COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Relentlessly zipping up and down the field, ninth-ranked Ohio State and upstart Maryland were racking up yards and points at a dizzying pace.
Finally, the Terrapins were presented with the chance to end it — one way or another.
A gutsy decision by Maryland interim coach Matt Canada did not achieve the desired results, and the Buckeyes avoided one of the most stunning upsets in this college football season by squeezing out a 52-51 victory in overtime on Saturday.
After a 5-yard touchdown run by Dwayne Haskins gave the Buckeyes a seven-point lead to start overtime, Tayon Fleet-Davis scored for the Terrapins. Canada opted to keep his offense on the field to attempt a 2-point conversion, and Tyrrell Pigrome’s pass to Jeshaun Jones was off target .
“It was a gut call,” Canada said. “I felt like they were scoring, we were scoring. We had the ball, we had to make one play to win. Obviously it didn’t work. I wasn’t trying to be aggressive. I was just trying to win.”
After watching his defense allow 535 yards and seven touchdowns, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer understood why Canada opted to win it right there.
“I would have probably done the same thing if I was their coach, the way they were gaining yards on us,” Meyer said. “I’m relieved we won.”
Favored by 14½ points, Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) trailed by two touchdowns in the third quarter and 45-38 with under two minutes left before rallying.
The victory kept the Buckeyes in the hunt for the Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State concludes the regular season next week in a game against Michigan that will decide the Big Ten East winner.
After describing the performance of his defense as “alarming,” Meyer said, “But we won. Let’s go back to work and get ready for next week.”
The Buckeyes never led until overtime against the gritty Terrapins (5-6, 3-5), who have made the most of a season dedicated to teammate Jordan McNair, who died of heatstroke in June. The players teamed together under the guidance of Canada, who maintained his role of offensive coordinator after taking over for head coach DJ Durkin, who was placed on administrative leave in August, reinstated on Oct. 30 and fired on Oct. 31.
On this day, the Terps traded blows with one of the best teams in the nation, and stuck in it to the end.
“I wish we had been a little bit better on the last play,” Canada said. “It’s a tough day. We put a lot into this.”
Pigrome was making his first start of the season after Kasim Hill sustained a season-ending knee injury last week. He went 6 for 13 for 181 yards.
Haskins ran for three touchdowns and was 28 for 38 for 405 yards and three TDs. Ohio State finished with a whopping 688 yards, including 203 on the ground by J.K. Dobbins.
All that offense meant nothing until Pigrome’s pass went about six inches wide of his intended target.
“For us to stop them on a 2-point conversion, a whole bunch of emotions just came out of me,” Haskins said. “All that grit, all that adversity we faced in this game, to come back on top just meant everything for myself and my teammates.”
NO. 1 ALABAMA 50,
THE CITADEL 17
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tua Tagovailoa passed for 340 yards and three touchdowns, but Alabama struggled for 30-plus minutes before putting away The Citadel.
The Crimson Tide (11-0) went into halftime tied at 10 with the FCS Bulldogs (4-6). Alabama scored two touchdowns in a 12-second span on its way to a 27-point third quarter.
Tagovailoa completed 18 of 22 passes in three quarters, including touchdown strikes of 21 and 5 yards to Jaylen Waddle and a 68-yarder to tight end Irv Smith Jr. Tagovailoa broke AJ McCarron’s school single-season record of 30 touchdown passes, reaching 31.
NO. 2 CLEMSON 35, DUKE 6
CLEMSON, S.C. — Trevor Lawrence was 21 for 38 for 251 yards and two touchdowns and No. 2 Clemson overcame a slow start to beat Duke to finish a perfect Atlantic Coast Conference season.
Clemson (11-0, 8-0) fell behind 6-0 early. Lawrence was 0 for 7 on third downs in the first half and the Travis Etienne ran for just 4 yards as the Tigers led 14-6 at the break.
But Etienne ran for 77 yards on four carries in the second half with touchdowns runs of 27 and 29 yards, and Lawrence broke it open with a 10-yard TD pass to T.J. Chase early in the fourth quarter — his final play in another Clemson blowout. Daniel Jones was 24 of 43 for 158 yards for Duke (7-4, 3-4).
NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 36, NO. 12 SYRACUSE 3
NEW YORK — Ian Book returned to the starting lineup for Notre Dame and threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns to help the Fighting Irish stay on target for a trip to the College Football Playoff.
The Fighting Irish held out Book from last week’s home game against Florida State with a rib injury, and he wasn’t missed as Notre Dame (11-0, No. 3 CFP) rolled with Brandon Wimbush at quarterback.
Notre Dame clearly wanted to be cautious with Book ahead of its trip to Yankee Stadium to face high-scoring Syracuse (8-3, No. 12 CFP). The junior quarterback, who took over as the starter four games into the season, looked as good as new.
NO. 4 MICHIGAN 31, INDIANA 20
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Karan Higdon ran for a go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter and Jake Moody set a Michigan record with six field goals.
