milton went left then cut back and went right and into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown run and later added a 5-yard score. Daijun Edwards 15-yard  touchdown run made it 21-7.

Georgia scored touchdowns on nine straight possessions after turning it over on downs on the first time it had the ball. That includes with Gunner Stockton at quarterback for the last three of those.

Carson Beck was 13 of 19 for 203 yards and touchdowns of 12 yards to Arian Smith on a screen and 2 to Dominic Lovett. Beck was lifted at halftime.

Dillon Bell laid out to make a diving catch for 35 yards and then made another spectacular catch for 40 yards later in the half.

Georgia football defense clamps down on Seminoles

Jordan Travis, Florida State’s star quarterback who was lost for the season and missed the final two games before the Orange Bowl, went to the locker room using crutches and in a walking boot with the Seminoles managing just a field goal in the first half.

Brock Glenn, the true freshman third stringer, was 7 of 22 for 122 yards and an interception. He got the start when backup Tate Rodemaker opted out before Christmas.

Georgia was missing starting inside linebacker Smael Mondon who was held out due to nagging injuries.

Cornerback Daniel Harris, who posted on social media he was going in transfer portal but hasn’t, got in the game on the second defensive series.

He was in coverage on a well-placed deep ball to Kentron Poitier for a 55-yard gain early in the second quarter. That was two yards shy of the longest pass play given up by Georgia this season.

Mykel Willaims and CJ Allen combined for a 1-yard loss on a Glenn run and the Seminoles settled for a short field goal.

Allen, a freshman linebacker, had a team-high 6 tackles. Williams forced a fumble and recovered late in the second quarter.

Playmaker Ladd McConkey scores on 'touchdown run'

Running back Kenny McIntosh threw a touchdown pass in the 2021 Orange Bowl and Ladd McConkey looked like he would throw on a throw behind the line of scrimmage.

Instead the wide receiver weaved his way from in front of the Florida State sideline all the way on the other side down the Georgia sideline for what went as a  27-yard touchdown run. He broke a tackle at the 20-yard line.

McConkey put his arms across his chest and broke out a big smile in the end zone.

Coach Kirby Smart was smiling broadly on the sideline as well.

It was the fourth rushing touchdown of McConkey’s career.

The redshirt junior had two touches in the game. His other was a 22-yard catch.

Ole Miss: 2023 Peach Bowl Champions

The Ole Miss Rebels are Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl champions, and they have secured 11 wins in a single season for the first time in school history after taking down the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

During the trophy presentation after the game, it would be easy to reflect on a historic season and breathe a sigh of relief following an emotional game. That happened, sure, but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has other things in mind, and he made sure to let those in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium know it.

"This is pretty cool, and we're just getting started," Kiffin said. "This was a big-time game on a big-time stage against a great opponent and great program. It took everybody today. I thought our players played amazing. Our coaches did a great job, and, by far, our fans showed up today."

With so much talent off of this year's roster returning for 2024 (and adding one of the top transfer portal classes in the country), it's hard not to be optimistic about the future in Oxford. This season was wildly successful for the Rebels, but if anything, it should serve as a springboard into next year.

While the Southeastern Conference is expanding to 16 teams in 2024 with the addition of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, the College Football Playoff is also set to expand to 12 teams, a field that would have included Ole Miss this year, had this format already been in place.

Kiffin and his staff called a masterful game on Saturday, and they knew they had to pull out some stops to take down a stout Penn State team led by a formidable defense. The head coach, however, didn't take the credit. Instead, he gave it to his assistants and players.

"That's not me," Kiffin said. "That's our coaching staff putting together a great game plan, making some clutch calls, but it always comes down to the players. We trust our players. We're very aggressive how we call games in all areas, and our players showed up today, and our players made the plays.

"To do something that's never been done before, to get to 11 wins in such a great program with so many great players who have come before us and played here, for this group to come together for one common theme of being great, I'm just honored and blessed to coach these guys."

This year marked history for Ole Miss, but if Lane Kiffin has anything to say about it, the history will continue in 2024 and beyond, and this Peach Bowl win could be the catalyst that starts it all.

Missouri: 2023 Cotton Bowl Champions

There was plenty to say after the 88th Cotton Bowl Classic.

Missouri football just staged a fourth quarter for the ages. The Tigers, down 3-0, put up 14 of the biggest points in MU history to down Ohio State 14-3.

It was exactly what Missouri set out to do when it started this historic season about one year ago after the Gasparilla Bowl.

"We talk about developing an elite edge, and the G and EDGE stands for grit, a stubborn refusal to quit, and that's what our team displayed tonight to score 14 in the fourth quarter when you're down 3-0," Drinkwitz said. "Just really, really proud of those guys.

Here's what Drinkwitz said after winning the 2023 Cotton Bowl.

What Mizzou was about this year

Going up against Ohio State didn't mean going up against the No. 7 team in the nation. It also meant going up against established history of college football excellence.

Eight national championships, five College Football Playoff appearances since 2014 and 964 total wins.

Missouri doesn't have that kind of resume. It did not care.

"Last night, our chaplain, gave a message about the difference between a blue blood Brotherhood and a wilderness brotherhood," Drinkwitz said. "A wilderness brotherhood forged through adversity and fight and scratching and clawing for everything you get, and it just totally encompassed everything that we're about."

Drinkwitz, with his back against the wall this season, put forth one of the best seasons in Missouri football history.

Just don't think he'll take much of the credit, though.

"I'll be honest, it really doesn't have much to do with me," Drinkwitz said. "It's really about our players and our team and the legacy of the 2023 brotherhood."

'It's really not ever going to be about me'

Drinkwitz's face is now the face of Missouri athletics.

He is the coach who won Missouri a Cotton Bowl. He is the coach who has Missouri in the conversation to be a playoff team next year when the CFP expands to 12 teams.

But, he is also the man who wants fans to know the players are the ones who deserve the most credit after Friday's win.

"We have a sign in our locker room that goes around that says, 'when the weakest choose to run, we stand shoulder to shoulder and move forward together,'" Drinkwitz said. "That's what our brotherhood did."

Drinkwitz made all the right decisions this season. It led to 11 wins and a win in the Cotton Bowl.

He's willing to pass off all that credit in a heartbeat.

"It's really not ever going to be about me," Drinkwitz said. "It's going to be about our team and our coaching staff and our university."

On the game-winning fourth quarter

Missouri had some fourth-quarter inspiration from the NFL level.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, after a last-minute win over the Philadelphia Eagles led by Missouri alum Drew Lock, mentioned that games are won in that final frame. Drinkwitz took that to heart.

"We saw Coach Carroll say the other day, and actually talked to the team about it, you can't win it the first, you can't win it in the second, you can't win in the third, but you can sure win it in the fourth quarter," Drinkwitz said. "This team, they did that. They displayed that."

MU scored 14 points and forced a game-sealing turnover in the fourth quarter. It played the best quarter of the season when it mattered most.

"Appreciative to Coach Carroll for demonstrating that, and then Drew Lock giving us the inspiration to go out there," Drinkwitz said. "We didn't have to quite do it on the last drive of the game, but it was sure a lot of fun."

On Mizzou's mentality going forward

Missouri went into the 2023 season with one single mantra.

It was plastered everywhere, repeated plenty of times and sounded like a broken record to some. To some, maybe, but not to Missouri. Now, the team gets to change that mantra.

