ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan went for the victory — and Ohio State stayed undefeated.
Tyvis Powell intercepted Devin Gardner’s pass as the Wolverines went for a go-ahead 2-point conversion with 32 seconds left and No. 3 Ohio State held on for a 42-41 victory Saturday in one the most thrilling games in the history of the storied Big Ten rivalry.
Gardner threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Devin Funchess to make it 42-41, but instead of kicking for the tie, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke went for the lead with his offense.
“We played the game to win,” Hoke said.
Gardner tried to zip a pass into traffic near the goal line, but Powell came up with it. Buckeyes cornerback Roby Bradley recovered the onside kick to seal Ohio State’s 24th consecutive victory and keep its national championship hopes alive.
Braxton Miller accounted for five touchdowns for Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) and Carlos Hyde ran for a 1-yard score with 2:20 left to make it 42-35.
The Wolverines (7-5, 3-5) started strong as a 16 1-2-point underdog and didn’t wilt when Ohio State went up 35-21 late in the third quarter.
Michigan, though, couldn’t make a pivotal play that might’ve given it the biggest upset in the series since Bo Schembechler’s first team at Michigan beat what Woody Hayes said was his best Buckeyes squad.
Miller and Hyde had a lot to do with Ohio State staying undefeated for at least another week. The Buckeyes play Michigan State in the Big Ten title game next Saturday in Indianapolis, and need a loss by No. 1 Alabama or No. 2 Florida State to have a chance to reach the BCS national championship game.
Both Buckeyes and Wolverines scored at least 41 points for the first time in their 110th meeting in a rivalry that dates to 1897.
It was a slug fest — literally for a few moments.
The teams exchanged pushes and a couple of punches in the second quarter after a Michigan kickoff.
The Buckeyes lost starting right guard Marcus Hall and kick returner Dontre Wilson and the Wolverines lost backup linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone to ejections. All three players were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and had to leave the field after a skirmish. Hall and Wilson appeared to throw punches. Jenkins-Stone tugged Wilson’s helmet off and tossed it to the turf.
While walking off the field and toward the tunnel, Hall put both arms into the air and flashed a familiar obscene gesture, extended middle fingers, to the Michigan crowd.
Punishment could potentially linger for Ohio State if both players are suspended for next week’s Big Ten championship game.
“The conference office will wait until after the game for the officials’ written report, review the video and then take further action if needed,” Big Ten spokesman Scott Chipman wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
No. 2 FLORIDA STATE 37,
FLORIDA 7
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jameis Winston threw three touchdown passes to Kelvin Benjamin, and Florida State moved a step closer to playing for the national championship.
The Seminoles improved to 12-0 for the first time since 1999 and likely will earn a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game by beating Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game next Saturday.
Florida, meanwhile, ended its worst season since 1979.
The Gators (4-8) lost their final seven games and missed a bowl for the first time since 1990. Florida’s bowl streak had been the second-longest in the country, behind Florida State.
No. 5 MISSOURI 28,
No. 19 TEXAS A&M 21
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Henry Josey broke loose for the go-ahead score on a 57-yard run with 3:34 to go and Missouri wrapped up the SEC East.
Missouri (11-1, 7-1 SEC) advances to the conference championship game against Auburn — a matchup of schools very lightly regarded before the season. Missouri has made a six-win improvement from its initial SEC season and fourth-ranked Auburn (11-1, 7-1) has topped last year’s total by eight after stunning No. 1 Alabama.
Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel was held in check for the second straight week, throwing one touchdown pass and rushing for 21 yards on 11 carries. He was 24 for 35 for 195 yards.
No. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA 31,
No. 6 CLEMSON 17
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Connor Shaw threw for one touchdown and rushed for another as South Carolina won its record fifth straight over Clemson.
The Gamecocks (10-2) won their 18th straight at home, extending a school record set earlier this year. For Shaw, it capped the senior’s home career at a perfect 17-0 as a starter in the sweetest way possible.
The Tigers (10-2) had never lost five consecutive games to their rival in a series that began in 1896 — which they still lead 65-42-4 all-time.
No. 8 STANFORD 27,
NOTRE DAME 20
STANFORD, Calif. — Wayne Lyons intercepted two passes from Tommy Rees late in the fourth quarter, and Stanford held off Notre Dame.
The Cardinal (10-2) overcame two interceptions from Kevin Hogan and a penalty that wiped away another touchdown to win their 16th consecutive home game. Stanford will play for its second straight Pac-12 title and Rose Bowl berth next week when it faces No. 13 Arizona State in the conference championship game.
Tyler Gaffney ran for 189 yards and a touchdown, and Hogan threw for 158 yards and TD pass to Devon Cajuste to help the Cardinal take a 21-6 lead in the third quarter.
Rees nearly rallied the Fighting Irish (8-4) by throwing two touchdown passes later in the quarter. But interceptions on Notre Dame’s final two drives dashed Notre Dame’s come back.
No. 9 BAYLOR 41, TCU 38
FORT WORTH, Texas — Bryce Petty threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Baylor returned two interceptions for scores.
The Bears (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) scored 21 straight points on either side of halftime with just 1 yard from their high-powered offense and bounced back from a blowout loss at Oklahoma State to maintain their hopes for a share of the conference title.
Baylor could win the league outright and qualify for a BCS bid, likely the Fiesta Bowl, if it beats Texas and the Cowboys lose to Oklahoma next Saturday.
No. 11 MICHIGAN STATE 14,
MINNESOTA 3
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Jeremy Langford ran for 134 yards and a touchdown, and Michigan State wrapped up an unbeaten regular season in Big Ten play.
The Spartans (11-1, 8-0) finished a perfect Big Ten regular season for only the third time. They also did it in 1965 and 1966, when they only had to play seven conference games.
No. 13 Arizona St. 58,
Arizona 21
TEMPE, Ariz. — D.J. Foster ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Arizona State dismantled earned home-field advantage in next week’s Pac-12 championship game.
Arizona State (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) won last year’s game by scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter and raced out to a 27-point lead by the midpoint of the second this time.
Arizona (7-5, 4-5) fell flat in trying to boost its bowl pedigree.
PENN STATE 31,
No. 14 WISCONSIN 24
MADISON, Wis. — Christian Hackenberg threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns, and Penn State pounced on a slew of blunders before holding off a late rally to upset Wisconsin.
Hackenberg, a freshman, showed the poise of a veteran in dissecting a tough defense. Eugene Lewis caught two touchdowns, including a 59-yarder for a 17-point lead with 13 minutes to go.
The Nittany Lions (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten) secured a statement win against a team that had been dominant all year at home. Joel Stave threw for three touchdowns for Wisconsin (9-3, 6-2), though Penn State capitalized on second-half interceptions, turning one into Lewis’ long TD.
No. 22 UCLA 35,
No. 23 USC 14
LOS ANGELES — Brett Hundley passed for 208 yards and rushed for two touchdowns, leading UCLA past Southern California for the second straight season.
Linebacker Myles Jack and defensive end Eddie Vanderdoes also rushed for touchdowns as the Bruins (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12) earned their first win at the Coliseum since 1997, retaining the Victory Bell by grinding out just their third victory over USC (9-4, 6-3) in 15 years.
No. 24 DUKE 27,
NORTH CAROLINA 25
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Ross Martin kicked a 27-yard field goal with 2:22 left and Duke completed an improbable run to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
Anthony Boone threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns to Jamison Crowder for Duke (10-2, 6-2 ACC).
By wire sources