The Wolverines (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) looked sluggish and it may have had something to do with looking ahead to next week’s game at No. 9 Ohio State, where they need a win to reach the Big Ten championship game for the first time.
The Hoosiers (5-6, 2-6) were competitive against Michigan as they have been lately, losing in overtime twice in the previous three meetings, but came up short again.
Indiana led 17-15 at halftime and finished with more yards (385) than anyone has had against Michigan’s top-ranked defense this season.
NO. 5 GEORGIA 66, UMASS 27
ATHENS, Ga. — Freshman Justin Fields threw two scoring passes and ran for another touchdown, Tyler Simmons had rushing and receiving scores, and Georgia protected its playoff hopes.
Another freshman, James Cook ran for 76 yards on only three carries, including his first two career scoring runs, from 26 and 27 yards. Georgia gained 701 yards, including 426 yards on the ground, and never punted. Fields led the Bulldogs with 100 yards rushing, including a career-long run of 47 yards and a 3-yard scoring run. He completed 5 of 8 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
NO. 6 OKLAHOMA 55, KANSAS 40
NORMAN, Okla. — Kyler Murray accounted for two of his five touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help Oklahoma survive Kansas freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr.’s big game.
Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 6 CFP) moved closer to a spot in the conference championship game, and Murray boosted his Heisman Trophy campaign in likely his final home game.
Williams rushed for a career-high 252 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a score for Kansas (3-8, 1-7). The Jayhawks have lost seven of the past eight games.
OKLAHOMA STATE 45, NO. 7 WEST VIRGINIA 41
STILLWATER, Okla. — Taylor Cornelius threw a touchdown pass to Tylan Wallace with 42 seconds remaining to rally Oklahoma State.
Will Grier led West Virginia (8-2, 6-2, No. 9 CFP) to the Oklahoma State 14, but couldn’t connect with David Sills V on the final play. The loss all but ended West Virginia’s shot at the College Football Playoff. West Virginia faces Oklahoma next Friday and still has a shot at reaching the Big 12 title game.
Cornelius passed for 338 yards and ran for 106 to help Oklahoma State (6-5, 3-5) become bowl eligible.
No. 8 Washington St. 69, Arizona 28
PULLMAN, Wash. — Gardner Minshew threw a school-record seven touchdown passes and No. 8 Washington State routed Arizona 69-28 on Saturday night, continuing the Cougars’ longshot bid for the College Football Playoff.
Washington State (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12, No. 8 CFP) raced out to a 55-14 lead at halftime and was not seriously threatened on the way to its seventh consecutive victory. The Cougars host archrival No. 17 Washington next Friday, with the Apple Cup winner taking the Pac-12 North title.
With their 10th win of the season, the Cougars tied a program record last accomplished in 2003. They also won their 13th straight home game and set a season high for points.
Minshew, being pushed by WSU as a Heisman Trophy candidate, completed 43 of 55 passes for 473 yards and was not intercepted.
NO. 10 LSU 42, RICE 10
BATON ROUGE, La. — Joe Burrow passed for a career-high 307 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters for LSU.
The Tigers (9-2, No. 7 CFP) led 35-3 midway through the third quarter en route to a victory in which the only drama involved whether LSU would cover a point spread hovering around 44 points before kickoff.
Nick Brossette rushed for two touchdowns for LSU, which can clinch its first 10-win season under coach Ed Orgeron — and virtually ensure a New Year’s Day bowl bid — by winning its regular-season finale next weekend at Texas A&M.
LSU outgained Rice (1-11) 552 yards to 198. The Owls have lost 11 straight.
NO. 11 UCF 38,
NO. 19 CINCINNATI 13
ORLANDO, Fla. — McKenzie Milton threw for 268 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to help 11 UCF remain unbeaten and extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 23 games.
The junior from Kapolei, Hawaii, passed for three TDs without an interception and scored on a 3-yard run as the Knights (10-0, 7-0) clinched the American Athletic Conference East Division title and a spot in the league’s championship game.
Milton rebounded from losing a fumble Cincinnati recovered in the end zone for a touchdown on UCF’s first offensive play to complete 13 of 25 passes, including TDs of 17 yards and 42 yards to Adrian Killins and 36 yards to Tre Nixon. Malik Clements’ goal-line sack and Kimoni Fitz’s fumble recovery gave the Bearcats (9-2, 5-2) the early lead.
NO. 13 TEXAS 24,
NO. 18 IOWA STATE 10
AUSTIN, Texas — Sam Ehlinger ran for a touchdown and passed for another before leaving with a shoulder injury, and Texas smothered Iowa State freshman quarterback Brock Purdy.
Texas (8-3, 6-2, No. 15 CFP) is in second place in the Big 12 and on track to play in the league title game if it wins at Kansas next week. Texas hasn’t won the Big 12 since 2009.