"It's why stop now," Drinkwitz said. "That's the mentality is."

Missouri climbed its way from the depths. This team was mired in hell as a squad picked to finish sixth in the SEC behind Vanderbilt. The Tigers had everything to prove.

Eleven wins and a Cotton Bowl title later, they proved it all and more.

"We've worked really hard to get this opportunity and we're not gonna sit here and change," Drinkwitz said. "So, why stop now?"

Penn State: 2023 Rose Bowl Champions

PASADENA, Calif. – The No. 11/9/7 Penn State football team (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) defeated No. 8/7/10 Utah (10-4, 7-2 PAC-12) 35-21 in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 2, 2023. The Nittany Lions put up 448 yards of total offense and recorded two takeaways in the program's second Rose Bowl win.

 

Sean Clifford led the way for the Nittany Lion offense, going 16-for-22 with 279 yards and two touchdowns. Clifford became Penn State's program leader in total offense, eclipsing Trace McSorley's mark of 11,596 yards. Clifford's 88-yard touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fourth quarter became the longest passing play in the history of the Rose Bowl.

 

Nicholas Singleton capped off his historic true freshman season with 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl. Singleton's 87-yard touchdown run in the third quarter is the third-longest run in Rose Bowl history and the second-longest in Penn State bowl history. With the run, the Nittany Lions now own two of the five longest rushes in the history of the Rose Bowl, including Ki-Jana Carter's 83-yard run in the 1995 Rose Bowl.

 

With the 88-yard pass and the 87-yard run, the Nittany Lions became the first team in Rose Bowl history with 80-plus yard receiving and rushing touchdowns in a game.

 

Kaytron Allen and Mitchell Tinsley recorded the additional Nittany Lion scores in the game, and Lambert-Smith finished with a career-high 124 receiving yards.

 

Two takeaways set the tone on defense for the Nittany Lions. Kalen King and Ji'Ayir Brown recorded interceptions as Penn State turned in a solid defensive outing. Curtis Jacobs picked up a career-high two sacks in the game while Brown and Chop Robinson collected 1.5 sacks each. Penn State totaled six sacks and nine tackles for loss in the contest.

 

The 2022 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

 

Penn State made the first splash play of the day. With the Utes inside Nittany Lion territory on their second drive of the game, Kalen King intercepted Cameron Rising at the 18-yard line to bring the Penn State offense back on the field.

 

The Nittany Lions found the end zone on the very next drive on a touchdown run by Nicholas Singleton. Penn State entered the red zone on a 28-yard strike by Sean Clifford to Theo Johnson at the 13-yard line. On a third-and-two play, Singleton took a handoff and exploded into the end zone for the five-yard score that resulted in the only points in the first quarter for either team.

 

Utah tied the game with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on its subsequent possession. The Utes took 7:12 off the clock as Rising found Thomas Yassmin for the score. The score put Utah on the board and tied the game 7-7 with 7:55 remaining in the second quarter.

 

A Mitchell Tinsley touchdown catch capped off Penn State's next drive, as the teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter. The Nittany Lions constructed a six-play 70-yard drive, including a 32-yard reception by KeAndre Lambert-Smith and a 20-yard grab by Harrison Wallace, that resulted in Clifford's 85th career touchdown pass.

 

The Utes answered right back, making it 14-14 with the game's fourth consecutive scoring drive. Utah used a six-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game with 2:09 left to play in the opening half.

 

As the Utes were driving with under a minute left in the half, Curtis Jacobs sacked Rising on third down, sending the game to halftime tied 14-14.

 

In the third quarter, Singleton scored his second touchdown of the game on an 87-yard scamper that broke the 14-14 deadlock with 10:17 remaining in the frame. The Nittany Lions began the drive at their own five-yard line and ran just two plays before Singleton found a hole and dashed downfield for the score.

 

The Nittany Lion defense showed out once again as it intercepted Utah for the second time. Ji'Ayir Brown picked off Bryson Barnes with 6:07 left in the third quarter to record his 16th career takeaway.

 

With the score sitting at 21-14 entering the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions completed the longest passing play in Rose Bowl history to extend the lead to 28-14. In an almost identical beginning of the drive to the Singleton touchdown, Penn State ran just two plays before Clifford aired out a pass to Lambert-Smith for an 88-yard score.

 

Penn State tacked on another fourth-quarter touchdown to make it 35-14 at the 10:36 mark as Kaytron Allen scored on a one-yard run. The Nittany Lions took 2:44 to record a five-play 47-yard scoring drive.

 

The Utes scored the game's final touchdown with 0:25 remaining in regulation but the result was unchanged as the Nittany Lions won 35-21.

Tulane: 2023 Cotton Bowl Champions

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tulane tight end Alex Bauman caught a 6-yard touchdown from Michael Pratt with 9 seconds left to cap a frantic finish by the 14th-ranked Green Wave in a 46-45 win over Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and No. 8 Southern California in the Cotton Bowl on Monday.

Bauman’s contested catch, with linebacker Eric Gentry draped over him, was initially ruled an incompletion, but a replay review showed the ball never touched the ground as the players rolled over in the end zone. The Green Wave scored 16 points in the final 4:07, the game-winning touchdown coming after they got the ball back following a safety.

“I might have had a heart attack,” Tulane coach Willie Fritz said moments after the game ended.

Williams was 37-for-52 passing for 462 yards and a Cotton Bowl-record five touchdowns, exactly one month after the quarterback suffered a hamstring injury in USC’s loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game that kept the Trojans from making the four-team College Football Playoff.

Tyjae Spears ran for 205 yards and his career-best fourth touchdown started the final scoring surge for the American Athletic Conference champion Green Wave (12-2), who completed an FBS-record 10-win turnaround around after going 2-10 last season. They were in the New Year’s Six game as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

Georgia: 2022 Peach Bowl Champions

ATLANTA -- Just when it looked like the Georgia football team was in deep, deep trouble, the Bulldogs found a way to survive.

The No. 1 Georgia football team's quest for a second straight national championship seemed all but lost in the fourth quarter of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl late Saturday night. Trailing No. 4 Ohio State by 14 points, the Bulldogs made the critical plays in all phases of the game to rally for a 42-41 win in the College Football Playoff semifinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

With eight seconds left, and a crowd of 79,330 holding its breath, the Buckeye's kicker, Noah Ruggles, missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt that would have sent Ohio State (12-1) to the National Championship Game. He missed and the Bulldogs (14-0) were able to survive and advance.

Georgia will meet No. 3 TCU in the National Championship Game on Jan. 9, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The Horned Frogs upset No. 2 Michigan, 51-45, in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

Georgia outgained the Buckeyes 533-467, with quarterback Stetson Bennett completing 23 of 34 passes for 398 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception. OSU's C.J. Stroud finished 23 pot 34 for 348 yards and four touchdowns.

The Bulldogs' opening drive, after a quick stop of the Buckeyes that included a 10-yard sack by linebacker Smael Mondon, Jr., included some bright spots, including two receptions by Adonai Mitchell. But it ended in a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Jack Podlesny that was wide left, giving the Buckeyes the ball back at their 29.

