Conference championship weekend gives teams the chance to not only win a trophy but to make a lasting impression ahead of the final standings of the season's College Football Playoffs. Before the CFP top 25 and selections are announced on Sunday, follow the drama here:
10 Kansas State surrendered No. 1 TCU's first loss. 3 for the Big 12 crown
TCU seemed to stay out of harm's way every week and came close to doing so again in the Big 12 title game. But K-State came in goal-lined at OT and gave the Frogs their first loss of the game 31-28. TCU, ranked No. 3 in the CFP rankings, now have to wait to see if it drops.
Kansas State led by 11 points in the fourth quarter before TCU QB Max Duggan – a Heisman nominee – showed up with a clutch. With his team eight late, Duggan pushed TCU for 80 yards in eight plays. 15, 13, 19, 40 and eight runs stunned the Wildcats before a two-point conversion tied the game. Duggan finished with 251 passing yards and 110 rushing yards. For the second time this season, Utah beat Southern California. This time for the Pac-12 Championship and the possible end of USC's playoff dreams. USC enters defending fourth and final spot in the semifinals at No.
The Utes have now won back-to-back conference titles after going 47-24 on Friday.
The Trojans entered the second quarter with a 14-3 lead but didn't last long. Utah outscored USC 44-10 afterward as USC QB Caleb Williams limped off with a foot injury. The Trojans struggled to keep the drive alive, going 1-12 on the third down conversion (3-5 on the fourth down).
However, Kansas State stopped TCU near the goal line in overtime and then won it with Ty Zentner's 31-yard field goal. The Wildcats also got two passing scores from QB Will Howard and 130 rushing yards and a touchdown from Deuce Vaughn to win the Big 12 for the first time since 2012 (co-champ).
Defensively, Utah crushed the Trojans with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. On offense, Utah QB Cameron Rising threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns.
Fighting that injury for most of the game, Williams still passed for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
No.1 Georgia blows up No.14 LSU in the SEC Championship
No.1 Georgia beat No.14 LSU 50-30 to win the SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs went to 13-0 and likely secure the top seed in the College Football Playoffs.
Stetson Bennett became the oldest starting quarterback to win an SEC Championship at the age of 25, completing 23–29 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns. Georgia's 50 points is the second most points scored by the Bulldogs this season.
The Georgia defense limited LSU to just 47 rushing yards, but allowed 502 passing yards, with Tiger's starting quarterback and reserve throwing for over 200 yards.
Michigan's No. 2 remains flawless in the Big Ten Championship against Purdue
Purdue may have led 10-7 early in the second quarter thanks to a touchdown late in the first quarter before a field goal, but field goals quickly became all the Boilermakers could muster as Michigan quickly escaped into the finals 43-22.
Coming out of halftime with a 14–13 lead, the Wolverines broke through the Purdue defense for two touchdowns on their first two drives of the second half.
Donovan Edwards clutched on his 60-yard dash on the first offensive play of the Michigan half set deep in Purdue territory before Kalel Mullings completed a one-yard scoring drive. After forcing a quick three-and-out, Wolverines makes light work on his next drive as J.J. McCarthy hit Luke Schoonmaker for a 40-yard finish before Edwards closed the drive with a 27-yard rush into the end zone.
McCarthy wasn't too busy, going 11-of-17 in the air for 161 yards, three touchdowns and a pick. Edwards finished his terrible game with 185 rushing yards and one touchdown, while Mullings added a second score at the ground for some late insurance.
Purdue QB Aidan O'Connell (32-for-47, 366 yards, 2 INT) had a strong relationship with Charlie Jones (13 catches, 162 yards), but it was to no avail.
No. 9 Clemson tackles No. 23 North Carolina in the ACC Championship
Phenom quarterback Drake Maye may have opened the scoring on this one with a three-yard rush in the first quarter, but the good vibes were short-lived for UNC as Clemson slid right for a 39-10 win for another ACC crown.
It was all the Tigers from there as three touchdowns in a row opened up a 21-7 lead at short notice before the Tar Heels were able to find an answer with a field goal to cut it to 21-10. Clemson immediately responded with a 52-yard field goal before two more touchdowns to seal the game, including a 98-yard pick-six for Nate Wiggins to put the game out of reach.
No. 18 Tulane sailed past No. 22 UCF for the AAC title
The Green Wave led 10-0 from the first quarter, and never looked back as they beat the Knights 45-28 for their first AAC title, avenging their 38-31 loss to UCF earlier this season.
UCF pulled within 10-7 in the second quarter, thanks to a five-yard push from Xavier Townsend, but Tulane immediately answered on the next drive when Michael Pratt connected with Lawrence Keys III with a bomb 43 yards for the score.
The game wasn't even the most explosive for Green Wave, as Pratt added 73-yard and 60-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter after Tyjae Spears ran one entry for 60 yards in the third.
Pratt's 60-yard pass to Shae Wyatt (110 yards, 2 TDs) proved to be major insurance for Tulane after RJ Harvey's 49-yard passing to Kobe Hutson and 10-yard rush from Isaiah Bowser cut it to 31-28 in the fourth quarter. Pratt added a scoring 18 yards in the late field for good measure.
He finished the day with a total of 442 yards and a total of five touchdowns. Spears rushed for 199 yards and one touchdown, while Deuce Watts caught three passes for 134 yards and a score.
Tulane made it look easy, even after losing the turnover battle as UCF recovered two Green Wave fumbles and picked Pratt. This article was written by EDUKASI CAMPUS.