Texas had given up 114 points and 1,675 yards in its previous three games. The Longhorns allowed Iowa State just 224 total yards.
Shane Buechele took over for Ehlinger after halftime and his 27-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey with 36 seconds left in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
The No. 18 Cyclones (6-4, 5-3, No. 16 CFP) played the first half without running back David Montgomery, who was suspended for throwing a punch against Baylor a week earlier.
NO. 14 UTAH STATE 29, COLORADO STATE 24
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Collin Hill’s apparent 34-yard touchdown pass to Preston Williams with no time left was negated by penalty, giving Utah State the victory in a wild and stunning finish to a game played in snow and freezing rain.
Colorado State was flagged for illegal touching after it was determined Williams had stepped out of bounds and was the first to touch the ball when he came back in bounds and made the leaping catch between two defenders in the end zone.
NO. 15 FLORIDA 63, IDAHO 10
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Feleipe Franks passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns — all in the first half — and Florida ran up 600 total yards.
Florida (8-3) rolled to a 49-0 lead at halftime. Gators defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown on the first play to start the onslaught. Four other touchdown drives took less than two minutes and the longest of the seven first-half scores came in 2:24.
Idaho dropped to 4-7.
NO. 16 PENN STATE 20, RUTGERS 7
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Trace McSorley threw two touchdown passes to tight end Pat Freiermuth and Penn State’s defense set up two touchdowns with turnovers.
The Nittany Lions (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten, No. 14 CFP) beat Rutgers (1-10, 0-7) for the 12th straight time. Rutgers has lost 10 straight.
McSorley won for the 30th time as a starter, making him the winningest quarterback in school history. The senior broke a tie with Todd Blackledge (1980-82) and Tony Sacca (1988-91). The two touchdowns increased his total — running and passing — to 101.
NO. 17 WASHINGTON 42, OREGON STATE 23
SEATTLE — Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes and Myles Gaskin rushed for 135 yards in the final home game of their careers, and Washington scored 28 first-quarter points.
The victory by the Huskies (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) sets up a winner-take-all matchup with No. 8 Washington State in the Apple Cup next Friday for the Pac-12 North Division title. The winner of the 111th matchup will play in the conference title game with a Rose Bowl berth at stake.
NO. 20 KENTUCKY 34, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 23
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mike Edwards had two takeaways leading to Kentucky’s first two touchdowns, and the Wildcats made several fourth-quarter defensive stops.
Kentucky (8-3) ended a two-game slide. Josh Allen sacked Brent Stockstill for a 7-yard loss on fourth down and set up Miles Butler’s 32-yard field goal with 4:01 remaining.
A facemask penalty helped the Blue Raiders (7-4) reach the Kentucky 5 in the final minute, but consecutive sacks of Stockstill by Allen and Jamar Watson ended that final chance.
NO. 21 UTAH 30, COLORADO 7
BOULDER, Colo. — Jason Shelley threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the snow, and Utah moved closer to its first Pac-12 title game appearance.
The Utes (8-3, 6-3) will win the Pac-12 South if Arizona State loses at Oregon later Saturday or if the Sun Devils fall to Arizona next week.
A sixth consecutive loss for the Buffaloes (5-6, 2-6) capped a week in which athletic director Rick George said he hadn’t made any decisions regarding coach Mike MacIntyre’s employment amid a news report that his job was in jeopardy.
FLORIDA St. 22,
NO. 22 BOSTON COLLEGE 21
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Deondre Francois threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to Tamorrion Terry with 1:49 left and Florida State beat Boston College to keep its bowl hopes alive.
Francois was 19 of 39 for 322 yards, shaking off two first-half interceptions for his fourth 300-yard game of the season. Cam Akers had 19 carries for 110 yards for the Seminoles (5-6, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). It was Florida State’s first victory in six attempts against Top 25 teams this season.
Boston College (7-4, 4-3) hasn’t won in Tallahassee since 2008. A.J. Dillon ran a season-high 37 times for 116 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles.
NO. 24 NORTHWESTERN 24, MINNESOTA 14
MINNEAPOLIS — Isaiah Bowser rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns and Northwestern turned three turnovers by Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan into 10 points.
Clayton Thorson completed 15 of 21 passes for 230 yards without a turnover and had a 13-yard touchdown run in the first half for the Wildcats (7-4, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 22 CFP). They pushed their school-record road winning streak to eight and have their best conference record since 1996.
NO. 25 Miss St. 52, ARKANSAS 6
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Nick Fitzgerald threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Mississippi State.
Mississippi State (7-4, 3-4 Southeastern Conference, No. 21 CFP) held Arkansas (2-9, 0-7) to 219 total yards.
In his final home game, Fitzgerald completed 9 of 14 passes for 127 yards and also ran for 85 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown. Senior Aeris Williams, who was starting in place of the injured Kylin Hill, added 104 yards rushing on 15 carries.