Ohio State went right to work, with Stroud hitting Marvin Harrison, Jr., for a 24-yard gain on first down. Later, on second-and-7 at the UGA 31, Stroud rolled to his right to avoid pressure, waited a moment, and then hit Harrison on the right side of the end zone for the game's first score, putting the Buckeyes up 7-0 with 8:16 left in the opening quarter.

Georgia responded quickly with a drive that showed off a lot of weapons. Bennett hit Dominick Blaylock on the left side for a 20-yard gain on third-and-10 at the UGA 25. Two plays later, Daijun Edwards pinballed off of a Buckeye and scampered for an 18-yard gain to the OSU 47. On the next play, Bennett rolled right and hit Brock Bowers for a 17-yard gain.

Bennett was sacked for a 7-yard loss on the next play, but on second-and-17 at the 25, he threw a quick strike to Kenny McIntosh, lined up in the left slot, and the running back made one cut and then took off for the end zone. Podlesny's extra point tied the game 7-7 with 3:15 remaining in the first. Bennett completed 9 of 10 passes for 110 yards and the touchdown in the first quarter.

The Buckeyes regained the lead, 14-7, on their next drive, on Miyan Williams' 2-yard run. The Bulldogs' nearly got a takeaway earlier in the drive when cornerback Kelee Ringo punched the ball out of Harrison's arms on a 24-yard completion, but the ball rolled out of bounds before any men in red could dive on it.

Ohio State got the ball right back, deep in Georgia territory, after a Bennett pass was intercepted by Steele Chambers and returned 15 yards to the UGA 30. The Buckeyes pushed their lead to 21-7 with 10:56 left in the half on Stroud's 16-yard touchdown pass to Harrison in the back right corner of the end zone. The deficit was the largest the Bulldogs had faced all season.

In need of a response, Georgia delivered it quickly. Edwards broke free for a 21-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing drive. Later, Bennett hit wideout Arian Smith deep for a 47-yard gain to the 11. On the next play, running back Kendall Milton ran the ball in on the right side for a touchdown, cutting OSU's lead to 21-14 with 9:16 on the clock.

Georgia's defense got a big stop on OSU's next drive, with linebacker Mykel Williams sacking Stroud for a 9-yard loss to the Buckeye 19 on third down. The Bulldogs started their next drive at their 38, with 7:41 to play in the half. They ended it with a 3-yard Bennett touchdown run, and Podlesny's extra point tied the game 21-21 with 6:07 to play in the half.

The drive began emphatically, with McIntosh taking a handoff and bursting free up the left hash after a couple of cuts. But he tripped after looking behind him and fell at the OSU 10, after a 52-yard gain. Edwards then ran the ball for 7 yards, to the 3, and Bennett did the rest. After that drive, the Bulldogs were averaging 11.9 yards per play for the game.

Georgia's defense got a second straight quick stop, and after a punt the offense took over at the Georgia 32. On third-and-6, Bennett fired a strike to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for a 28-yard gain. Milton then ran for 15 yards to the 20 on the next play. On fourth-and-4 at the 14, with 1:49 left in the half, Georgia opted for a 32-yard Podlesny field goal that put the Bulldogs in front for the first time, 24-21, giving Georgia 17 unanswered points after falling behind 21-7.

Ohio State got the ball back with 1:44 to play in the half and very quickly found the end zone, regaining the lead, 28-24, on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Xavier Johnson with 49 seconds remaining. The 28 points were the most Georgia's defense has allowed this season and the second-most it had allowed in a game.

Georgia was forced to punt on the opening possession of the second half, and Ohio State's offense went back to work against a Bulldog defense struggling to defend the pass. A couple of big completions helped the Buckeyes move into the red zone, and a 10-yard touchdown pass on third down, from Stroud to Emeka Egbuka, make it 35-24 with 10:37 left in the third.

With 31 seconds left in the third quarter, the Buckeyes added to their lead with a 25-yard Noah Ruggles field goal that made it 38-24. Podlesny cut into the lead with a 31-yard field goal with 10:14 left in the game, making it a 38-27 game.

After Georgia's defense forced a punt, Bennett on the first play of the ensuing drive hit Smith for a 76-yard touchdown to cut the margin 38-33 with 8:41 remaining. Georgia tried for a two-point conversion and Bennett hit Ladd McConkey on the right side, making the score 38-35. Smith somehow got way behind the Buckeye defense and had nothing between him and the end zone but about 30 yards of green turf.

Ohio State added a Ruggles 48-yard field goal with 2:43 to play to push its lead to 41-35, giving the Bulldogs at least a shot at pulling out the comeback win. And Georgia made the most of its shot, executing a 5-play, 72-yard drive in 102 seconds that culminated in a 10-yards touchdown pass from Bennett to Mitchell in the left corner of the end zone. Podlesny's extra point put the Bulldogs ahead 42-41 with 54 seconds left.

Stroud led the Buckeyes down the field on their final drive, running and throwing Ohio State into Georgia territory. His 27-yard scramble reached the 31-yard line with 24 seconds left, setting up Ruggles for a 50-yard attempt with eight seconds left. It never had a chance, missing well left.

Georgia got the ball back with three seconds on the clock and Bennett, his eyes clearly filled with tears on the TV broadcast, ran out to kneel down and send the Bulldogs to the National Championship Game.

TCU: 2022 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- In the biggest upset since the advent of the College Football Playoff, third-seeded TCU rode its underdog status to a 51-45 win over undefeated and No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday. The win continued TCU's storybook season and made the Frogs the first Big 12 team to reach the title game in the CFP era.

Highlighted by a 44-point third quarter between the two teams, the semifinal matchup was a back-and-forth affair that saw TCU nearly lose an early 18-point lead, a pair of pick-sixes, two fumbles, a 76-yard touchdown pass, eight scores in just about eight minutes, a record-setting 59-yard field goal and the highest combined score in Fiesta Bowl history.

The signs of an explosive game were there early. Starting in place of injured star running back Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards ripped off a 54-yard run on the first play of the game, yet the Wolverines walked away with zero points after a fourth-down try near the red zone was stopped.

On the next Michigan offensive drive, quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw a telegraphed pass to the outside that was picked off by sophomore safety Bud Clark and returned for a touchdown. It was the Frogs' third pick-six of the season and put them up 7-0.

The Frogs' defense was the star of the first half, as Michigan entered the TCU red zone three times and came away with only nine points by way of three field goals thanks to two huge stops and a fumble at the 1-yard line by Edwards.

TCU's offense, meanwhile, used the advantage of the Air Raid's pace and speed to get out in front. A 12-play, 76-yard drive culminated with quarterback Max Duggan rushing into the end zone from the 1-yard line to put the Frogs up 14-0 in the first quarter. Under coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan had allowed more than 14 points in the first quarter and gone on to win just once, in 2016 against Colorado, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

While Michigan struggled to capitalize, on the other side of the ball, Duggan -- the Heisman runner-up -- was pulling out all the stops. Duggan wasn't particularly accurate through the air in the first half, but with his legs, he danced his way to first downs and kept pushing TCU downfield as the Wolverines struggled to mitigate his mobility.

No play was more indicative of that problem than when Duggan rolled out of the pocket with 4:56 left in the second quarter and avoided the Michigan blitz to find Taye Barber for 6 yards and six more points. The touchdown culminated a 10-play, 83-yard drive that gave the Frogs a commanding 21-6 halftime lead and put the Wolverines in their biggest deficit of the season.

