No. 2 Alabama advances to showdown with Notre Dame
ATLANTA AJ McCarron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:15 remaining, and No. 2 Alabama advanced to a national championship showdown with Notre Dame by holding off No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in a thrilling Southeastern Conference title game Saturday.
The Crimson Tide (12-1) trailed 21-10 after Alec Ogletree returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the third quarter.
But after Alabama surged ahead, it was Georgia (11-2) nearly pulling it out.
The Bulldogs were at the Alabama 4 after Chris Conley hauled in a short pass but the clock ran out before the Bulldogs could get off another play.
Both teams played like champions, but only the Tide is moving on to face the top-ranked Fighting Irish. The Tide will get a chance to make it three out of four when they face top-ranked Notre Dame for the BCS crown on Jan. 7 in Miami.
For the Bulldogs (11-2), the consolation prize will likely be a spot in the Capital One Bowl, though they certainly looked like a team fully deserving of a BCS bid.
Alabama rallied behind a punishing run game, finishing with 350 yards on the ground, an SEC championship game record. Eddie Lacy finished with 181 yards on 20 carries, including two TDs. Freshman T.J. Yeldon had 153 yards on 25 carries, also scoring a TD.
---
No. 12 OKLAHOMA 24, TCU 17
FORT WORTH, Texas - Landry Jones threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, Damien Williams ran untouched 66 yards for a score and Oklahoma earned at least a share of the Big 12 title.
TCU's fourth-down pass to the goal-line in the final minute was well-defended and fell incomplete.
The Sooners (10-2, 8-1 Big 12) won their eighth consecutive Big 12 game since a late-September loss to Kansas State, which played it regular-season finale at home Saturday night against No. 23 Texas. Oklahoma would have the outright title and guaranteed BCS spot if the seventh-ranked Wildcats lose.
Oklahoma, whose only other loss was to No. 1 Notre Dame, is in good shape for the final at-large BCS berth even if K-State wins.
TCU (7-5, 4-5) lost all four of its Big 12 games at home despite winning four on the road.
---
No. 16 OREGON STATE 77, NICHOLLS STATE 3
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Storm Woods ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter and Oregon State put up its highest point total ever.
Oregon State (9-3) started playing its substitutes against the lower-division Colonels in taking a 35-0 halftime lead. Markus Wheaton caught 12 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown and sat out the second half.
Officials from both schools decided to put off the Sept. 1 opener when the storm bore down on the Colonels' campus in Thibodeaux, La.
The Beavers had a complete turnaround from their 3-9 finish last year. Oregon State is possibly headed to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27, and representatives from that bowl and the Alamo Bowl were in attendance. The team will learn its destination on Sunday.
---
BAYLOR 41, No. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE 34
WACO, Texas - Lache Seastrunk rushed for 178 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Nick Florence passed for 296 yards for Baylor.
Baylor (7-5, 4-5 Big 12) has won at least seven games in three straight seasons -- the first time the Bears have done that since 1949-51.
Seastrunk's long scoring run gave Baylor a 41-27 lead with 5:11 left in the game.
The sophomore burst through the middle and slowed down about 25 yards shy of the end zone. Seastrunk stumbled into the end zone and was down on the turf before limping off with an apparent right leg injury.
J.W. Walsh rushed for two touchdowns for Oklahoma State (7-5, 5-4).
---
No. 25 BOISE STATE 27, NEVADA 21
RENO, Nev. - Joe Southwick threw two touchdown passes to lead Boise State to a share of the Mountain West Conference title.
The Broncos and ensuring their nation's best seventh consecutive 10-win season.
D.J. Harper ran for 130 yards for Boise State (10-2, 7-1) and the Broncos' defense put the clamps on a Nevada offense that was averaging 38 points per game.
Stefphon Jefferson ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and Cody Fajardo passed for 203 yards and ran for 81 for the Wolf Pack (7-5, 4-4), who lost four of their last five games after starting the season 6-1.
Matt Miller caught seven passes for 127 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown from Southwick that put Boise ahead late 24-7.