College football: Burrow leads No. 1 LSU to rout of Georgia
Joe Burrow finished off his likely Heisman Trophy coronation with another dazzling performance and No. 1 LSU locked up a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time, dominating No. 4 Georgia 37-10 in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday.
The Tigers, going for their first national title since 2007 season, will either return to Atlanta or head west to suburban Phoenix for a semifinal game on Dec. 28. Their bowl site and opponent will be announced on Sunday, but they surely made a persuasive case to be the top overall seed in the four-team field.
Burrow was all over the stat sheet for LSU (13-0, No. 2 CFP). He threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns. He was the Tigers’ second-leading rusher with 41 yards on 11 carries, often leaving the Bulldogs grasping at air as he twirled this way and that. He even caught a pass on a ball that was batted down at the line and wound up his arms, taking off for a 16-yard gain.
The Heisman-worthy moment came late in the third quarter. With Georgia (11-2, No 4 CFP) bringing the heat, Burrow spun to his left to get away from lineman Travon Walker, whirled back to his right to send Walker sprawling to the turf, then delivered a pass on the run while sprinting toward the LSU sideline with another defender in hot pursuit.
Justin Jefferson hauled in the throw just beyond midfield and took off down to the Bulldogs 9 for a 71-yard play. Three plays later, Burrow delivered his third TD pass of the game, hooking up with Terrace Marshall Jr., on a 4-yard touchdown pass that essentially finished off the Bulldogs.
Oklahoma 30, Baylor 23, OT: No. 6 Oklahoma has done all it can, winning a fifth Big 12 title in a row with another close win over No. 8 Baylor.
Now the Sooners wait to see if they are going to get in back in the College Football Playoff. That is up to the selection committee.
“I hope they see the Big 12 champions. They’ve got a job to do, I get that,” coach Lincoln Riley said after Oklahoma’s 30-23 overtime win.
Rhamondre Stevenson had a 5-yard touchdown run in overtime, and then true freshman Jacob Zeno – whose two long passes in the fourth quarter helped tie the game – was under constant pressure when the Bears got their last chance.
A day after No. 5 Utah lost in the Pac-12 championship game, and before No. 4 Georgia took on No. 1 LSU for the SEC title, Oklahoma (12-1, No. 6 CFP) became the first team in any league to win 10 conference championship games.
Boise State 31, Hawaii 10: Jaylon Henderson threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 19 Boise State to a 31-10 victory over Hawaii in the Mountain West championship game.
Memphis 29, Cincinnati 24: Antonio Gibson caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady White with 1:14 left and No. 16 Memphis defeated No. 21 Cincinnati 29-24 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
The victory marked the first time Memphis (12-1, No. 17, CFP) has won the AAC title in its third straight conference championship game. The Tigers now wait for an invitation to the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.
Appalachian State 45, Louisiana-Lafayette 38: Darrynton Evans scored three touchdowns and 20th-ranked Appalachian State won its fourth straight Sun Belt championship with a 45-38 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. Evans was named the game’s MVP for the second season in a row.