Both teams came out of the tunnels after halftime like they were shot out of a cannon, combining for a 44-point third quarter that featured a flea-flicker touchdown from McCarthy, the second pick-six of the game from the Michigan quarterback, another pick from Duggan and three touchdown drives of under three minutes.

McCarthy and Michigan, who had two of those drives, were not going away. But just as the Wolverines were attempting to claw back, TCU kept responding. This time, it was running back Emari Demercado who broke loose for a 69-yard run that Duggan finished off with another 1-yard touchdown sneak. The Frogs finished with 41 points through three quarters. All season, the most points Michigan had given up in an entire game was 27, and going back to last season, the most the Wolverines had surrendered in a game was 37.

After Michigan cut the TCU lead to three points early in the fourth quarter, Duggan, as he has done all season, responded by making the throw of the game. While facing a blitzing defender in his face and a long third down, Duggan found a crossing Quentin Johnston in stride. Johnston sped his way to the sideline and took it 76 yards to the end zone to put the Frogs back up 10. A field goal extended that lead to 13 early in the fourth quarter.

Another methodical Michigan touchdown drive by McCarthy cut the lead once again, this time to six points with 3:18 left, setting the stage for TCU and Duggan. The Frogs needed two first downs to finish the game with the ball in their hands. They could get only one, and the Wolverines had 52 seconds to go 75 yards and make a miracle happen.

On fourth-and-10 with 35 seconds left at its own 25, Michigan fumbled the ball and recovered, but the ball did not make it past the first-down marker. As TCU assistant coaches in the upstairs box yelled and screamed, "We're going to the Natty!" all Duggan had to do was take a knee. The upset of the season -- and of the era -- was complete.

Alabama: 2022 Sugar Bowl Champions

NEW ORLEANS - The No. 5/5/5 Alabama football team secured a 45-20 win over No. 9/11/9 Kansas State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide's victory at the Caesars Superdome helped UA finish 11-2 on the season.

Alabama fell behind early with Kansas State gaining a 10-0 lead in the first 12 minutes. The Tide countered with 35 unanswered points to make it a 35-10 game before the Wildcats narrowed the gap on a field goal late in the third. Alabama then put the game well out of reach thanks to a touchdown to close out the third quarter and a field goal from Will Reichard early in the fourth.

Quarterback Bryce Young was named the game's Most Valuable Player with an impressive five-touchdown effort. The junior finished an efficient 15-of-21 for 321 yards to go with the five scores. He connected with seven different receivers overall, five of which scored a touchdown. Tight end Cameron Latu led in receptions with five for 54 yards and a score while Jermaine Burton paced UA in yards at 87 on his three catches, adding a touchdown of his own.

Jahmyr Gibbs highlighted the Tide running backs with 15 carries for 76 yards followed by Jase McClellan who rushed seven times for 42 yards and a score. Gibbs also added two receptions for 66 yards and a pair of kickoff returns for 31 yards to total a game-high 173 all-purpose yards.

The Crimson Tide defense intercepted two passes while limiting the Wildcats to only 210 yards through the air. Jordan Battle picked off the first pass and finished with nine total tackles, including half a stop for loss (-2 yards). Brian Branch recorded UA's second pick and paired the turnover with 12 tackles, including a sack (-9 yards) and a game-high four tackles for loss (-22 yards). DeMarcco Hellams led all defenders with 13 stops.

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban Said

"There was a team out there today that cared – cared about how they played; cared about the pride they had in their performance; cared about each other – and they prevailed because of that. I think that (mentality) started way back when we started practice. There are a lot of guys on this team, including these two guys that are sitting next to me (Will Anderson Jr. and Bryce Young) that have given a lot to this program. The way the team performed out there together as a group, they had something to prove."

Notes

Alabama's matchup with Kansas State marked the Crimson Tide's 17th in the Sugar Bowl – the most by UA in any bowl and eight better than the Cotton, which holds second place at nine. Alabama owns a 10-7 all-time mark in the Sugar Bowl.

Since head coach Nick Saban's arrival in 2007, Alabama has played in 26 games that kicked off at 11:30 a.m. CT or earlier. The Crimson Tide is a perfect 26-0 in those matchups, including a 3-0 mark this season. Alabama first secured a 20-19 win at then-No. 22 Texas on Sept. 10 before defeating Austin Peay, 34-0, on Nov. 19 in the Tide's final non-conference matchup of the regular season.

The win over K-State was Saban's 23rd career victory by 25-plus points against a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and his 25th win by 20-plus points against a top-15 opponent in the AP Poll. He is the NCAA's all-time record holder in both categories.

With his five touchdown passes, Bryce Young now has 80 career passing touchdowns to move past AJ McCarron (77) into second on the school's all-time list. Young trails only Tua Tagovailoa's 87.

After starting the game 1-for-4, Young finished his day 14-of-17 for 315 yards and five touchdowns.

Young's five touchdown passes in the contest set an Alabama bowl record. It also matched Mac Jones' five touchdown throws against Ohio State in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game for the most by a Crimson Tide quarterback in a postseason game (bowl and College Football Playoff).

Young's five touchdown passes matched his career-high total for a single game. The junior has thrown for five scores on four previous occasions, including most recently against Utah State in the 2022 season opener.

With his first touchdown pass in the second quarter, Young has thrown for at least one touchdown across all 27 games that he has started for the Crimson Tide

With his two receptions, Jahmyr Gibbs finished second for catches by a Crimson Tide running back in a single season at 44. The program record is 48 by Kevin Turner with Gibbs moving past Najee Harris (43) in today's game.

How It Happened

First Quarter

06:17 – KS | Kansas State took its second drive of the game 38 yards on 11 plays for the first points of the contest, a 41-yard field goal off the foot of Ty Zentner

03:26 – KS | Deuce Vaughn ran it 88 yards on the first play of Kansas State's ensuing drive to stake his team to a 10-0 lead

00:32 – UA | Helped by a 60-yard pass play from Bryce Young to Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama finished off a six-play, 69-yard drive that took 2:46 off the clock and was capped by a six-yard touchdown by Isaiah Bond

Second Quarter

11:33 – UA | Another big play – this time a 47-yard pass-and-catch from Young to Jermaine Burton – set up a one-yard touchdown reception for Cameron Latu to cap a six-play, 63-yard drive that lasted 3:09

00:10 – UA | The Tide finished the half with a 98-yard drive that took just seven plays and 58 seconds when it was capped by a 12-yard touchdown catch by Jermaine Burton to put Alabama ahead 21-10 at intermission

Third Quarter

13:54 – UA | After recovering an onside kick attempt, Alabama took advantage of the short field by moving 46 yards on six plays in 1:05 when Young found Ja'Corey Brooks for a 32-yard touchdown reception

13:00 – UA | A Brian Branch interception set up the Tide at Kansas State's 17-yard line when Jase McClellan scored the ensuing play which resulted in UA's fifth consecutive touchdown drive

06:33 – KS | The Wildcats went 54 yards in eight plays and 2:17, capped by a 28-yard field goal from Zentner

00:00 – UA | Alabama ended the quarter with Kobe Prentice scoring on a 47-yard catch-and-run to the house, finishing off a three-play, 51-yard drive that took only 1:33 off the clock

Fourth Quarter

11:10 – UA | Will Reichard converted a 49-yard field goal to finish off a six-play, 14-yard drive in 2:31

03:06 – KS | Jordan Schippers plunged into the end zone from one-yard out to cap a 10-play drive that lasted 4:27 and spanned 71 yards.

