Bowl-o-Rama: Gators Beat Bearcats

Last Updated 12:30 a.m. ET

Tim Tebow rose above all the distractions caused by coach Urban Meyer's uncertain future and capped a storied college career with his finest performance.

It was the best in BCS history, too.

Tebow threw for a career-high 482 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 51 yards and another score, and fifth-ranked Florida overwhelmed No. 4 Cincinnati 51-24 Friday night in the Sugar Bowl.

For Tebow and the Gators (13-1), this certainly was The Big Easy.

Florida's most anticipated season ever ended in New Orleans instead of Pasadena. It came against Cincinnati (13-1) instead of Texas. It was about redemption instead of perfection.

None of that mattered in the Louisiana Superdome.

Tebow wouldn't let it. He completed his first 12 passes, led the Gators to scores on their first five possessions and finished with 533 yards — more than anyone in Bowl Championship Series history. He passed former Texas star Vince Young's record of 467 yards set against Southern California in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

The Bearcats lost their bid for a perfect season and surely will spend the next year listening to questions about whether they belong in the big games against the biggest boys.

Florida, meanwhile, became the first school in the Football Bowl Subdivision to win 13 games in consecutive seasons.

Tebow and his teammates had hoped to repeat as national champions, but a 32-13 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game knocked them out of the title picture. The Gators spent the last four weeks regrouping from the disheartening loss.

Things got worse when Meyer announced his resignation last Saturday, three weeks after being rushed to the hospital because of chest pain. Meyer changed his mind the following day, and instead said he would take an indefinite leave of absence.

No one knows how long he will be away or whether he will return at all.

Meyer didn't look like his fiery self against his alma mater. Then again, Tebow & Co. made this a stress-free game for every Gator.

Rose Bowl

Oregon's potent offense met its match in Ohio State.

The Ducks' spread-option bogged down in the Rose Bowl, and No. 7 Oregon lost 26-17 on Friday in its first appearance in Pasadena on New Year's Day since 1995.

Known for their scrambling, gambling and fast pace, the Ducks had the ball less than 19 minutes - and that wasn't a good thing.

After taking a 17-16 lead on the first possession of the second half on Jeremiah Masoli's 1-yard plunge, the Ducks were shut out the rest of the way. They had only two possessions in the fourth quarter, ending in a punt and missed field goal.

Tailback LeGarrette Blount, suspended after his postgame punch at Boise State's Byron Hout in a season-opening loss, scored a game-tying touchdown in the second quarter.

But with the Ducks trailing 19-17 in the third quarter, Blount committed a costly fumble and No. 8 Ohio State recovered in the end zone. The Ducks never were that close to scoring again and they fell to 0-8 against the Buckeyes.

Freshman tailback LaMichael James, who emerged as a star replacement for Blount, was the Ducks' leading rusher with 15 carries for 79 yards. Blount saw most of his action in the second half, with five carries for 36 yards.

The Ducks outran the Buckeyes 179-153, but Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor dominated Masoli in passing, 266 yards to just 81. Masoli had directed an offense that racked up more than 37 points and 424 yards per game this season while ending Southern California's seven-year reign as Pac-10 champions.

Outback Bowl

Wes Byrum kicked a 21-yard field goal in overtime and Auburn stopped Northwestern's final trick play of the game to hold on Friday for a 38-35 victory in the Outback Bowl.

The Tigers intercepted Mike Kafka five times - twice in the end zone - and shut down a fake field-goal play to end Northwestern's gallant bid to end a 61-year stretch of postseason futility.

Kafka threw for a career-best 532 yards four touchdowns. He rallied Northwestern from a 14-point deficit in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, and the Wildcats wasted a chance to win it in regulation.

Auburn (8-5) finished its first season under Gene Chizik with the second-most wins by a first-year coach in school history. Only Terry Bowden, who went 11-0 in 1993, produced more wins in his initial season on the job.

Northwestern (8-5) fell to 1-7 all-time in postseason games.

Gator Bowl

Bobby Bowden watched the clock run down to :00, then took his last walk to midfield as his Florida State players jumped up and down, thrusting their helmets into the air.

The coach went out a winner, carried off by the Seminoles.

Jermaine Thomas ran for two touchdowns, Florida State scored 20 straight points to take control and the Seminoles knocked off No. 18 West Virginia 33-21 in the final game of Bowden's storied 44-year career as a head coach.

Bowden finished with a 389-129-4 record, and most importantly to him, a 33rd consecutive winning season.

"It's got to be memorable," Bowden said. "It's my last dadgum ballgame after 57 years of coaching."

Noel Devine rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown for West Virginia (9-4), which ran out to a 14-3 lead, then sputtered the rest of the way.

There was even a "wide right" - in Bowden's favor, for a change.

This was Bowden's day, and the Seminoles made sure he wouldn't be denied.

Everything about the matchup was arranged with celebrating Bowden in mind, and that didn't change on game day.

More than 350 of Bowden's former players were there as guests, and thousands of fans - many of whom arrived 2 hours before Bowden - braved 52-degree air and steady rain to line the route the coach and his wife, Ann, would take into the stadium, followed by the rest of the Seminole roster.

There was a pregame video of Bowden highlights. He got a new car, a gift from Toyota and the Gator Bowl. And then came a rare treat even for Bowden, the right to take the flaming FSU spear from Chief Osceola and slam the point into the turf at midfield, one of Florida State's most revered pregame traditions.

"I'm very excited. Ann and I are very excited to be here in front of the Seminoles and also the Mountaineers," Bowden said from the field to a sold-out crowd moments before kickoff. "I couldn't help but get nostalgic when I heard the West Virginia band play their fight song. And then also, to hear the Seminoles play ours."

Capitol One Bowl

Collin Wagner kicked a 21-yard field goal with 57 seconds left to lift No. 11 Penn State to a 19-17 win Friday over No. 13 LSU in a sloppy Capital One Bowl.

The Nittany Lions (11-2) gave up a 13-point lead in the second half after Stevan Ridley's 1-yard touchdown run put LSU (9-4) ahead 17-16 with 12:49 left.

But quarterback Daryll Clark led the Nittany Lions on the game-winning, 12-play drive in crunch time. Penn State had two critical third-down conversions to help set up Wagner's game-winner - one of four field goals on the day for kicker.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno got his record 24th bowl win and handed Les Miles his first loss in five bowls as LSU coach.

A driving rainstorm at the start of the game made the field a muddy mess.