Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields escapes from Michigan State linebacker Antjuan Simmons during Ohio State’s 52-12 win Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. Al Goldis/Associated Press
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Justin Fields threw for two touchdowns and Haskell Garrett scored on an interception as No. 3 Ohio State rolled to an easy 52-12 victory over Michigan State on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (5-0, 5-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) were able to take the field after a coronavirus-related cancellation the previous weekend, though they were without Coach Ryan Day and a few other members of the staff. Ohio State also had a list of 23 unavailable players, but none of that seemed to faze the Buckeyes.
Fields also ran for two touchdowns, and the Buckeyes led 28-0 at halftime. Now the big question is whether Ohio State’s regular-season finale against Michigan next weekend will be played. The Wolverines did not play this weekend for virus-related reasons.
The concern for the Buckeyes is that they could fall short of the six-game threshold to be eligible for the Big Ten title game.
Michigan State (2-4, 2-4) was coming off a win over another undefeated team – Northwestern – but the Spartans were overmatched. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi was shaken up and left the game after being sacked in the second quarter, but by that time, the rout was already on.
(1) ALABAMA 55, LSU 17: Mac Jones passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns, and the Crimson Tide (9-0, 9-0 SEC) used a slew of explosive plays to run away from the Tigers (3-5, 3-5) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(2) NOTRE DAME 45, SYRACUSE 21: Ian Book threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores in his final home game, leading the Fighting Irish (10-0, 9-0 Atlantic Coast, CFP No. 2) past the Orange (1-10, 1-9) in South Bend, Indiana.
The Irish ran their winning streak to 16 games, best in the country, and their home winning streak to 24.
Next up is the ACC championship game Dec. 19 against Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina.
(4) CLEMSON 45, VIRGINIA TECH 10: Trevor Lawrence had two touchdown runs and threw a scoring pass, and the Tigers (9-1, 8-1 ACC) beat the Hokies (4-6, 4-5) in Blacksburg, Virginia, to set up a rematch against Notre Dame in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
(5) TEXAS A&M 31, AUBURN 20: Kellen Mond passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third, and the Aggies (7-1) scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to rally past the Tigers (5-4) in Auburn, Alabama.
Michigan State (2-4, 2-4) was coming off a win over another undefeated team – Northwestern – but the Spartans were overmatched. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi was shaken up and left the game after being sacked in the second quarter, but by that time, the rout was already on.
(6) FLORIDA 31, TENNESSEE 19: Kyle Trask threw for 433 yards and four touchdowns, and the Gators (8-1, No. 6 CFP) clinched a spot in the SEC championship game with a win over the Vols (2-6) in Knoxville, Tennessee.
(14) COASTAL CAROLINA 22, (8) BYU 17: Mateo Sudipo stopped BYU’s Dax Milne at the 1-yard line as time expired and the Chanticleers (10-0, No. 18 CFP) held off the Cougars (9-1, No. 13 CFP) in a short-notice showdown at Conway, South Carolina.
BYU was a late fill-in, traveling more than 2,200 miles to the South Carolina coast and eagerly stepping in after No. 25 Liberty had to back out of the game Thursday because of COVID-19 concerns.
But the Chanticleers controlled the clock with three long touchdown drives and made plays when it counted – none bigger than when Sudipo, a freshman safety, corralled Milne a few steps from the end zone on the final play of the game, with BYU trying to score on a pass from the 18.
(9) MIAMI 48, DUKE 0: D’Eriq King threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score while Miami (8-1, 7-1 Atlantic Coast, No. 10 CFP) posted its first road shutout in 20 years, holding Duke (2-8, 1-8) to 177 yards while forcing five turnovers.
(10) INDIANA 14, (18) WISCONSIN 6: Jack Tuttle threw two touchdown passes in his first career start and Indiana’s defense made a stand in the final minute as the Hoosiers (6-1, CFP No. 12) held off the Badgers (2-2, No. 16 CFP) in Madison, Wisconsin.
(12) IOWA STATE 42, WEST VIRGINIA 6: Brock Purdy threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and the Cyclones (8-2, 8-1, No. 9 CFP) secured their first appearance in the Big 12 championship game with a win over the Mountaineers (5-4, 4-4) in Ames, Iowa.
(13) OKLAHOMA 27, BAYLOR 14: Spencer Rattler threw two touchdown passes, and the Sooners (7-2, 6-2 Big 12, No. 11 CFP) defeated the visiting Bears (2-6, 2-6) to earn a spot in the Big 12 championship game.
RICE 20, (15) MARSHALL 0: Safety Naeem Smith returned one of five Marshall interceptions for a touchdown, and the Owls (2-2, 2-2 Conference USA) upset the Thundering Herd (7-1, 4-1) in Huntington, West Virginia, beating a ranked opponent for the first time since 1997 despite the absence of quarterback Mike Collins and leading wide receiver Austin Trammell.
TCU 29, (19) OKLAHOMA STATE 22: Max Duggan threw a go-ahead, 71-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter and ran for two more scores as the Horned Frogs (5-4, 5-4 Big 12) beat the Cowboys (6-3, 5-3) in Fort Worth, Texas.
CALIFORNIA 21, (21) OREGON 17: Chase Garbers threw for a touchdown and ran for a short score, Muelu Iosefa had a late fumble recovery, and the Golden Bears (1-3) upset the Ducks (3-2) in Berkeley, California.
(22) TULSA 19, NAVY 6: The Golden Hurricane (6-1, 6-0 AAC, No. 24 CFP) clinched a spot in the American Athletic Conference title game, using a strong defensive effort and a tiebreaking 66-yard touchdown pass from Zach Smith to Josh Johnson to beat the Midshipmen (3-6, 3-4) in Annapolis, Maryland.
(24) IOWA 35, ILLINOIS 21: Spencer Petris threw three touchdown passes and the Hawkeyes (5-2) scored 35 unanswered points after trailing by two touchdowns early to beat the Illini (2-4) in Champaign, Illinois.
VIRGINIA 43, BOSTON COLLEGE 32: Brennan Armstrong threw for a touchdown and ran 60 yards for another as the Cavaliers (5-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) beat the visiting Eagles (6-5, 5-5) for the first time ever.
Boston College played without injured starting quarterback Phil Jukovec and top running back David Bailey. Dennis Grosel filled in admirably, throwing for 520 yards and four scores, but two interceptions turned into 95- and 80-yard touchdown drives.
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