Tennessee: 2022 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers emphatically punctuated a memorable 2022 campaign on Friday night with a New Year's Six bowl victory, taking down No. 7 Clemson 31-14 in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.

 

In his second year at the helm of Tennessee football, head coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols (11-2) to their first 11-win season since 2001. Friday's result marked Tennessee's first victory in a "New Year's Six" bowl game (2014-pres.) and first win in the Orange Bowl since defeating Oklahoma in 1939.

 

Playing 80 miles from his hometown of Pahokee, Florida, quarterback Joe Milton III shined under the bright lights in his fourth start for the Vols. The redshirt senior completed 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns with no interceptions, and he was named the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player.

 

Sophomore running back Jaylen Wright led the Vols in the ground game with a game-high 89 yards on 11 carries, while junior Jabari Small toted 13 rushes for 38 yards and his 13th touchdown of the season. The Volunteer receiving corps was paced by freshman slot receiver Squirrel White who cracked the century mark for the second time this season, finishing with a season-high nine catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

 

Tennessee's defense reigned supreme in the battle between top-10 squads, and the Vols were led by senior linebacker Aaron Beasley. The Franklin, Georgia, native feasted with a game-high 12 tackles, career-high four tackles for loss and two sacks along with one pass breakup. Redshirt senior linebacker Solon Page III ended his career with a career-best effort, logging 10 tackles to rank second on the team.

 

The UT secondary got the job done on the back end, with junior defensive backs Tamarion McDonald and Wesley Walker posting one interception each and Doneiko Slaughter logging a career-high three pass breakups.

 

Tennessee grabbed momentum early after forcing a turnover on downs in the first quarter, halting Clemson's nine-play, 53-yard drive when redshirt junior cornerback Kamal Hadden and Page combined for a stop on a fake field goal rush. The duo stuffed holder Drew Swinney for a two-yard gain on fourth-and-4 to set up a scoring drive for the Big Orange.

 

Milton orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown series off the turnover, culminating with a 16-yard scoring strike to redshirt junior wideout Bru McCoy who made a strong, two-handed grab on contact in the back of the end zone. Redshirt senior Chase McGrath knocked through his 67th PAT of the year, breaking his own school record from last season to give the Vols a 7-0 edge with 5:17 left in the opening stanza.

 

The Tigers (11-3) had three chances at points early in the first half but were unable to capitalize after three consecutive missed field goals by senior placekicker B.T. Potter. His 55-yard attempt with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter fell harmlessly wide right and short of the goal post before a 49-yard try with 14:08 left in the second quarter was also pushed wide right. His third kick came from 42 yards and sailed just left of the goal posts, keeping Tennessee's seven-point lead intact with 10:15 to go in the half.

 

Tennessee quickly doubled its lead after the third kicking miscue, using 1:12 of game clock for a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go ahead by 14 with 9:03 left in the second period. Milton completed four-straight passes on the drive, including a 50-yard deep ball to White that set up junior running back Jabari Small's two-yard scoring plunge.

 

Small improved his season total to 13 rushing touchdowns, moving into a tie for sixth in UT single-season history. His 13 scores on the ground are the most by a Vol since Montario Hardesty also had a baker's dozen in 2009.

 

Potter got Clemson on the board with 5:11 left in the first half, hooking his fourth field goal try of the night from 31 yards just inside the left post. Neither side scored for the rest of the period, and the Vols headed to the halftime locker room with a 14-3 lead over the Tigers.

 

After receiving the kickoff out of halftime, the Tigers doubled their point total when Potter's 40-yard field goal sailed between the uprights with 10:57 remaining in the third quarter. The kick capped a methodical, 10-play, 45-yard drive for Clemson to cut its deficit to eight points, 14-6.

 

Tennessee's offense stalled on the next two drives before Clemson marched into Volunteer territory. The Big Orange defense held up once again when linebackers Beasley and Juwan Mitchell stopped Tiger running back Will Shipley on fourth-and-2 to force the game's second turnover on downs with 1:27 left in the third.

 

The UT offense responded with another quick touchdown series, going 70 yards in four plays in 1:22 of game time. Wright broke off runs of nine, 42 and five yards before Milton's second touchdown toss found White in the middle of the checkerboard-painted endzone. The 14-yard throw vaulted Tennessee's lead to 21-6 with five seconds remaining in the third.

 

Clemson quickly narrowed the deficit with its first touchdown of the night when quarterback Cade Klubnik ran four yards into the endzone on a read option—capping a 12-play, 71-yard drive for the Tigers. Shipley broke through the middle on the two-point conversion to make it a 21-14 Tennessee lead with 10:01 left in regulation.

 

Milton put the game on ice midway through the fourth quarter on the ensuing drive, connecting with Keyton on a wide open deep ball down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown that put Tennessee ahead by two touchdowns. McGrath's program record 70th made PAT doubled up the Vols over the Tigers, 28-14, with 8:34 left in the contest.

 

Tennessee's attacking, staggering defense posted the game's first takeaway on Clemson's next drive to all but seal the win as junior defensive back Tamarion McDonald leaped in the air and nabbed his third career interception. McGrath put the finishing touches on the victory, knocking his final career field goal attempt from 32 yards between the uprights for the final score, 31-14.

 

Clemson threatened a late touchdown when Klubnik heaved his 54th pass attempt into the endzone, but redshirt junior Wesley Walker grabbed his first career interception to leave no doubt. Three Milton kneel downs ended the game and the Vols hoisted the Orange Bowl trophy for the first time in 83 years.

 

The Vols finished the 2022 campaign breaking several single season records, including total points (599), points per game (46.1), total offense (6,832), yards per game (525.5) and passing touchdowns (38) while tying the record for rushing touchdowns (40).

LSU vs. Clemson 2020: Let It Ride

#CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship #CFB150 #NCAA #NY6

LSU: 2019 NCAA Division I FBS National Champions

NEW ORLEANS — When it comes time to write the story of the 2019 college football season, we will not just start with Joe Burrow. We will ask Burrow to write it. He will be quick, he will be absurdly accurate, he will make sure a whole bunch of people get involved, he will explain what his coach actually said, and he will finish with a flourish.

LSU is your national champion, the best team playing its best football at the best time, thanks mostly to the nation’s best player. Burrow was great when his team wasn’t, then great when it was. How good was he? How good is LSU?

Well, college football history is dotted with champions that won with outrageous talent and champions that won because of a collective belief that they would never lose.

Once in a while, you find a team with both qualities.

A team like Clemson.

Burrow and LSU just eviscerated that team. Clemson had won 29 games in a row, and Burrow effectively beat the Tigers twice. The first time was late in the third quarter, with LSU leading 35-25. Burrow feathered a pass into the hands of star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who dropped it. Chase had a wonderful night, so it feels wrong to say he should have caught it. But … he should have caught it. LSU had to settle for a field-goal attempt, which failed.

Burrow just did what he has done all season: Lead another touchdown drive, finishing with a—you’ll never believe this—perfect pass to Terrace Marshall Jr. LSU led by the final margin, 42-25, and LSU fans were ready to start partying in the streets of New Orleans, which they had conveniently begun doing like a week ago.

This is LSU’s championship, Ed Orgeron’s championship, all of their championship. But this will be Joe Burrow’s season, forever. Very few players in the sport’s 150-year history dominated from start to finish like Burrow did. He threw 48 touchdown passes in his team’s first 13 games, then got better. He threw 12 in two playoff games, including five in this one.

But this went beyond his stats. Burrow played like he knew he could complete every pass, avoid every blitz, run for any first down he needed. He took the entropy out of the game.

Clemson was the undefeated defending national champion with the best NFL prospect in the country (quarterback Trevor Lawrence), but there was no doubt, as midnight approached in the Crescent City, that LSU was the better team.

LSU gained 359 yards in the first half, which begged the question: What was wrong with LSU? We kid, sort of. But the Tigers started slow. They kept dropping passes. They punted four times. LSU’s offense was so good all year that when it stalls at all, you expect a CHECK ENGINE light to appear on the sideline.

The Tigers destroyed so many teams this year, including Oklahoma in the “semifinal” exhibition two weeks ago, that it was easy to wonder how they would respond when faced with an actual deficit. But if you have paid any attention to Burrow this year, you didn’t wonder. The presumptive No. 1 NFL draft pick is deadly serious, the adult in any room he enters.

Burrow did not come all this way, from Athens, Ohio to Columbus to Baton Rouge and finally to New Orleans, just to let a few failed drives ruin his night. He kept throwing darts over the middle and delicately placed deep balls along the sideline and figured his excellent receivers would start catching them, which they did.

At halftime, LSU led 28-17, and LSU got the ball first in the second half, and it was easy to wonder if Clemson was going to get knocked out. But if you have paid any attention to Clemson under Dabo Swinney, you didn’t wonder. Dabo says sit, the Tigers sit. Dabo says fight, they fight. Dabo says roll over, they know he is kidding, because Clemson never rolls over.

Clemson fought, the way you would expect a team playing for its third title in four years to fight. Lawrence led a touchdown drive that ended with a two-point conversion. Even down 35-25, having lost starting linebacker James Skalski to a targeting ejection, Clemson fought. Clemson always fights. But this season, Joe Burrow and LSU always won.

Oregon: 2020 Rose Bowl Champions

Oregon football owns Southern California.

The truth was as startling as the screaming Ducks who danced around a green-confetti-strewn Pasadena field early Wednesday night as if it was their backyard.

For many, it was.

Oregon just won the Rose Bowl with a roster including more than 30 players who grew up within 70 miles of that Rose Bowl.

Oregon just used kids from South Los Angeles to Norco to Rancho Cucamonga to Mission Viejo to defeat a bunch of behemoths from Wisconsin 28-27 in a game that held one bit of consolation for the Badgers.

The real losers here were USC and UCLA.

A program from an adjoining state just won what is annually their season’s most important game on their turf with many of their kids. Yeah, this actually might have been their worst loss of the season.

As the local programs struggle, the Ducks are soaring. As the locals’ recruiting rankings stall or drop, the Ducks continue to take players from underneath their out-of-joint nose, building that rare Pac-12 Conference team that could actually outmuscle a Big Ten Conference hulk.

With about one-third Southern California kids, they beat Wisconsin despite being outgained 322 yards to 204 because they stole the ball four times and shut down the Badgers in crunch time.

With Southern California kids, Oregon won by playing the sort of toughness that USC used to have, with the sort of resilience that UCLA’s Chip Kelly used to engender, thanks to the kind of recruiting that neither place is doing.

This ownership of the local football landscape won’t last forever, it might not even last until USC gets a new coach. But it’s real right now, as real as all those screaming Ducks fans who stuck around the Rose Bowl into Wednesday night as if they owned the place.

Check out the smile on the face of the Calabasas High kid who caught a 12-yard pass to set the tone for Oregon’s game-sealing drive.

“We run L.A.,” receiver Mycah Pittman said.

Now check out the wardrobe of his older brother, Michael Jr., a USC receiver who was spotted after the game wearing — wait for it — an Oregon jersey.

“We’ve got all these SoCal recruits because, if you want to win, you come to Oregon, that’s all there is to it,” Pittman said.

The message was as plain as the sweaty smile on the face of Thomas Graham Jr., the former USC commit from Rancho Cucamonga who intercepted a pass that led to Oregon’s second touchdown, then later offered an Oregon pitch to his Southland buddies.

“We’re taking over,” he said. “Get away from home, get out of trouble, get away from all the distractions, grow as a player and a man, become a Duck, and I promise you won’t regret your decision.”

Graham was part of a second-quarter sequence where Southern California kids were everywhere.

With 8 minutes 37 seconds remaining in the first half, Troy Dye from Norco High ripped the ball from the hands of powerful Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor and Deommodore Lenoir from Los Angeles Salesian High recovered it.

After Oregon failed on a fourth-down run, Wisconsin regained possession only long enough to lose it to another Southern California kid, this time on an interception by Graham with pressure applied on quarterback Jack Coan by Westlake Village Oaks Christian’s Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Two plays later, running back CJ Verdell from Chula Vista carried 13 yards to the Wisconsin five, from where Oregon-grown quarterback Justin Herbert carried it in for one of his three rushing touchdowns to give Oregon a 14-10 lead.

In all, two of three Ducks who carried the ball were from Southern California, one of the four receivers who caught passes were locals, and five of their top nine tacklers were from the Southland.

It all fits into coach Mario Cristobal’s eye-opening answer when he was asked this week about recruiting in Southern California.

“For us, this is home state,” he said of the Southland. “That’s what it is. We’ve made it a priority ... so every opportunity to be in a big game like the Rose Bowl, I think it certainly helps recruiting.”

In winning this game, Oregon backed up the fun yet furious culture that it has been selling. The Ducks wore the flashy dark green and silver uniforms, yet played old-school smashmouth football, then partied like a bunch of crazy kids, dancing in the locker room while puffing on cigars.

“You see the fun we’re having, the way we’re celebrating right now, the way coach Cristobal leads us, there’s no reason not to come here right now,” guard Shane Lemieux said.

It is a culture that has resulted in a 20-6 record over the last two seasons, including two bowl victories.

During that same time, USC is 13-12 with no bowl victories and UCLA is 7-17 with no bowl appearances.

It is also an atmosphere that attracted the 18th-ranked recruiting class in the country this winter, second in the Pac-12. Meanwhile, UCLA was 28th nationally and fourth in the Pac-12, and USC, normally a recruiting powerhouse, ranked 79th overall and last in the conference.

The Ducks, in particular, stole two of the country’s top-ranked defensive forces from the locals, Thibodeaux last year and Upland’s Justin Flowe this year.

Indeed, a large number of Southern California parents crowded a Rose Bowl concourse near the Oregon locker room Wednesday. Mark Dye, whose sons Troy and Travis left Norco to play for the Ducks, offered one theory about the defections.

“The local schools are still well respected, but some of that traditional luster has kind of gone away a little bit,” he said.

“The current age group, when Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart were playing ... those kids were 9 and 10 years old. The rich tradition of both of those schools has started to fade.”

Oregon is clearly the trendy spot, the cool spot, the Rose Bowl’s traditional sounds of “Conquest” replaced Wednesday night by the noise of Ducks fans singing and dancing to their own melody of “Shout.”

The final message of the night came from Troy Dye, delivered to his Southern California neighbors as he sat in a smoky, dizzying Ducks locker room, a statement that served as Wednesday’s true final score.

“I know you grew up watching the Rose Bowl, I know you want to shoot for playing in the Rose Bowl, I know you want to win the Rose Bowl,” Dye said. “If you want to do that, you come to Oregon.”

Georgia: 2020 Sugar Bowl Champions

Those not as well versed in SEC depth charts likely didn’t notice the large absence of Georgia starters at the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday. The Bulldogs were missing six regular-season starters and 13 rotation players in New Orleans, but Kirby Smart’s squad still managed to overwhelm Baylor and quarterback Charlie Brewer in a 26-14 victory. The Bears didn’t score in the first half late Wednesday night. They committed three turnovers, and starting quarterback Brewer spent most of the second half running for his life before exiting the game in the fourth quarter due to a potential concussion. A short-handed Georgia squad handled Baylor with relative ease for much of the evening.

We shouldn’t completely dismiss the effort by coach Matt Rhule’s squad to close the slate of New Year’s Day games. Baylor mounted a 75-yard drive to pull within 12 late in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs’ offense stalled in spurts for portions of the second half. Yet it was a backup Bulldog who ultimately pierced Baylor’s front line in Georgia’s victory.

Freshman Zamir White logged just 60 carries entering Wednesday night, but he led all players with 92 rushing yards on 18 carries in the Sugar Bowl victory. White bullied Baylor midway through the third quarter, bursting into the end zone from 13 yards out. White is no ordinary backup. He joined Georgia as the nation’s No. 1 running back recruit in the class of 2018. After waiting his turn behind D’Andre Swift for much of 2019, White arrived on the national stage Wednesday.

Another Georgia standout freshman, wideout George Pickens finished the evening with 12 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown, bullying the Bears’ secondary with his 6’3” frame. Pickens was one of Georgia’s five five-star recruits in the class of 2019. The Bulldogs currently sport the nation’s No. 4 class for 2020. Smart continues to keep Georgia stocked with the nation’s top talent on a yearly basis.

The Smart era has yet to bring Athens its first national championship since 1980, and back-to-back years outside the College Football Playoff is a minor disappointment after coming so close to the title against Alabama in January 2018. Yet it’s hard not to be encouraged as Georgia enters the next decade. Smart is 36–7 in his last three seasons. Georgia is 6–4 against Top-10 teams since 2017. A standard of success has been re-established, with Smart’s last three years matching the height of the Mark Richt era from the previous decade. With a steady stream of talent arriving each year, a return to the playoff could be imminent.

Georgia will certainly be among the top tier of title contenders entering 2020. LSU will likely lose Joe Burrow, and the potential departure of Tua Tagovailoa for Alabama could leave the conference with no true favorite. Quarterback Jake Fromm’s future may swing the odds entering September. The junior tossed 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 2019, and he could sneak into the back of the first round if he performs well in the months between now and the 2020 draft. But Fromm could be well served by another year on a collegiate stage. If he stays, Georgia will likely cruise to the SEC East title. The road will be different if Fromm bolts, though the Bulldogs have proven they have enough talent to withstand any single departure. Smart has built a true power, one that’s in fine shape as we roll into 2020.

Florida: 2019 Orange Bowl Champions

The Orange Bowl between No. 9 Florida and No. 24 Virginia may not have been the most anticipated New Year's Six game when it was announced. However, it turned into an entertaining game of back-and-forth momentum swings with a little Las Vegas drama at the end to boot. Ultimately, the Gators walked away winners with a 36-28 final score. The victory moves Florida to 4-0 in the Orange Bowl all-time and gives it an 11-win season for the first time since 2012.

Monday night was also the Gators' best bowl performance of the decade offensively. They finished 549 yards of offense, the most since the 2010 Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati -- Tim Tebow's final game. Additionally, it gives Florida consecutive BCS/New Year's Six bowl wins for the first time in a decade (2008-09), making coach Dan Mullen the first coach in history to accomplish that task in his first two years at a school.

It also puts the team at 21-5 in two seasons under coach Mullen. Only Urban Meyer had a better record in his initial back-to-back seasons in Gainesville, Florida.

"Just under a year ago, this team was born, and we talked about going from four wins to 10 wins was special, but to go from 10 wins to 11 is going to be a lot harder, and those guys bought into it," Mullen said after the game. "They started working last January, and they worked, they grinded all season long in everything that they did. ... A couple years ago, this senior class, a new coach got brought in and we told them, 'Hey, if you buy into what we're doing, just buy into what we're doing, believe we're going to be successful.' They've done that, they've bought in. Back-to-back 10-win seasons, back-to-back top-10 teams, back-to-back New Year's Six bowl victories. They've bought in, and they've restored that Gator standard, and they get to walk out the door knowing they've restored the Gator standard to what it is, building that foundation of a team."

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask, who was tremendous in place of Feleipe Franks this season, was a little shaky in the game, completing 24 of 39 passes for 305 yards, a touchdown to running back Lamical Perine and an interception; Trask also nearly fumbled the ball, but the play was not overturned on review. Trask's numbers weren't necessarily bad, but a lot of his downfield throws were erratic. It was a good thing for the Gators to have a more reliable weapon in Perine.

"I think this win is huge for this program, not only for the program but also this team and the seniors that bought in when Coach Mullen first got here from Day 1," Trask said. "They worked day in and day out, and as far as my season went, I couldn't be more happy the way that my teammates had my back when I won versus Kentucky, and we just continued to grind every single week and get better each and every single week and here we are winning the Orange Bowl. That's pretty incredible."

While the game was close at times, the only real drama of the night came at the end when the game was pretty much in hand. With under a minute remaining, the Wahoos attempted a trick play by passing to an offensive lineman for a score. The play was called back, though, as an illegal forward pass. Still, Virginia scored two plays later, and while it didn't get the win, it secured the cover.

Here's what else we learned from Monday's Orange Bowl.

1. The Gators decided to run, and Perine was unstoppable: Three of Florida's four touchdowns on the evening came from Perine, a valued senior who totaled 181 yards on 18 touches -- just about 10 yards per touch -- and three touchdowns to receive Most Valuable Player honors. Perine has long been one of the most underrated (and perhaps underutilized) parts of Florida's offense, and he was absolutely untouchable against the Hoos on Monday night running for a career-high 138 yards with 43 more in the passing game. Who knows where Perine will go during the NFL Draft weekend. He may not hear his name called for a while. But he's one of those players who probably meant more to his offense than the stats indicated. He accomplished all of this behind a Gators offensive line that struggled mightily throughout the season, unable to create holes for its rushers. It appeared to step up as well.

2. Florida's defense turned it on for a short while: The first 30 minutes of the Orange Bowl was like a tennis match. Each team was volleying points back and forth waiting to see who would blink first. For a vaunted Florida defense, that didn't seem ideal. However, credit the Gators for drawing up some good halftime adjustments and having a bigger impact in the second half. The pass rush was good most of the night but certainly more effective both on and off the stat sheet in the third and fourth quarters. Florida finished with three sacks, five tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Virginia countered Florida's defensive front in the first half with quick passes and a moving pocket with successful results. UVA QB Bryce Perkins even made a few incredible individual plays in the face of that rush. But when it needed stops and negative plays, Florida came through and built a large enough lead that it was able to hang on to a lead late. However, it did ultimately give up 375 yards of total offense, including Perkins' best passing game.

"I'm looking at what they've got coming back. ... I'm excited. I mean, this is only just the beginning of it, honestly," said graduate transfer Jon Greenard, who showed out in his final game. "Last year was a little taste of it. We keep building. We got 11 wins, which is really difficult. So next year, a couple plays this year and we would've been right where we wanted. Next year, they are just going to capitalize off of that, understand where we were this past year, and national championship in my eyes. So we've got that in our eyes now."

3. Perkins will be missed at Virginia: The Hoos' signal caller will be an interesting late-round/undrafted prospect, but there's no denying what he's meant to this program. It took him all 60 minutes, but he broke the school's record for total offense career with 7,910 yards. The mark was previously held by quarterback Shawn Moore. That's pretty incredible in and of itself, but even more so when you consider all the problems Virginia had up front this season. For Perkins to be able to rack up yards running and throwing, usually in the face of pressure, says a lot about his playmaking ability. He didn't have a perfect night against Florida -- he missed a couple of surefire touchdowns that he'd love to have back -- but he also did things like this on his way to 323 yards passing with four touchdowns and an interception.

4. This is why conference tie-ins should be removed: Virginia played hard, gave Florida a game and has nothing to be ashamed about, but let's be honest: a four-loss team shouldn't be playing in a New Year's Six game. Conference tie-ins don't always produce bad matchups in these major bowl games, but in a year like this one when the ACC was average at best, you get this type of result. It wasn't bad, per se, but it could have been a lot better. So what's the solution? Ditch the tie-ins and use the College Football Playoff Rankings to help determine the games? It's interesting that there's so much disdain for the CFP Selection Committee in terms of their selection criteria for the field of four, because you could actually make an argument their process would be better suited for drumming up interesting matchups in these games without being held back by conference tie-ins.

Your 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game

Clemson University Tigers vs. 

Louisiana State University Tigers

2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game

Mercedes-Benz Superdome

New Orleans, Louisiana,

United States of America

13 January 2020

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Division I Football Bowl Subdivision

Clemson: 2019 Fiesta Bowl Champions

A season seemingly destined to place Ryan Day's first year as Ohio State head coach atop all the other seasons of distinction in OSU history instead ending suddenly and stunningly in a 29-23 loss to No. 3 Clemson in the College Football Playoff on Saturday at the Fiesta Bowl.

Justin Fields, who threw only one interception all season, threw two against the defending national champion Tigers, including the clincher with 37 seconds left.

Fields was looking for Chris Olave from the Clemson 30, but Olave broke left and Fields threw to the middle of the field, where the Tigers intercepted.

The 30th consecutive victory for coach Dabo Swinney's team moves them into the national championship game Jan. 13 against LSU, which hammered Oklahoma in the other Playoff semifinal.

Fields finished 30-of-46 for 320 yards, with one TD.

J.K. Dobbins gained 174 yards on 18 carries, but had only 30 yards after injuring his ankle in the third quarter.

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence led his team 94 yards to take the lead in the final two minutes.

He finished 18-of-33 for 259 yards and rushed 16 times for 107 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown.

OSU embarked on its potential game-winning drive from its 25 with 1:49 left, trying to overcome a 29-23 deficit that resulted from Travis Etienne's 34-yard touchdown catch with 1:49 left.

That culminated a four-play drive by the Tigers, but Ohio State started just as promptly in response.

Fields found Dobbins with three swing passes and hit K.J. Hill for 13 yards to move quickly inside the Clemson 30 with 43 seconds left.

That's where Fields and Olave miscommunicated and Clemson free safety Nolan Turner intercepted in the end zone, ending the Buckeyes' hopes for a thrilling comeback.

Clemson gained the chance to take the lead by holding on third-and-five with 3:53 left, denying Austin Mack the three additional yards he needed to sustain the drive after a catch at the Tigers' 39.

OSU elected to punt, giving the Tigers the ball at the 6-yard line with two timeouts and 3:07 left to drive for a go-ahead field goal.

Instead, the Tigers used just four plays to go 94 yards for a touchdown.

Lawrence passed for 11 yards to Justyn Ross, ran for 11 himself to go over 100 yards for the game, then found Amari Rodgers over the middle.

He slipped a tackle from Jeff Okudah at midfield and gained 38 yards to the 34-yard line with 2:06 left.

Etienne covered the distance that remained on the next snap, taking a short pass behind the OSU defensive line and speeding through the secondary to get in the end zone for the third time.

The Tigers tried to pad their resulting 27-23 lead to six points, and got that when Tee Higgins got away from Okudah to catch the two-point pass from a scrambling Lawrence.

OSU shook off a streak of 21 straight Clemson points that erased a 16-0 second-quarter deficit to re-take the lead with 11:46 left on Fields' 23-yard touchdown pass to Olave.

Olave got free over the middle with Clemson's defense crowding the line on fourth-and-one, anticipating a Dobbins' or Fields run.

Ohio State will forever lament its missed opportunities that undermined its chance of getting to the national championship game.

The Buckeyes' early 16-0 lead could have been much larger had they not settled for three Blake Haubeil field goals inside 35 yards.

Two of those came after near Fields touchdowns to Dobbins, who earlier scored on a 68 yard run and broke off another 64-yarder inside the 10.

Replay overruled a Dobbins 5-yard TD catch because the football hit the ground and slid down his leg in the end zone.

Shortly after that, Dobbins dropped a screen floated to him in the left flat with three blockers to clear the one Clemson defender in the 20 yards separating him from the goal line.

Those mistakes weren't the extent of the Buckeyes' self-inflicted damage.

Midway through the third quarter, with Clemson punting from its 15, Cameron Brown roughed Will Spiers to sustain a drive that two plays later resulted in Travis Etienne scoring on a 53-yard screen pass.

As much as that hurt, it wasn't the last debilitating mental blow to the Buckeyes.

Replay overturned Fuller's scoop-and-score touchdown the next time Clemson had the ball, denying OSU what appeared a touchdown when Okudah stripped possession from Ross at the Clemson 25.

The Buckeyes' 16-0 second-quarter lead evaporated in a flurry of two Clemson touchdowns in a span of just 1:35.

OSU gave the Tigers a second chance to score its first touchdown, converting a third-down incompletion into a first down when cornerback Shaun Wade slammed into Lawrence and drew a targeting call.

That continued the possession and Clemson pounced.

Amir Riep replaced Wade and, on second down, Lawrence returned from a brief medical check on the sideline and went deep. That drew pass interference and a provided a Clemson first down at the OSU 16.

Etienne took it from there, avoiding Fuller and Malik Harrison on third-and-2 from the 7-yard line to knife into the end zone and get Clemson within 16-7 with 2:45 left in the half.

Ohio State tried to run out the clock, but Dobbins came up short on third down and Clemson took over with 1:55 left.

It took the Tigers less than a minute to get within 16-14.

Lawrence converted third-and-10 with a throw to Ross, then broke OSU's heart with a 67-yard run on a quarterback draw.

He broke free up the middle, juked safety Josh Proctor and Fuller, then outran Barron Browning to the end zone.

The Tigers made it 21 straight points right after that, cashing in another second chance off the personal foul of their punter and Etienne's 53-yard catch and run with a screen pass.